Professor Hall
LITR201
December 26, 2014
Dear Professor Hall: While conducting a quick glance through the readings required to make a decision on which character I would choose for this assignment, my attention was immediately drawn to the female character of “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”. It was at this point in time I had decided I would utilize her as the character who I thought would likely find themselves a spot within the Circles of Hell of Dante’s Inferno. That said, the focus of my paper revolves around the placement of the Wife of Bath within the Circle of Hell from Dante’s Inferno. I chose this option because I am intrigued with the story Dante’s Inferno most of all, and having read over “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” …show more content…
As a result of a sin committed in opposition to the word of the Lord, each sinner finds themselves strategically placed within a circle that meets their sin with an appropriate eternal punishment. For purpose of placement within the assignment, from a long list of characters from which were made available, the Wife of Bath was of personal preference. The Wife of Bath was chosen due to the fact that she had obtained five spouses over the course of her life. Her last husband, whom she had married when she was at the age of forty, was but of only twenty years of age. It is in fact that though the Wife of Bath led a life of sin, she did so in riches and what she deemed to be a sense of happiness. Over all, the reason for having chosen the Wife of Bath is because of her outright sins which consisted of flattery and lust.With these two sins, the Wife of Bath has a place in not only one circle of Hell, but two at the …show more content…
According to this sin and to that of my personal opinion, Dante would have placed her into the Second Circle. Dante should place the Wife of Bath into the Second Circle of Hell because she her lust for Jankin during her marriage to her fourth husband. It is without a doubt that her feelings and actions alone with Jankin is enough to find her placement. I am certain there are other reasons to believe she has a place in Dante’s Inferno, but I chose to base her placement off of her lust for men, especially those who she is not married to while she is