The Slippery Slope of SovereigntyBefore the Middle Ages, women were socially subject to male supremacy. As the Middle Ages progressed, there is a sense that women sought to change the societal order. Upset at not being able to share their beliefs because of their position, women began to speak out more. Comparing two great poets Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare, we see a connection between their best-known works. Chaucer's view of women, demonstrated by the "Wife of Bath's Tale" and the wife's belief that all women desire sovereignty, is welcomed by William Shakespeare but is not feasible by the female protagonists of Hamlet, Gertrude and Ophelia. Chaucer's view is not clearly stated but it can be interpreted that he respected the male social hierarchy. However, he liked women to show their beliefs and be able to earn their respect in society. In Geoffery Chaucer's Women in The Canterbury Tales: Women as a Narrator, Women in the Narrative, written by Vladislava Vaněčková, Chaucer classifies women according to their distinct social levels and claims to give them a chance to express their somewhat selfish beliefs so that they can achieve their goals. happiness (4-5). Some women primarily seek to improve themselves, while others seek to improve all women; demonstrating little-known traits of a feminist (Vaněčková 5-6). For example, the wife in “The Wife of Bath's Tale” represents an ignorant feminist because she has a vision for all women but has no morals that complement her idea. Furthermore, the Wife of Bath's idea and desire is for all women to achieve sovereignty. which doesn't necessarily mean it won't favor men. As you can see, the Woman acts as a feminist here. Although Alison wants to have the power in the relationship, she is... middle of paper... red. Shakespearean criticism. New York: Gale, 1997. 238-244. Print.Marcotte, Andrea. “Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales: Rhetoric and Gender in Marriage.” Lumirarium.Org. Anniina Jokinen, September 6, 2012. May 5. 2014 Savu, Elena, Laura. “Under the Sway of Desire: Gender, Politics, and Intertextual Games in Updike’s Gertrude and Claudius.” » Articles on Language and Literature 39.1 (2003): 22. Electronic Library. Internet. May 05. 2014. Updike, John. Gertrude and Claude. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2000. Yerkes, James. “Gertrude and Claude”. Reverend of Gertrude and Claudius, by John Updike. Christian century. 117.6 (2000): 220-21Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print. Vaněčková, Vladislava. “Women in Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales: the woman as narrator, the woman in the story.” Luminarium.Org. Anniina Jokinen, September 6, 2012. May 5. 2014