The function of a medieval allegory is to produce a moral lesson whilst disguising itself as a tale. J. R.R Tolkien said, ‘to be an ‘allegory’ a poem must as a whole, and with fair consistency, describe in other terms some event or process; its entire narrative and all its significant details should cohere and work together to this end’ (Tolkien, 1995). In The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by the Gawain-poet, both poets use symbols throughout the narrative to enhance the allegorical meaning under the surface of these Arthurian romance. In this essay, I will explore how power symbols are used in the two poems and argue that the foundation of the allegories in the poem are created by power symbols.
To explore the different power symbols within these two texts it is important to highlight their allegories. In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, there is a vast representation of the allegorical feature. However, I believe that the determining factor of this allegory is the connection between Sir Gawain’s moral compass and his faith, which are tested by power symbols. The Wife of Bath is unique in its allegorical sense. Instead of it being a single tale with an allegory like Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, it is instead a component of The Canterbury Tales. The Canterbury tales is justifiably an allegory due to its representation of a pilgrimage, where Canterbury is an allegory for heaven. Therefore, with the mentions of religion throughout the prologue and the tale, it can be interpreted that female sovereignty should exist in an idealist-world, such as heaven.
In The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, Chaucer uses domestic images to create the Wife of Bath’s, commonly known as Alisoun, concept of herself as a powerful being in this allegorical compartment of The Canterbury Tales. In the prologue, Alisoun questions beliefs that women should not have more than one husband and as readers we learn that she has had five, “Housbondes at chirche dore I had five” (6). Furthermore, Alisoun outlines and explores her personal experiences of the power dynamics in sexuality and marriage. Helen Cooper describes the Wife of Bath as ‘the voice of feminism, or the projection of centuries of male misogynist fantasy’ (Cooper, 1990).
Throughout the prologue Alisoun reiterates her point that virginity should not make a woman more desirable as God never ordered women to maintain their virginity as “He putte it in oure owene juggement” (74). To establish the power dynamics between virgins and wives, Alisoun uses bread to symbolise this, “Lat ham be breed of pured whete seed, And lat us wives hote barly breed” (149-150). Here, the wheat bread symbolises virgins; the preferable bread, whilst the inexpensive barley bread symbolises the wives. At first glance, these domestic symbols used in the context of power reiterate that in the Middle Ages maidens were more desirable wives than widows who had already been married. However, Alisoun renounces herself and other wives as power symbols when she biblically alludes the barley bread to the ‘Feeding of the Five Thousand’, “And yit with barly breed…Oure Lord Jesu refreshed many a man” (151-152).
When viewing Alisoun as a feminine power symbol, it is important to analyse her relationships with her five husbands. The most interesting marriage is to her fifth husband, Jankin as both of them become symbols of the fight for sovereignity in marriage; something which is reflected in The Wife of Bath’s Tale. Alisoun describes how Jankin would physically and verbally abuse her, even being the cause of her going deaf in one ear, “By God, he smoot me ones on the list/…That of the strook myn ere weex al deef” (641-642). Initially, as a reader we see Jankin as the power symbol of the anti-feminist, dominating husband; particularly when he is reading aloud his ‘Book of Wicked Wives’ to torment Alisoun. However, as the prologue draws to a close there is a shift in sovereignity. As an act of defiance, Alisoun plucks three leaves out of his pride possession and thus, strikes him on the cheek. The reader then sees Jankyn’s reaction to this, “up he sterte as dooth a wood leoun” (800), and hits Alisoun on the head. As an experienced woman crumpled on the floor she sees a way to stop the abuse by accusing him of wanting to murder her for her land. A switch is flicked in Jankin’s mind as he becomes the subordinate partner, and thus, Alisoun becomes a power symbol once again as Jankyn, “yaf me al the bridel in myn hond” (819).
