Wife Of Bath Essay

Wife Of Bath Essay
The Wife of Bath, a modern liberated woman, is one of the more refreshing characters among
some of the pilgrims. Her doctrine on marriage and a woman's place invokes contempt from some
of the devout followers of the Church, namely, the Parson and Clerk; she's bold and confident,
especially for a woman in medieval times. However, while the Wife of Bath is a confident and
intelligent woman, she is power hungry and will use whatever means necessary to obtain control; her
doctrine on marriage is reflected in the marriage of the knight and the transformed old woman in the
tale. As seen in the narrator's physical description of her in The General Prologue, as well as the her
self–characterization in her prologue, the Wife of Bath is a bold and
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Essay on The Wife of Bath as a Feminist
The Wife of Bath's Tale features a character that seemed to resemble a feminist. But in Chaucer's
time, feminism was thought to be abnormal and the pilgrims reacted negatively towards her for it,
but The Wife of Bath had no shame about displaying herself as she really was. She was not
ashamed of the fact that she had been married five times, and was about to marry again and she hid
nothing.
The prologue of this tale showed that the Wife of Bath was not seen as an upstanding woman, nor did
she desire to be seen as one. She portrayed feminism, almost as soon as she began speaking in the
prologue, she explained that she had gone through five husbands, and she was on the look out for a
sixth. She also admitted that she married for money:...show more content...
She would even trade sexual favors for gifts from them. She would end this by satisfying her husband
's desire: love..."Yet he felt flattered in his heart because, he thought it showed how fond of him I
was" (Bath 267). It was all a game to her.
How much of a difference was it that the Wife was not even beautiful? "'...I was forty then, to tell
the truth. But still I always had a coltish tooth. Yes I'm gap tooth, it suits me well...(Bath 274) '"
The Wife when describing herself says she was old and ugly. Her bright clothes and detailed cover
chiefs are fake rather than graceful. Her hat is as broad as a small shield. Her clothes are of good
quality "fine scarlet reed" and her shoes are "moist and new." She did this to advertise herself and
her wealth. The Wife of Bath also made it known that she was not solo on this philosophy. She
also believed that women, if they know what's good for them, could lie twice as well as men can
and that all women basically behave the way she does.
She was not only physically ugly, but she did not treat her husbands with respect or dignity either.
She would beat her husbands, if she felt the need to. If she in return would get beaten, she would
gain some love for her husbands. In fact her fifth husband, Johnny, routinely beat her, and she loved
and respected him most of all, "He struck me, still can ache, along my row of ribs...but...I think I
loved him best, I'll tell no lie."

The Wife of Bath Essay
THE WIFE OF BATH In the "Wife of Bath's Prologue," she begins her introduction by telling the
other pilgrims that she has experience because she has been married five time. She believes more in
experience rather than in written authority (that is , in texts written by men). The Wife of Bath
argues with virginity: "Where can ye saye in any manere age that hye God defended mariage by
expres word? I praye you, telleth me. Or Where comanded he virginitee?" [Norton,118] She asks
where in the bible is virginity commanded? If God condemned virginity, there would be no children,
and no population: "For hadde God comanded maidenhede, Thanne hadde he dampned wedding with
the deede; And certes, if there were no seed ysowe, Virginitee,...show more content...
It is strange to me to see how a woman of the fourteenth century was able to act the way she did.
Back then, women had no rights; they had arranged marriages; and they could not say anything
about it. Men were superior and dominated women. The way the Wife of Bath acted in the fourteenth
century is more the way the women act today in the twentieth century
Historical Background
Women of the twentieth century are very different from their fourteenth century counterparts. The
fourteenth century women were primarily housewives. They stayed home and took care of the
children and the house. They had the responsibility of raising the children, cleaning, cooking and
working. The women also took care of the farm. Essentially, the woman worked and lived as a
slave. Woman during this period were mainly uneducated; they were not allowed to go to school.
Only men who had money were able to educate themselves. During the fourteenth century the boys
were favored more than the girls. The boy always had to protect the mother and other siblings if
anything happened to the father. The man of the family always wanted a son who could one day
carry the family name. Many marriages were arranged in the fourteenth century,to increase status
and wealth. For example the king would marry a princess. Marriages were arranged according to
status. If there was a problem in the marriage, no divorces were allowed. If the woman did
something that

