Prior to 19^th century and 20^th century, Male are always the superior in the society and the women were assigned as naive, fragile and weak figure that they should be beneath men. In the text, “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” by John Keats and “Punishment” by Rabindranath Tagore, we will examine how the attitude toward women is suggested and the characterization of women and attitude toward women changed over period of time. Also, both of the text will provide different roles of women in the society.

In ” La Belle Dame Sans Merci” seems, on the surface, to be just another Romantic poem about knights who fall in love with beautiful lady. However, if we look deep, we can see the knight that is lonely and escapes to his own world of imagination with lady Sans Merci. Start off “So haggard and so woe-begone?” (Stanza 2), we can see that knight tired and worn out and it is obviously both sick and depressed. From stanza 4, it changes of view all suddenly, that is when he starts to imagination:

“I met a lady in the meads,

Full beautiful – a faery’s child,

Her hair was long, her foot was light.”

And we can see, through this stanza in his mind that Merci is pure and she is an angle to him with no evil spirit.

“And nothing else saw all day long, For sidelong would she bend and sing a faery sing”

He can’t control himself anymore; he becomes so enraptured with this pretty fairy lady that he forgets everything else.

The only thing he wants to do is to be beside her all day long.  At the end,         “I saw their starved lips in the gloam

With horrid warning gapèd wide

It is sign try to warn him if he keep live in the imagination world of his, problems in reality is still not getting any results. That let me think of old Chinese saying “Women are the root of trouble.

“Punishment” is a heart rendering tale about conflicting emotions between the losing a brother or the wife. It all starts like this, when very hungry Dukhiram came home from work and his wife was impudently denied to give him food. From page 1694, “Where is there food? Did you give me anything to cook? Must I earn money myself to buy it?” it is a sign that Radha is resisting her husband’s command and try to fight back. Because of disobeys the order of the husband, Radha was killed by her outraged husband Dukhiram who plunged his farm knife mercilessly into her head. Then, Ramlochan came and found out that tragedy and the first thing came to Chidam’s mind was: “if I lose my wife I can get another, but if my brother is hanged, how can I replace him?” (On page 1695). It is totally brutal and unfair for women in that society. At last, because of culture background and all the respects for her father, Chandara accepted Chidam’s suggestion and admitted the murder for his brother. Till the end, Chidam wants to see Chandara, but she said something that shocked me: “To hell with him.” (On page 1699) It is a message to her husband that sacrificed her to exchange his brother’s freedom she is so disappointed to him and don’t want to see him again.

In conclusion, both of the texts that show us the different Characterizations of women and attitude toward women have changed over period of time. Also, both of the text will provide different roles of women in the society some are positivity and some are negatively.