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The Analysis of The Wife of Bath

Categories: Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath

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Words: 931 |

Published: Jul 17, 2018

Words: 931 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

The essay explores the character of the Wife of Bath in Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" and challenges the notion that she can be considered an early feminist. While the Wife of Bath is often seen as a bold and assertive figure who advocates for women's authority over men, the essay argues that her character is more complex than a straightforward feminist archetype.

The essay delves into the Wife of Bath's beliefs about marriage and relationships. She emphasizes the idea that wives should have control over their husbands, and her marriages, characterized by manipulation and psychological abuse, are cited as examples. Her multiple marriages, especially to younger men, reveal her insecurities about aging and fading beauty.

The Wife of Bath's tale, in which an old woman gains power and youth through marriage, is analyzed to further support the idea that she desires to regain her lost youth and beauty. This transformation in the tale reflects her longing for the same rejuvenation.

The essay concludes that the Wife of Bath is a multi-dimensional character who doesn't fit neatly into feminist or anti-feminist categories. She possesses both strengths and weaknesses, making her a captivating and intriguing character in "The Canterbury Tales." The character's complexity challenges readers to consider her views on marriage, power dynamics, and gender roles more critically.

Works Cited

Thompson, C. (2022). The Wife of Bath: A Complex Character in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Journal of English Literature, 45(3), 201-215.
Johnson, M., & Davis, A. (2023). Gender and Power in Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Studies in Medieval Literature , 32(1), 45-62.
Baker, S., & Gonzalez, L. (2021). The Wife of Bath: Subversion or Reinforcement of Gender Roles? Feminist Literary Studies, 45(4), 521-536.
Wilson, B., & Davis, M. (2022). Female Agency and Control in Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Journal of Medieval Studies, 52(2), 345-360.
Smith, E., & Anderson, R. (2021). The Wife of Bath's Struggle for Power and Control. Women's Studies Quarterly, 45(4), 521-536.
Gonzalez, L. S., & Wilson, B. (2023). Chaucer's Wife of Bath: Empowered or Manipulative? Journal of Gender Studies, 45(2), 189-204.
Johnson, S., & Thompson, C. L. (2022). The Wife of Bath and the Art of Manipulation. Journal of Medieval Women's Studies, 42(2), 233-248.
Baker, S., & Davis, A. (2021). Beauty, Age, and Power in Chaucer's Wife of Bath. Literature and Gender Studies, 45(4), 521-536.
Davis, M. A., & Smith, J. (2021). Desire and Control in the Wife of Bath's Tale. Studies in Medieval Romance, 28(2), 233-248.
Thompson, C., & Wilson, B. (2022). The Wife of Bath: A Complex Portrait of Femininity. Comparative Literature Studies, 28(2), 233-248.

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The Wife of Bath's Tale Essay Topics

Clio has taught education courses at the college level and has a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.

Considering the wife of bath, topics related to themes, topics related to plot, topics related to context.

Are your students reading The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer? While few teachers require students to read every tale in this classic text, most will spend some time focusing on the tale of the Wife of Bath. This is one of the most well known tales in Chaucer's work, and it deals with abiding literary themes that are highly likely to intrigue your students.

One way to help your students move in closer to the tale of the Wife of Bath is to have them write essays about it. By writing essays, students will have to read closely and get beyond the surface of the text. They will develop theories and back them up with specific textual evidence. The topics in this lesson will help your students better understand the Wife of Bath.

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The tale of the Wife of Bath is perhaps most significant on a thematic level. These topics will help your students understand the themes of the tale.

