It's all about sovereignty... that rhymes with virginity.

I haven't wanted to blog thus far because I really don't like the wife of bath and I've been trying to capture her in my minds eye. I think I've figured her out. nah never that... She's a really developed character. one that we could probably study for an entire semester studying. An interesting point was brought up in class today about how at the end of the tale, the ugly, hag turned in to a beauty. We discussed two thought. The first, the old hag never turned in to a beautiful lady she always was on the inside. The knight finally saw that when he saw her inner beauty. Yeah that's sweet but I think it was his punishment. To be married to an old, ugly, hag for the rest of his life and have everyone make fun of him behind his back for the rest of his life for being married to this super, ugly, old, hag. That would be a bid bust on his ego. The second thought is: the old hag really did turn into a beauty, only after he abdicated power for her to choose which she would rather be. (line 1225-1234) So she did turn into a beauty because she would have rather looked pretty and she would rather also be loyal. Just because that is the way she already was. But she was wise enough to play the fool. The key word here is "she", she made the decision. It wasn't forced on her. Maybe the knight learned his lesson about forcing women to do things they didn't want to do ie. rape.
I think that the Wife of Bath used the character of the Knight to say that men have and always will be ruled by women. The story starts off with the rape of a woman that represents woman oppression being ruled by a man. But in the knight's head he couldn't help raping her. He was bewitched by her maidenhood. In the end of the story the woman rules over the man with her words she persuades thing to see it her way. He would rather be happy and submissive to her. The old hag forces the Knight to see that he is the old hag. he comes to the pivotal realization that he is the hag and she is ugly because he is ugly. And only by giving sovereign rule to the woman could he be purified and be beautiful in The Wife of Bath's eyes. and only after the knight gives all authority in the relationship to the hag does she become beautiful. The wife of Bath is using the story to justify why she acts the way she does towards all her husbands.