Chaucer on marriage

Chaucer looks at male and female perspectives on coupling and shows the entire institution to be a farce, stereotyped by wealthy, flaccid onetime(a) men and young, beautiful, deceitful wives. January, the old man in the merchants tale, says conjugation is so easy and so cline (1264), which is sarcastic as the merchant has already spoken out against marriage, and women in particular. Yet Januarys motivations to get married are hardly pure, but more practical and shallow.For sixty course a waffles man was heel and followed ay his bodily delete/ on women (1248-50) after sixty years of cozen around with numerous women, he is ready to have a married woman on which he flop engender hymn an heir (1272). Rather than choosing a wife who is wise and loving and would care for him in his old age and sickness, he makes his decision as if he were choosing livestock, saying l wool noon Old . Nary Han / she shall Nat passe twenty year /and bet than old beef is the tender get (1416-20).What is ironic is that January sees this way of approaching marriage as pure because it was so normal and standard. The purity of marriage would come if it were based on love and mutual respect, but instead for most men it is near having an heir and a beautiful wife. January cant see that hes leaving himself vulnerable to a young wife that entrust be deceitful and seek pleasure from younger more attractive men, instead thinking he can a young thing may men gee,/ right as men may warm hex with handed Pyle (1429-30).In the wifes tale, she shows that old men cannot actually mold their young wives into good, loving creatures. Although the wife of Bath sits she twelve year was of age housebound at creche door she has had five (4-6), she is no innocent. She manipulates and terrorizes her old hubbys with her sexuality to gain money and control, until they are her detours and thralls (155). She ends up molding her old conserves to her will.For her a husband is a source of income, and she alw ays sakes sure she has one lined up on the sidelines. She had her fifth husband ready to marry her by the time her fourth housebound was on beer (587), and she wept but small (592), being already purveyed of a make (591). Even though the fifth husband that she takes is younger than her and she is now in the old mans position, she is still able to control her young husband to a certain degree, although it is much harder.It seems like an immanent ability that women have to control their cabanas because its more than a survival method, but a way to get hold pleasure despite being in a technically submissive role. But a square marriage shouldnt be about control. This is what makes marriage such a Joke to Chaucer, and he is very cynical towards it. The tradition and sanctity of marriage means nothing because it is based on a foundation of be and shallowness. Men and women conform to their stereotypes because of how society has shaped them and made marriage such a necessity.