Following the Wife of Bath’s Prologue, the tale expresses Alisoun’s views of the relations between the sexes as well as her own fantasies and desires. In comparison to the prologue and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Wife of Bath’s Tale lacks material symbols which propose the concept of power symbols as the basis of an allegory in these poems. However, Chaucer uses the characters as power symbols to explore the gaining and shifting of sovereignity in the poem.
In the opening lines we travel to, ‘th’olde dayes of the King Arthur, Of which that Britouns speken greet honour’ (863-864). A young knight of King Arthur’s court is then introduced riding on his horse, until he stops after spotting a young maiden. The encounter between the knight and the maiden reflects the middle age power dynamics between men and women. Prior to encountering the young maiden, the knight was hawking, ‘a lusty bachelor, that on a day cam riding fro river’ (889-890). Hawking was a favourite Medieval Upper Class pastime where the aim was to use trained birds of prey to hunt small wild game or birds. This game mirrors the event that follows; the knight, a bird of prey, rapes the maiden, a small and helpless bird. At this moment, the knight is the ultimate symbol of male sovereignity in the poem.
Following this act of crime, the knight is brought to King Arthur’s court where unexpectedly the queen and an all-female court are his jurors after convincing the king to let them punish the knight, ‘the queene and othere ladies mo/ So longe preyeden the kyng of grace/… And yaf hym to the queene, al at hir wille’ (901-904). Here, the reader witnesses a shift of sovreignity as the once powerful male symbol is on his knees pleading for his life whilst the queen has complete control- symbolising feminine power. The shift of power symbols here is very interesting as in this fairy-like world, women are suddenly able to hold sovereignity over men heightening the importace of the allegory in this poem.
Furthermore, the queen grants the knight life if he can find the answer of, “what thing is it that women moost desiren” (911).
The knight is given a year to travel and find the answer of this question. He is met with a variety of answers yet none of them satisfied him, until he meets the loathly lady who he describes as, ‘a fouler wight ther may no man devise’ (1005). Under the condition that the knight becomes her husband, the hag gives him the answer which he later tells the queen and the court of ladies, “Wommen desire to have sovereineitee/ As wel over hir housbounde as hir love” (1044-1045). Thus, not breaking his promise the knight marries the loathly lady. Before her transformation from ugly hag to young beauty, the loathly lady gives the disappointed knight the option of how to have her, “to han me foul and old until I die” (1226) or “ye wol han me young and fair/ And take youre aventure of the repair” (1230-1231). The power symbol shift from man to woman is further implemented here as the knight says, “I put me in your wise governance;/ Choose yourself which may be most pleasure” (1237-1238).
Alike the queen, the loathly lady is a female power symbol. Although it is important to note that what partly makes her a power symbol is her magical ability to transform from an old hag into a beautiful goddess to in essence appeal to the knight, she is a power symbol through her use of manipulation; the knight thinks that he has sovereignity over their marriage but he doesn’t. Mary Carruthers notes that, ‘the hag… who smiles over the wallowings of ordinary mortals in a world which she knows all the answers and controls all the options’ (Carruthers, 1979).
The physical objects of the pentangle and the girdle hold great importance when discussing power symbols in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Both the girdle and the pentangle work together to test Sir Gawain on his quest. The strong connection between faith, morality and these power symbols compliment the allegorical interpretation of the poem. This point is perfectly summarised by Freidman and Osberg, ‘the pentangle, the “endless knot”, diagrams Gawain’s virtous perfection; the girdle, employed first as a magical prop becomes in the final scene a token of the knight’s lapse from that perfection’ (Freidman, Osberg, 1977). The pentangle is adopted by Sir Gawain as his coat of arms on his shield, ‘Then they showed forth the shield, that shone all red,/ With the pentangle portrayed in purest gold’ (619-620). A pentangle is a five-pointed star where the lines never disconnect. The five points of the star have multiple connotations that have been interpreted, and the poem provides five examples. One interpretation is that the five points represent the five virtues of the chivalric code; generosity, friendship, continence, courtesy, and piety. The pentangle also holds great religious connotations. The poem also interprets the points of reflecting the Five Joys of Mary, ‘all his force was founded on the five joys/ Thathe high Queen of heaven had in her child’ (646-647). I believe that this is an important interpretation to discuss when illustrating that the pentangle is a power symbol, as Gawain also has the Virgin Mary’s image on the inside of his shield so that he can retain his knightly virtues. The dedication that Gawain has towards his faith and bearing the pentangle on his shield makes it a direct symbol for God and thus his power. Gawain struggles on his quest to remain faithful to the pentangle, implying that it is too powerful for Gawain to follow. Critic Gerald Morgan implies that an important element of ‘the poet’s moral design’ is courage and ‘Gawain’s failure is ultimately a failure of courage’ (Morgan, 1979). However, I disagree with Morgan’s statement as Gawain displays great courage throughout his quest and atones for his wrongdoings by wearing the girdle as a fixed reminder of his sins.
