Question

The knight tells the old hag, "you're old, and so abominably plain, / so poor to start with. . . ." what arguments does the old woman use to turn poverty and old age into virtues? do you think her arguments are convincing?

Answer 1

In Chaucers, "The Wife of Bath's Tale," the old hag gives the answer to courtly love. To live in virtue and to shrink from sinning, in which the old hag uses poverty and old age to show you can be good without appearing to be beautiful.

Answer 2

Answer:

The old woman told the knight that it is better to have a wife who is old and faithful instead of a beautiful wife who cheats. As far as riches or poverty is concerned, the rich have money but their worries did not end. Instead, their greed for finer better things increase while the poor are content with what they have.

Explanation:

Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" includes "The Wife of Bath's Tale" from where the excerpt can be found. The tale of the Old Woman is told by the Wife, emphasizing on the themes of wealth and beauty.

When the knight criticizes the old woman for being so ugly and poor, she in return told her that beauty and riches are not the best of qualities a man needs. For the nobles of men have virtues that encompasses wealth and physical beauty. She also told him that an ugly wife is far more better than a beautiful one, for he will not have the stress of having a cheating wife. And for wealth, men who are poor have the most happy life than those who are rich. Riches only increases want and greed. Even "Crist wol, we clayme of him our gentillesse,  Nat of our eldres for hir old richesse". She adds "Iesus, hevene king,  Ne wolde nat chese a vicious living."

Her arguments are convincing for they are true. She also managed to make him understand it and thus, lead a happy life with him.