1. Note that in lines 96-126, the Wife tells the story of Midas, a Greek myth. Midas, commanded to be a judge of a musical contest between the gods Apollo and Pan, chooses Pan, and Apollo punishes him by causing him to have donkey ears. He then hides his ears in a turban. In this version of the story, his wifeis the only one who knows, and she unintentionally betrays the secret by whispering the secret into the mud near some reeds by a river. When the wind blows, the reeds say "the king has asses' ears," thus giving away the secret.
Why do you suppose the queen tells this story? It's a digression from her main story. What seems to be on her mind?
OR
2. Give your opinion of one or more of the answers the knight gets to the question of "what do women want."
OR
3. Do any of the answers to the question, "what do women want," reflect the character of the Wife, as afar as you can tell? How so?
24 comments:
Okay - focusing on prompt two, with a bit of the other prompts embedded in it:
Although this is quite obvious, the Queen is asking what women "desire" in life. Most of the answers the knight gets are very similar, people stating that women "all loved best riches," or "fame," or "prettiness." These desires are somewhat materialistic, although innocent in nature. But, the story of Midas strikes me very differently. Midas needs his wife to do something for him, and she "desires" to do so. But she is not able to. These other desires generally are equated with marrying in this story; becoming wealthy or gaining fame, but in the story of Midas, it is something that can only be achieved through oneself. I wonder what significance this different framing of desire has; the contrast between the desire to follow through for or put someone else at ease, which is unsuccesful, and the desire to be rich and famous.
'Till next time. . .
i cant seem to get on the site..it just won't show me the text....ill keep trying but could someone send me lines 1-164 via email???
turnerburner@comcast.net
sorry, thanks!!!!!!
This is Sofia...
Prompt 3:
"79 And some say, too, that we do love the best
80 To be quite free to do our own behest"
When reading these lines, I thought of the Wife in that she's basically taking matters into her own hands as to helping the knight (or perhaps, not helping him, but nevertheless taking matters into
her own hands). When the king wants the knight to be killed, she begs him not to do so and instead puts the knight on this "quest".
Prompt 2:
The knights all gave basically the same answers as jake said. They are all materialistic things like "fair fame," "best riches," and "prettiness." I was somewhat offended by those knight, but i understand that a lot of women do want the material things in life but another said that if they (the knight) speak the truth and they said that they could win women by flattery. That is somewhat true also because that would make them feel special about how the look, act, etc... So over all to answer the prompt i would agree with some of the answers that the knights gave to the question asking "what women want."
This is Alison...
checking in...
thanks...really appreciate it guys!!!
(sarcastic)
prompt 2: I agree with Jake but also I think that after looking at the main three that came up, I think these are all related to popularity or rank. This is shown in our age too but if you have fame and is rich, you automatically get high social class. Adding to that, prettiness would be an extra credit. So I think that this is still what woman want from man now.... Well I'm being stereotypical so maybe not all want this in men...
3.
We get a preview at the Queen's character by making the assumption that none of the things the knight finds are precisely what woment want. If they were, the Queen would say, "and that's what I think too!" or something like that. Therefor, we can infer that the Queen:
Is not easily flattered, or does not truly care about flatterly or take it seriously. Perhaps she is self-confident? Perhaps.
Does not care about riches to a great extent. I guess that one's kind of obvious. We know since she's a queen she probably has a few riches already.
Does not value a man who takes a woman's advice seriously. This might say something about the time this story is being told in, or about the woman's role as Queen, but she obviously doesn't mind whether or not she is treated with respect. Perhaps she thinks it's silly? Perhaps because she doesn't like advising? Perhaps.
checking in..
I guess there are barely any comments if you check in before 10 o clock...
one:
she could be thinking of when the old woman tells the knight the thing that woman most desire. she is kind of tell a secret. the wife could also feel like she herself is telling a secret.
two:
sorry to be obnoxiously feminist or what ever but almost all the things had to do with the womans relationship to men.
You don't sound feminist Grete.
