The epic hero of the Old English poem ‘Beowulf’, known for fighting Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon.
Grendel (格伦德尔)
The monstrous antagonist in Beowulf who terrorizes Hrothgar’s hall, ‘Heorot.’
Grendel’s mother (格伦德尔之母)
The second antagonist in Beowulf, seeking revenge for her son’s death.
Heorot (海奥洛特)
King Hrothgar’s mead hall, terrorized by Grendel until Beowulf arrives.
acrostic (离合诗)
A poem or passage in which the first letters of each line or section spell out a word, message, or name.
alliteration (头韵)
Repetition of the same sound at the beginning of words in a line.
android (机器人)
A robot with a human appearance. While not a concept in Chaucer’s era, the Wife of Bath’s performative femininity and adherence to societal scripts could be analyzed through this modern lens.
antifeminist (反女性主义)
Ideas or writings that speak against women’s rights or value; the Wife of Bath argues against these common medieval views.
assonance (元音押韵)
Repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words.
caesura (诗行中间停顿)
A pause in the middle of a line of poetry.
chivalry (骑士精神)
The code of honor for knights including bravery, courtesy, loyalty, and respect for women.
consonance (辅音押韵)
Repetition of consonant sounds, typically at the end of words or stressed syllables.
contemporary (当代的)
Belonging to or occurring in the present; modern. The Wife of Bath’s views on marriage and sovereignty were radical for her time but have distinct contemporary relevance.
epic poem (史诗)
A long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture.
evidence (证据)
Facts, examples, or direct quotes from a text that support a claim or interpretation. In literary analysis, evidence is used to prove an argument about a work’s meaning.
exemplum (道德故事)
A short tale told to teach a moral lesson; the Wife of Bath’s Tale is an exemplum about what makes a happy marriage.
flattery (奉承)
Excessive and insincere praise, given especially to further one’s own interests. The Wife of Bath expertly uses and receives flattery to manipulate her husbands and gain “sovereignty” in her marriages.
foreshadowing (伏笔)
Hints early in the story about what will happen later; the old woman’s choice question foreshadows the knight’s final decision.
frame story (框架故事)
A story that holds smaller stories inside it; in The Canterbury Tales the pilgrimage is the big frame and each tale is a smaller story inside.
hero (英雄)
A character who embodies and protects community values, often with supernatural traits and a quest.
inference (推断)
A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning rather than direct statement. Readers make inferences by connecting textual clues to understand implied meanings.
irony (反讽)
When the result is the opposite of what is expected; the knight finds happiness only after he gives up power over his wife.
kenning (复合隐喻)
A compound expression used in place of a noun, often metaphorical.
loathly lady (丑陋老妇)
The traditional name for the old woman in the story who is ugly during the day but becomes beautiful when she has sovereignty.
mead hall (蜜酒宴会大厅)
A large, single-room building used in medieval Northern Europe and Scandinavia for feasting, social gatherings, and as a residence for a lord or king. A 宴会大厅 where they drink 蜜酒.
metonymy (借代)
A figure of speech where something is referred to by a related concept. Example: ‘The Crown’ for ’the British monarchy’, ‘The White House’ for ’the US government’, etc.
misogyny (厌女症)
Hatred or strong dislike of women; the friar’s warning and some answers the knight hears show this attitude.
monster (怪物)
A character or creature that poses a threat to society or the hero, often representing chaos or evil.
moral (寓意)
The lesson of the story; the tale ends with the idea that true happiness comes when wives have sovereignty and husbands show gentleness.
pilgrimage (朝圣)
A religious journey; in the frame story the pilgrims ride together to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury.
prologue (序言)
The opening speech or section where the Wife of Bath talks about her own life before she begins her tale.
quest (探寻)
A journey with a goal; the knight’s quest is to find out what women most desire within one year and one day.
rape (强暴)
The crime the knight commits at the start of the tale; he takes a maiden by force and must find the answer to save his life.
satire (讽刺)
Writing that uses humor or exaggeration to show the faults of people or society; the Wife of Bath satirizes ideas about marriage and male authority.
sovereignty (自主权)
Power or control over one’s own life; the old woman asks the knight to let her have sovereignty in marriage.
synecdoche (提喻法)
A figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or the whole represents a part. Example: ‘hired hands’, ‘a second set of eyes’, etc.
tantrum (发脾气)
A sudden outburst of anger and frustration, typically characterized by stubbornness, crying, screaming, or violence. Unlike reasoned protest, a tantrum represents a loss of emotional control, often used by children but sometimes exhibited by adults when they cannot get their way.
temporary (暂时的)
Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent, much like the Wife of Bath’s various marriages.