Essay about The Wife of Bath: Feminism in Chaucer's Work

Words: 2126
Pages: 9
Open Document
Women in the medieval times were cast into very distinct roles. There was a strict code of conduct that was followed. They were to be submissive to their husbands and follow their lead. A woman's place was also in the home and the responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc. fell into their domain. Women who deviated from these cultural-set norms made for interesting characters. Chaucer's use of women and their overstepping their boundaries and typical roles in society make them most memorable. Most of the gender expectations stemmed from the Church and biblical history. There were many anti-feminist feelings due to Eve causing the fall of Man. Women were perceived to be responsible for most of the suffering to man, and …show more content…
Chaucer handled speaking for women in a very distinct manner. Rather than speaking about her, he has the woman speak for herself. He does not attempt to have the Wife explain how she feels or justify herself. We might not be able to ascertain the purpose behind Chaucer creating such a character, but it does offer us a glimpse into Chaucer himself. As stated from the view of Patrick Jennings, a fellow student, "This character (The Wife of Bath) and her development lead me into the second facet of this post: Chaucer himself. His creation of the wife of Bath gives us a dual-image of Chaucer and his lively character. Every eccentric detail involved in the creation of this woman, mirrors the undeniable open-mindedness of Chaucer. There could be no wife without Chaucer. Her unconventional behavior was a direct result of his unique vision of the stereotypes and beliefs concerning women- and the way women felt about it- of that period." These changes in ideals of women have an effect on the surrounding men. The Wife of Bath demonstrates this point with the story of the rapist knight. His punishment for sinning against women is his submission to his older, ugly wife. Unbeknownst to him, the secret to his marital harmony and
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about The Wife of Bath: Feminism in Chaucer's Work

Comparing The Wife Of Bath's Prologue And Tale

The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale (DATE) tells the story of a lusty, boisterous, opinionated yet powerful woman who puts her marriages before anything else. Many of her views are presented to the modern day reader as a feminist statement of empowerment, contrasting heavily with the harsh anti-feminist views that were dominant at the time. Chaucer creates a character who uses these anti-feminist ideals to her advantage by succumbing to the views and using them to manipulate and control the men…

Words 1820 - Pages 8

The Knight, The Wife Of Bath And The Friar

The Canterbury Tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer is seen as one of the most important pieces of English literature of all time. In his work, Chaucer deals with many issues that were at the front of Medieval Society. One part of life in the 14th century that the Canterbury Tales deals with is the many aspects of love. Love has always been a favourite topic of Poets since the dawn of writing and Chaucer satires this in a way never really seen before. In the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales…

Words 1971 - Pages 8

Canterbury Tales Society Essays

How is the relationship between men and women portrayed? According to Alison, the ideal relationship between man and woman (husband and wife) is one in which the wife has control over the husband. Initially, she discusses how men are allowed to have multiple wives (King Solomon), but women aren’t supposed to (Jesus criticizing) (Chaucer 237). Roles of husband/wife are also different. Women participated in domestic affairs (cooking, cleaning, etc) (Chaucer 249) but can also assume control of household…

Words 1998 - Pages 8