Essay on The Wife of Bath - 1031 Words

The 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 are more like those of the twentieth century. For these reasons, she seems true to life even today. However, her ideas, beliefs, and behavior are not at all representative of the women of her time. Women in the Middle Ages had more freedom†¦show more content†¦In the Middle Ages there was a little improvement in womens rights compared to the Anglo-Saxon period, but things were still far from perfect. Before marriage a woman was totally dependent on her father, who was the head of the house. She, therefore, did not have the choice to make her own decisions; her father made all decisions for her. All her possessions were her fathers property. Most women in this period did not get a formal education. However, girls could go to convent schools, but not to a university. Only wealthy men of high status were able to get a university education. However, women had a good understanding of literature and would often read to their children. Although the Wife of Bath has not had any formal education, she seems to have good knowledge of the Bible (though she misquotes more often than not). Before marriage, the girl was supposed to help with the family business and help her mother with the housework. If the father died, the eldest son became the head of the house. It was his responsibility to take care of and protect the family. Therefore, in the house, boys were favored and given preference over girls. In the Middle Ages marriages were often arranged according to wealth and social status. Girls were often married at a young age and to much older men. In the King Arthur legends, King ArthurShow 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 MoreThe Moral Of Wife Of Bath990 Words   |  4 Pagesequal rights to men, but have yet to establish a non-submissive relationship with their male partners. The moral of Wife of Bath is the desire women have to have power over their husband and how this dominance is beneficial for them and through the course of the tale, the speaker makes an effort to express her views of control in a happy marriage. The moral of Wife of Bath is that happiness in a relationship is when a woman is able to have control over her husband against a backdrop of