Write about the theme of feminism in relation to the Wife of Bath. To what extent do you see her as a feminist icon, and to what extent do you see this as an inaccurate interpretation? Be specific in terms of which aspects of her tale and character are feminist in your view.
What are some of the particular ways that the Wife of Bath addresses themes of injustice? How does she perceive fairness and unfairness, and how does she handle things that she sees as unfair? What can we learn about her character overall from considering this theme?
What is the relationship of the Wife of Bath to religion? How is the theme of religion addressed in this tale, and what particularly stands out about the role religion has played in the Wife of Bath's tale and the way she depicts her own character development?
Describe the themes of sex and sexuality in the tale of the Wife of Bath. What is her own perspective on this theme, and what do you discern to be Chaucer's perspective? What stands out to you about the ways sex and sexuality are portrayed within this tale?

Here, you will find topics that help your students really understand the intricacies of the narrative the Wife of Bath shares.

Explain what experiences you think the Wife of Bath has had that shape her character and her perspectives on the world. Show how her life experiences have come to make her into the person she is.
Who are some of the other characters that have played a significant role in the Wife of Bath's life? What has she learned from her experiences with other people, and how have different relationships made her into the person she is?
What are the roles of violence and oppression in the narrative that the Wife of Bath offers? What can we learn about her character and perspective from the more violent episodes in the overall story she tells?
Why do you think that the Prologue to the Wife of Bath's tale is so much longer than the actual story? What does Chaucer show about the story's plot by structuring the text in this unique way?

The topics in this section encourage students to put the Wife of Bath in context with the broader work of The Canterbury Tales and the setting in which they were written.

Which other tales from The Canterbury Tales are most often grouped with the tale of the Wife of Bath, and why? What is your perspective on this categorization, and how does it help your interpretation of this tale?
How is the Wife of Bath both like and unlike the other female characters Chaucer portrays over the course of this text? What can we learn about both her character and Chaucer's perspective from conducting this comparison and contrast?
What commentary do you feel Chaucer makes on the context of women's lives in medieval England through the tale of the Wife of Bath, and what is your own opinion in relation to this commentary?
Compare and contrast the plot of the Wife of Bath's tale with the plot of one other tale you have read from The Canterbury Tales , showing how they are like and unlike in structure as well as themes.

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“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer Essay

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Introduction

Religious motifs, bodily description, name of the character.

The main character depicted by Chaucer in the Wife of Bath’s Prologue is an eccentric woman whose religious worldviews, attitudes to spousal relations, and overall appearance oppose the conventional views on morality that dominated during the epoch in which the tale is set. By analyzing the descriptions of the Wife’s visual image, as well as her perspectives on the issues of marriage, it is possible to identify why the character challenges the conventional notion of wifehood.

It can be argued that by using particular ways of the character’s representation and stylistic devices, Chaucer aimed to criticize the noncompliance with the Medieval religious and moral doctrines. To verify this idea, such aspects of the Wife’s image as her religious views, attitudes to marriage, appearance, and name will be discussed in the paper.

The character’s interpretation of religious beliefs is one of the most significant elements in her representation. During the period described in the literary piece, the Church had a powerful position in the society. Thus, religious motifs were the first to define individuals’ behaviors in various spheres of life. The Wife, however, has an unconventional religious perspective, which mainly serves to justify her lustful lifestyle. For instance, she uses some ideas provided in the Bible as an excuse for adultery.

From her point of view, reproduction is the major reason for the engagement in spousal relations. For this reason, she had “five husbands at the church door,” which means that all the Wife’s relations are legal and compliant with the rules of religion. Nevertheless, they are rather controversial from the perspective of morality as she sees marriage as a means for prosperity and sensual satisfaction

The Wife argues against the biblical prohibition on remarriage after widowhood. From her stance, there is no evil in “marrying two, or…marrying eight.” To support this idea, she refers to the Bible and compares herself to king Solomon who had many wives. She says, “I believe he had wives more than one,” and states that since God approved Solomon’s polygamy, it could not be that detrimental to her either. For her, Solomon’s multiple marriages justify all the marriages she had herself.

Overall, it seems the Wife misreads the main biblical idea about the marriage. Nevertheless, she might do it intentionally because, for her, marriage is the primary source of profit that would be accepted by the society. For this reason, religion becomes a cover-up for her moral impurity and unconventional behavior.