Wife Of Bath
What is it that women want and why?
The fact that this question still exists shows that the answer proves neither easy nor definitive.
Women are diverse in their idea of what they want and what they desire to fulfill their needs.
According to The Wife of Bath, she believes that women want mutual respect. Throughout history,
women are portrayed as being the subordinate sex. Moreover, women live lives of being subservient
to their male counterparts. The Wife of Bath felt the need to express the fact that there is an obvious
problem with the balance of power within the marriage. Consequently, she set forth on a journey to
confirm that women can be just as overbearing, domineering and cruel as men. She demanded to be
heard.
To begin with, she pointed out examples of how women are treated unfairly in society. She began
to point out several double standards. The wife states, "about accused Lamech's bigamy? Abraham
was a holy man I know, And as I understand it Jacob also; And each of them had wives now, more
than one, as many other holy men have done." (61–65) Here, she shows that there is truly a double
standard for women who behave in an exact manner as men.
Further, she goes on to discuss her relationships with her five husbands. The first three husbands
were rich, old and somewhat passive, so, therefore, she dominated the relationship....show more
content...
Although the Wife of Bath attempts to achieve this equality in a way that also places her reputation
in question, the text says that she achieved it. Considering that she was a manipulated and boasted
as such, maybe her tale was just another form of manipulation to get what she wanted? Maybe that
was Chaucer's plan, to once more, under mind women as his own form of manipulation. None the
less, I do not see her as a pioneer for women's rights, however, she did shine a luminous light in an
area that ordinarily goes unprobed; what do women

Wife Of Bath Essay
The Prioress's superiority over the Wife of Bath is shown again in the presence of education. The
Wife of Bath has travelled a great deal and seems knowledgeable about things of the world. She
brings up many a valid point throughout the prologue but Chaucer voids her opinion because of
her social class and looks when in truth she is actually wise. The Wife of Bath has understanding
for the world and knows very well what's going on. However, during the Middle Ages, only
scholarly or academic knowledge is recognized. What the Wife of Bath understands and pursues
may not be commendable. On the contrary, the Prioress is considered "scholastic" and high class
due to her good manners. Her ability to speak the noble language of French puts her character in a
higher class as well. Thus, once again the Prioress is considered intelligent. Basically, the Wife of
Bath is kind of a foil to the women during the Middle Ages. Her actions and thinking not only differ
from the Prioress but almost from...show more content...
The Prioress on the other hand keeps you wondering and seems to be a perfect lady however she
is unobtainable and probably to well educated and out of reach for most men. Chaucer portrays the
tale of Wife of Bath as hypocritical but between the lines there is some helpful advice for many
women in the world today. In this way Chaucer is trying to educate women through her tale, and say
that there are times one should be a feminist and times one should not. This characterisation of her
strong head would have scared the men of the time. In his contrast with the two he shows in both
women what men fear. In the Wife of Bath it's that men don't want to be controlled and in the
Prioress it's the fact that she is unobtainable and maybe too clever for everyday man. These
representations however when put together, create a women that seems to be perfect for what most
men want and

Essay on The Wife of Bath
The Wife of Bath Prologue and Tale
In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Wife of Bath seems to be one of the more
cheerful characters on the pilgrimage. She has radical views about women and marriage in a time
when women were expected to be passive toward men. There are many things consistent between
The Wife of Bath's prologue and her tale. The most obvious similarity that clearly shows the
comparison between the prologue and the tale is dominance of both women over their husbands.
The Wife of Bath is dominant over all five of her husbands and although she struggles with her fifth
husband to gain the control in the marriage, she nevertheless in the end accomplishes her initial
intention. The Wife of Bath seems to be only...show more content...
The significant relationship between the prologue and the tale is the likeness between both the
fifth husband and the knight. In the beginning both of the men disrespected their women. The
Wife of Bath's husband read from his book of wicked women, and at times reading out loud to
her. For his disdain of women he was punished by his wife when she ripped out the pages in is
book. The knight disrespected women by harshly violating a maiden. The knight was punished
for raping a maiden by the queen. Instead of executing the knight, the queen decides that he
should have one year to discover what women want most in the world and report it back to the
court. The Wife of Bath and her fifth husband only realized genuine happiness once he gave all
sovereignty over to his wife. After he has agreed to that, both he and his wife live in harmony, "From
that day forward there was no debate. So help me God I was as kind to him as any wife from
Denmark to the rim of India, and as true" (Chaucer 280). The knight as well had to give his wife,
the old woman, control in order to be able to live happily. By letting her make her own decisions he
was rewarded by living an enchanting life, "So they lived ever after to the end in perfect bliss"
(Chaucer 292).
Consequently, these three claims help support the idea that the Wife of Bath's Talerepresents her life,
or at least what she described of it in her prologue.

