The Wife of Bath Essay - 2246 Words

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, â€Å"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 â€Å"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 au thority 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 betweenShow MoreRelatedThe Wife of Bath1145 Words   |  5 Pagesone of them is the story of the Wife of Bath, whose real name is Alisoun. From her appearance and behavior, to her political and religious views, there is much to tell about the Wife of Bath, for her prologue and tale are quite long. The Wife of Bath is a very interesting character. In addition to Alisoun as a person, her story is fascinating as well, with a surprising and compelling end to the story. (SparkNotes Editors) According to the story, the Wife of Bath has a very distinct appearanceRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath1531 Words   |  7 PagesHeaven knows whenever he wanted it- my belle chose-, thought he had beaten me in every bone†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (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)Read MoreThe Wife of Bath1326 Words   |  6 Pagestheir journey. One of the travellers, the Wife of Bath shares her views on social relationships between men and women. The fourteenth century is viewed as having a patriarchal dominated society. However, the Wife of Bath, Alisoun, is a strong believer in female maistrie, control in the marriage. She b elieves in female supremacy over husbands in marriage, and does not feel they can be equal partners in the relationship. Through her prologue and tale the wife justifies the actions she and other womenRead MoreThe Wife Of Bath, By Chaucer Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesto explore the Wife of Bath, her character, appearance, and tale. For the purpose of establishing a correlation between; the perceptions of the other pilgrims, the Wife’s apparent nature, and the tone of her tale. Slade suggest that Chaucer intended the Wife as an ironic character (247). A perspective that is supported by Chaucer’s treatment of the Wife in her description and prologue. The Wife, unlike the other pilgrims who are identified by their occupations, is identified as a wife. Regardless ofRead MoreThe Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue981 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath, The Wife of Bath Prologue, and The General Prologue These selections from The Canterbury Tales best exemplify the ideals and traits of women (as portrayed by Chaucer). In, The Wife of Bath Prologue, the narrator brags of her sexual exploits as well as her prowess of controlling men. The narrator is quite forthright in her enjoyment of this manipulation; she comments on her technique of lying and predomination of men. The General Prologue further servesRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay947 Words   |  4 PagesThe Wife of Bath The Wife of Bath, one of the many characters in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales, is a feminist of the fourteenth century. Chaucer, in the General Prologue, describes her as promiscuous. The Wyf confirms this claim in the prologue to her tale, the longest in the book. An analysis of the General Prologue and the Wyfs Prologue reveals a direct relationship between the Wyf of Bathe and the characters in her tale, such as the knight, queen, and ugly woman. There is a directRead MoreAnalysis Of The Wife Of Bath 1660 Words   |  7 PagesThe Canterbury Fails: An Analysis of Misogyny in the Wife of Bath’s Tale At first glance, you wouldn’t think that the Wife of Bath’s tale is anything other than feminist. She is, undeniably, the only non-religious female character in The Canterbury Tales and therefore is the only character who is approached from a point of view that was generally uncommon. We don’t have many— or even any, as far as I’m aware— pieces of medieval literature written by or for women or with a main female protagonistRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay715 Words   |  3 PagesWife of Bath vs. Lady Gaga Geoffrey Chaucers, Wife of Bath, character in Canterbury Tales can be compared with todays 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 Chaucers fictional character, the Wife of Bath, and Lady Gaga, one of this century’sRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay940 Words   |  4 Pagescorrupt and flat out crazy characters. However, The Wife of Bath is one character that stands out the most. She is a strong, sexual being who does not care about obeying the rules. The Wife of Bath speaks highly of herself when it comes to pleasing her man sexually and does not believe that when one marriage ends that is it; she believes that more opportunities open. She marries five men, four of them for money and one for love. The Wife of Bath is not perf ect in her tale but she keeps her audienceRead MoreEssay on The Wife of Bath1031 Words   |  5 PagesThe Wife of Bath Historical Background One of the most memorable pilgrims of The Canterbury Tales, as well as one of the most memorable women in literature, is the Wife of Bath. She is a lusty and domineering woman who is proud of and outspoken about her sexuality and believes that a woman should have sovereignty in a marriage (Norton 80). She is also extremely blunt and outspoken about her ideas and beliefs. Despite being a woman of the fourteenth century, her ideas, beliefs, and behavior