Actually, funny his answers would all have to do with men, because he is one... It's either he is quite full of himself or that men are prominent in women's lives...
To be left unanswered.
66 But nowhere ever did it him befall
67 To find, upon the question stated here,
68 Two, persons who agreed with statement clear.
69 Some said that women all loved best riches,
70 Some said, fair fame, and some said, prettiness;
71 Some, rich array, some said 'twas lust abed
72 And often to be widowed and re-wed.
73 Some said that our poor hearts are aye most eased
74 When we have been most flattered and thus pleased
I think here he is saying that there are all kinds of different answers and that they is no one thing that he can answer the queen...
Thanks!
-Rocco
2. Here is a list I accumulated of the wishes of women that were mentioned:
*riches
*fame
*beauty
*lust
*attention
*freedom
*wisdom
*respect
It is hard to figure out the most deep desires of all women. We can't- because they are each unique. We have to generalize. I think that most women would admit that in some part of their hearts they desire the above mentioned wishes. We all (generalizing here) sometimes wish to be rich, famous, beautiful, the focus of attention, independent, and respected. But I think that these are not our deepest desires. These are off-shoots of our deepest desires. These are wishes we have because of our deepest desires. I believe that the deepest, most true desires of most women is simply to be loved. To be loved and respected by their family, peers, teachers, and friends.
seriouly people?? thanks alot!!!!!
THANK YOU RACHAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
two - i very much agree with Rachel with her opinion on the desires of women and Jake as well...very materialistic but inoscent like Jake said....but is this ACTUALLY the answer to what woman want???? I dont think so!!! we ALL want those things!!!!! I think the subject of sexism comes up here....since men, especially in the medival times, had the power, money, control and respect mroe than woman, so the woman now DESIRE all the things that men have maybe???? This is completely understandable though!!!!
just checking in...and btw turner. I sent you the story!!! CHECK YOUR EMAIL! :)
nevermind...looks like you got my message. <3
number one -- i think the queen is seriously playing and torturing the man, and i thnk the whole idea of the queen was a joke at the start...maybe it will come back to haunt her or something...karma or something???? Maybe she's nervous that he will get the right answer?? Maybe the worng answer?? The queen is weird!!!
Question no. 1 seems like the one upon which I'll muse this evening:
Why does the queen tell this random story? As Turner might say, wtb, right???!!!???!!!??? I think there are some base-level connections in this tangential episode to the Wife's main tale, though, for instance: there is a woman in both. Lets first establish that the woman in the Wife's tale is hypothetical, while the woman in Midas' tale is real (although she might be considered hypothetical as well...) In both the Knight's tale and in Midas' tale, the woman has some want, right? The Wife's woman, well, the thing that every woman wants and Midas' woman, to unleash her secret. What do "ultimate worldly desire" and "pent-up secret" have to do with each other? There is a necessary equation here, but you can't just add the two together. I see in "ultimate worldly desire" and "pent-up secret" a kind of yearning for release, "unburdenment", if you will. The Wife's woman will be released when she has the thing all women want, and Midas' when she lets go of that secret. Released from what? Well, the torture of being burdened- by the secret or the desire. So... do all women want... release? I think a real connection will become clear once we know what the crone- and the Queen- think all women desire, though. Will that desire be a cause of badness, as in the Midas tale? Maybe there is some foreshadowing, some allegory in here that we haven't read far enough to pick up on yet.
Thanks!
Prompt 2:
I think it's really interesting how all of the women want material things and/or attention. In my opinion, many women and people in general, today still want many of the things the women told the knight they want...I think it's sad that people were so materialistic, even back then. That's all I really have to say about it.
i agree with sofie becasue i think that she did take the matters into her own hands when saves the knight from death, I think the whole qeust was basically her doing because is she didnt beg to the king, he would be put 2 death.
1.
I think that the story reminds her of something personal in her life...the telling the secret thing. I think that it reminds her of something in her life...
Checking in! Sorry so late, but I was thinking about the allegorical elements in the Wife's tale and hose in Dante's inferno. Everything seems to have some double meaning, to stand for something...
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