Background and discussion questions for Chaucer's The Wife of Bath

6. What do the stereotypes presented in the character Alisoun (the wife) illustrate about the attitudes toward women at the time? How do those attitudes compare to those of our modern society?

8. Why did Alisoun choose to tell the tale of the Knight and the Hag? How does it reflect herself? How does it reflect herself? “ Wommen desire to have sovereinetee As wel over hir housbonde as hir love, And for to been in maistrye him above.”

10. Alisoun misquotes the Bible but is not corrected by the churchmen to whom she is telling her story. What does this say about the attitudes of and toward churchmen then and now?

12. The wife literally “takes a leaf out of her husband’s book.” How does this expression reflect her life and story figuratively?

14. Alisoun’s view... if things were reversed if things were reversed “ Who painted the leon, tel me who?”

16. What is Alisoun’s perspective on the institution of marriage (e.g. is marriage a necessary evil or expression of love)? Is it different than that of the tale as a whole? Has this dynamic changed in today’s society?

18. Thanks!