Pros and Cons of a clever, ambitious woman

As I finished reading the Wife of bath I associated various works in which women are viewed similarly. I mentality searched for allusions to powerful female characters with cynic attitude. Among these the first two that popped into my head were Lady Macbeth and the character of Hitchcock’s Psycho. These women are ambitious and represent the dark, feminist, dominant stereotype. And I must say I’m not sure if women should be proud of characters like these. Even though I share the idea of equal rights, I consider that regardless of sex an unethical character should not be praised. Have a look into these quotes:

Eek wel I woot he seyde, myn housbonde

Sholde lete fader and moder, and take me;

But of no nombre mencioun made he,

Of bigamye or of octogamye;

Why sholde men speke of it vileinye?

For hadde God comanded maydenhede,

Thanne hadde he dampned wedding with the dede;

And certes, if ther were no seed y-sowe,

Virginitee, wher-of than sholde it growe?

She questions why someone would judge her about her several marriages and not look down to a polygamous man. The second quote questions how could judge advocate for virginity if without intercourse life would cease to exist. And here I must highlight my admiration to such sharp and logical inquiries. She is making her point constantly with disdain throughout the tale and show consistent thoughts. This proves to us, men, that women are capable of being an authority when using the right methods. People tend to underestimate women and disrespect them. And based on the Wife of Bath I see how respect is different from authority. One may obtain authority through unethical means while respect is based on morality. The Wife of Bath, however portrays an intricate character in which both aspects are seen. And I must leave you with the following question: does she obtain respect or authority? These are definitely the pros and cons of clever, ambitious women.