The green girdle is given to Gawain by Lady Bertilak after he rejects her ring, ‘She released a knot lightly, and loosened a belt/… Of a gay green silk, with gold overwrought’ (1830-1832). Lady Bertilak proceeds to tell Gawain that the girdle has magical properties and will protect him from any harm that may come to him, “For the man that possesses this piece of silk/… he could not be killed by any craft on earth” (1851-1854). Gawain believes that the girdle is a power symbol that will protect him when he encounters the Green Knight; we learn that this is false after Gawain fails the Green Knight’s test. Gawain thus fails to exchange the girdle with Bertilak, ignoring the terms of the men’s agreement, when he leaves to travel to the Green Chapel. The girdle remains a power symbol even without its magical promises; it tests Gawain’s moral consciounce and when he is found guilty of his sinful failure to tell the whole truth he wears the girdle on his arm to remind him of his failure, “this is the badge of false faith that I was found in there,/ And I must bear it on my body till I breathe my last” (2510-2511).
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, certain characters embody a power symbol. In certain ways, The Green Knight can be interpreted as a power symbol due to being the judge of Sir Gawain. However, the Green Knight is in fact Lord Bertilak who is being controlled by Morgan Le Fay; so, I believe that he can’t necessarily be viewed as a power symbol at all. Thus, I will be focusing on feminine power symbols in the poem that contribute to the basis of the moral allegory.
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Lady Bertilak is a symbol of feminine power. During the three days that Sir Gawain is stationed there, Lady Bertilak frequently invades the intimate space, his bedroom for the exchange of kisses, which he thus gives to Lord Bertilak due to their arrangement. As a symbol, Lady Bertilak contributes to the allegorical narrative in this poem as she tests Sir Gawain’s purity with her advances. Given that this poem is infused with biblical allusions, Lady Bertilak is a Bibilical archetype of the temptress Eve. Eve is the source and symbol of lust who led Adam astray, much like what Lady Bertilak is aiming to do. In fact Gawain alludes to the biblical parable of ‘Adam and Eve’ as he complains of women bringing strong men down, “through the wiles of a woman be wooed into sorrow,/ For so was Adam by one, when the world began” (2415-2416).
Although I believe that Lady Bertilak is a feminine power symbol that contributes greatly to the basis of the allegory in the poem, I stress that it is important to not read the text blindly by not considering that the ultimate power symbol in this poem is Morgan Le Fay. At the end of the poem, the reader learns that it is King Arthur’s mystical half- sister, Morgan Le Fay who sent The Green Knight, actually Lord Bertilak, with the ambition to scare Queen Guinevere as Bertilak states, “She put this shape upon me to puzze your wits,/ To afflict the fair queen, and frighten her to death” (2459-2460). Therefore, Morgan Le Fay is the ultimate feminine power symbol in this poem as she created the catalyst of the events which took place; contributing greatly to the allegory as without her there would be none. As Denver Ewing Baughan describes, ‘in the art of magic and the magic of art the noble enchantress had the power sufficient to her dream’ (Baughan, 1950).
Both Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale clearly have power symbols which contribute majorly to the outcomes of the texts.
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