Wife of Bath vs. Lady Gaga
Geoffrey Chaucer's, Wife of Bath, character in Canterbury Tales can be compared with today's
modern pop icon Lady Gaga. Both woman share many similar qualities regarding their personality
types and behavior. From the Fifteenth century to the Twenty– First, these women symbolize
feminism and contradiction of societal norms. This essay will discuss the similarities and differences
between Chaucer's fictional character, the Wife of Bath, and Lady Gaga, one of this century's most
innovative, iconic idols.
The Wife of Bath is one of the most distinct, wild characters in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The way
that Chaucer has drawn the character the Wife of Bath is very sexual, self–confident, feminist woman
. Her...show more content...
During this the Fifteenth Century women were characterized in one of two ways, a woman was
either a saint or sinner. During this time period, the Wife of Bath, also known as Alison, would be
considered crazy, a sinner, and her behavior would be characterized as being far from Christian
like behavior. When reading her tale the reader has to wonder how she could possibly "fit" the
standard Christian woman behavior and norms of her time. The way she dresses, her actions, and
her past all lead the reader to believe these about her. The Wife of Bath and Lady Gaga are not only
bold, but are a complete contradiction to societal norms of their time. For example, Lady Gaga wore
a dress made completely out of raw meat to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. She is famous and
known for her insane sense of fashion, whether it be a fake bloody nose, dressed up as a half–naked
nun, wearing a meat dress, or ten inch high alien shoes; she has been constantly going with her own
gut. She is bold and confident just like the Wife of Bath. Their clothing choices make the reader
believe that both these woman are far from shy and that they are incredibly confident. in
I feel that both these characters symbolize strength and confidence. They both have features that
make them very sexual. Both of these women are very flashy, yet straightforward. They know what
they want and how to get it. They are both strong natured woman, they know what they stand for and
it does

Wife Of Bath Reflection
The Wife of Bath begins the Prologue to her tale by establishing herself as an authority on
marriage, due to her extensive personal experience with the institution. Since her first marriage at
the tender age of twelve, she has had five husbands. She says that many people have criticized her
for her numerous marriages, most of them on the basis that Christ went only once to a wedding, at
Cana in Galilee. The Wife of Bath has her own views of Scripture and God's plan. She says that men
can only guess and interpret what Jesus meant when he told a Samaritan woman that her fifth
husband was not her husband. With or without this bit of Scripture, no man has ever been able to
give her an exact reply when she asks to know how many husbands a woman may have in her
lifetime. God bade us to wax fruitful and multiply, she says, and that is the text that she
wholeheartedly endorses. After all, great Old Testament figures, like Abraham, Jacob, and Solomon,
enjoyed multiple wives at once. She admits that many great Fathers of the Church have proclaimed
the importance of virginity, such as the Apostle Paul. But, she reasons, even if virginity is
important, someone must be procreating so that virgins can be created. Leave virginity to the
perfect, she says, and let the rest of us use our gifts as best we may–and her gift, doubtless, is her
sexual power. She uses this power as an "instrument" to control her husbands.
At this point, the Pardoner interrupts. He is planning to marry soon and

In The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath gives an in–depth look on her life and understanding on
the world as she perceives it. During her Prologue, we learn that what she calls experience stems
from her first three marriages, but during her last two there is a shift in power. The Wife of Bath
demonstrates her understanding and power throughout her first three marriages both physically and
emotionally and the contrast of her lack of control in her last two, thus revealing the true meaning
behind what she believes is experience during these marriages. The Wife of Bath's authority can be
viewed as realist when paralleled to the chain of being because of the emotional control she has over
her previous husbands and the simple fact that she...show more content...
The integration of Chaucer's dual persona is important in showing her immediate appearance and
how her character develops in her Prologue and Tale.
The Wife of Bath begins the Prologue declaring, "Experience, though noon auctoritee / Were in this
world, is right ynogh for me / To speke of wo that is in mariage" (GP 1–3). She had her first marriage
at the age of twelve, an important key in Chaucer's usage of age to show how it affects the amount
of control one can have in a relationship. She also gives a brief explanation of why she marries these
five men by saying "Blessed be God, that I have wedded fyve; / (Of whiche I ... the beste, / Bothe of
here nether purs and of here cheste.)" (WP 44–46) By saying this, the Wife makes it known that
throughout her marriages that money and sex have been important factors. It is in her Prologue that
she begins to use biblical allusions. She mentions King Solomon and Abraham, justifying her five
marriages by saying that many of the religious greats had several wives. By comparing herself to
these religious figures, Allison wants to make it clear that she has enough authority to dictate the
validity of marriage. This authority was given to her by God just as it was given to the fathers of
Christianity, and in addition to being blessed with authority she was given sexuality. There is a
spiritual connection between