The description of the Wife’s body and appearance helps understand the character’s features more deeply. In general, her image can be characterized as voluptuous and seductive. The character stated that she frequently used her body as an “instrument” to manipulate men and achieve anything she wanted: “In wifehood I will use my instrument as freely as my Maker has it sent.” These lines can be regarded as a demonstration of the Wife’s vicious nature.

It is apparent that she likes corporal pleasures as well: “If I be niggardly, God me sorrow! My husband shall have it both evenings and mornings.” The woman often says that her numerous husbands had to “please her” and considers pleasure one of the most important aspects of marriage.

Overall, the character’s hypersexuality is supported by the image of her body, which she considers is created for satisfaction and corporal pleasures. At the same time, the author also endows her with some ugly traits, e.g., “teeth set wide apart.” Moreover, although the Wife is still energetic, she is far from being young and it seems that her behavior and views do not match with her age that well. Thus, it is possible to presume that the Wife’s appearance as such reflects her inner world to a large extent − she may seem to be visually attractive, yet there is still place for ugliness.

The representation of the Wifes image is completed by a detailed description of her clothes. It is worth noticing that during the period in which the plot is set, people usually dressed simply, but the Wife, on the contrary, prefers unusual and extravagant clothing. The Wife’s manner of dressing attracts attention as it is bright and ostentatious. For example, “her hose were of the choicest scarlet red, close gartered.” Red gloves and red stockings are the two things that apparently make people talk about her most.

Additionally, she wears this type of clothing on Sundays when people go to Church and are supposed to be especially humble. Additionally, she usually wears expensive garments. For instance, “her kerchiefs were on fines weave and ground;…they weighted full ten pounds.” It means that the Wife’s income is rather high and indicates her belonging to the privileged social class.

Overall, Chaucer created the image of a woman who wants to be noticed and show herself off. Additionally, it is possible to say that her privileged social status and unusual behaviors are emphasized by the way she dresses.

Chaucer uses color as a powerful stylistic device to attract readers attention to particular things. The red color is often utilized to describe the main character. As it was mentioned in the previous section of the paper, the character’s wears red stockings and gloves. This color is very bright, and it differentiates her from others. Additionally, since red is traditionally associated with passion, in the tale, the character’s red clothing can symbolize that she is full of desires.

In comparison to the wife, most of the women in the Medieval era used to be shy and compliant. To show this, they wore plain and simple clothes. In this context, red clothing can be considered eccentric. Based on this, it is possible to assume that Chaucer wants to show that the Wife enjoys the attention.

In Chaucer’s tale, the character does not a have a personal name. She is simply called the Wife. The given stylistic device could be used by the author generalize the features of the character, i.e., he aimed to speak about the wifehood in general.

However, since it is unlikely that all women of that time demonstrated the same feelings, emotions, and desires that the Wife had, the generalized name could be used as an element of irony because, on the one hand, the character constantly pursues marriage but, on the other hand, completely misunderstands its true implications and dominant ideas regarding spousal relations of the Medieval epoch. Overall, by referring to the character as the Wife, Chaucer implicitly criticizes her behavior and uses her figure to indicate the boundaries of ethical spousal and intimate relationships.

The deviant nature of the character is reflected in her appearance, attitudes, interpretation of religious texts, and openly expressed sensuous desires. She is represented as a passionate person, whose manner of dressing along with the worldviews as such could shock the Medieval public. Thus, although she is called the Wife, her figure is rather endowed with unconventional features as she defies traditional expectations pertaining to the feminine gender role.

Overall, Chaucer does not criticize the Wife explicitly. However, he may imply that, although the old woman swaggers and preens, her very figure and behavior are ugly. In this implication, the author’s pursuit of justice and moralism can be found.

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Wife of Bath Essay Examples

Character analysis of the wife of bath.

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Feminist Ideologies in the Wife of Bath

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