The Old Woman's Wisdom and Transformation
The marriage between Sir Salvio and the old woman starts off miserably, but soon delivers powerful lessons about relationships. While in bed, the old woman explains that the knight should be grateful for her ugliness—it means he'll never have to worry about her being unfaithful to him.
She then presents Sir Salvio with a difficult choice: would he prefer a wife who is ugly but loving and faithful, or beautiful but potentially disloyal? This dilemma forces the knight to consider what truly matters in a partnership.
In a moment of growth, Sir Salvio makes the wise decision to let his wife choose for herself. This answer—giving her autonomy over her own life—proves he has learned the lesson. As a reward, she reveals her secret: she's actually a beautiful young woman who was under a spell, and she will now be both beautiful and faithful to him.
Character Connection: The Wife of Bath, who has had multiple husbands, tells this story to illustrate her belief that women should have dominance in marriage. Her personal experience shapes her storytelling.
The tale cleverly connects to the Wife of Bath's own character—she believes all her marriages failed because her husbands didn't grant her the one thing all women desire: control over their own circumstances. Through this story, she delivers her message about power dynamics in relationships.