The Wife of Bath
The Wife of Bath is the tale of an independent and headstrong woman. She strongly believes in the
worth of every woman and that women should be dominant in their marriages. The Wife of Bath
also directly speaks against strict religious claims for chastity and monogamy, using Biblical
examples. These examples include Solomon to show that the Bible does not openly condemn all
expressions of sexuality, even outside of marriage. The major characters of the Tale of theWife of
Bath are the old crone and Jankin (one of King Arthur's knights). Her Tale begins with a knight,
Jankin, who when riding home one day found a maiden walking alone and raped her. This crime
usually held the penalty of death, but the queen...show more content...
The tale of the Wife of Bath has a fairy–tale structure. This structure is prevalent through the
transformation of the old crone. The fairy–tale structure also exists when he kisses the old woman to
turn her young. This Tale also has fable qualities because of the moral at the end of the Tale. The
Wife of Bath ends the Tale with its moral: let Christ grant all women submissive husbands who
sexually satisfy their wives. This tale shows the old crone's newfound beauty as a result of her
independence and a physical display of her internal qualities. The theme of the Wife of Bath's Tale is
not female equality in marriage, but the power struggles between the husband and wife. She does not
seek an equal partnership with a husband, but a situation in which she has control over her spouse.
The Wife of Bath even indicates that it is only in a marriage where the wife has control over her
husband, that true happiness can be attained. An example of this occurs when Jankin tries to show
power over her and to reestablish her dominance she controls him through guilt. From this point, the
Wife of Bath was the dominant partner in the marriage. The source of this Tale is Jerome's Adversus
Jovinianum (Against Jovinian), in other words, pro–virginity. The following sections of Against
Jovinian are used as sources for this Tale: Chastity Among Pagan Women, Theophrastus' "Golden
Book of Marriage", and Why Men Should Not Marry. Another source of this Tale is the

The Wife of Bath is a complex character–she is different from the way she represents herself. Maybe
not even what she herself thinks she is. On the surface, it seems as though she is a feminist,
defending the rights and power of women over men. She also describes how she dominates her
husband, playing on a fear that was common to men. From a point of view of a man during that
time period, she seemed to illustrate all of the wrongs that men found in women. Such as a weak
parody of what men, then saw as feminists. The Wife of Bath constantly emphasizes the negative
implications of women throughout the ages. She describes women as greedy, controlling, and
dishonest. Many critics throughout the years have given the Wife of Bath a title of...show more
content...
The Wife of Bath's fifth husband abuses her, something that would not be tolerated by a "good"
feminist. Every time he does beat her, she comes right back to him without shame of any sort. Why
is that, sex? Evidently she finds this to be a good enough reason to be beaten, and believes that
everyone feels the same way. Men and women alike see this as a true pathetic illustration of the
stereotype of women by the way that woman come back to their men, no matter how many wrongs
they've committed, and how many times their husband takes for granite a loving wife. The Wife
of Bath knows exactly how bad her husband is, but yet she has to have him in her life. She is the
type of person who can't live a proper life without someone there who needs her and can tend to her
every need. This kind of mind–set is not healthy for a relationship that thrives on everything else but
true love. Women were without a doubt, perceived as second–class citizens in the fourteenth century;
they were rarely educated and had little status in society. The Wife of Bath emphasizes many of the
negative connotations of women, such as greed, controlling, and being dishonest only to show how
they rank next to men. She lists negative comments about women to her husbands, such as "Such
was the way, my lords, you understand, I kept my older husbands

The Wife Of Bath
that he never went to hell (272). She clearly valued sex as the most important attribute of a husband
for, "...in our bed he was so fresh and gay....Heaven knows whenever he wanted it– my belle chose–,
thought he had beaten me in every bone..."(272) Even though her final husband had beaten her,
because he was good in bed with her she felt she loved him the best of them all (272). Clearly, The
Wife of Bath valued three things in her marriages, sex, power, and money. In her tale we find that
power is an important role to women in marriage. A knight, after raping a women is spared by a
queen (282) but in order to save his life, he has one year (283) to find, "What is the thing that
women most desire"(282)? After searching, he finds no answer but on his way home finds an old
women who promises she will save him, he must promise to do what she asks of him after
however, and he agrees (285). When he and the old lady meet with the queen, he exclaimed, "A
women want's the self–sovereignty over her husband as over her lover, and master him; he must
not be above her" (286). This answer is perfectly inline with The Wife of Baths views, she always
wants to be more powerful than her husband. When the old lady says he must marry her, he
protests but soon she offers him two choices, he can have her be old and ugly till she dies, but
loyal, or she can be young and pretty and take chance that she might not remain faithful (291). He
gives his answer to be that she may choose, thus giving her the

Wife Of Bath Essay

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