Wife of Baths Tale in Chaucers The Canterbury Tales Essay

In the satirical comedy The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer introduces Dame Alice (who is known as The Wife of Bath) as an obstinate, energetic and opinionated woman. In addition, she is promiscuous and filled with sexual desire. Throughout her prologue she is depicted as a determined feminist who continuously argues against the belittling of women and forbidden female sexuality. Chaucer uses her tale to add humor to his works because a feminist of her kind at that period time was highly unlikely. The theme of her tale is the notion of female supremacy in marriage and the power struggle between husband and wife to gain it. She doesnt look for an equal partnership with her spouse, but rather a state in which she has control over her†¦show more content†¦In all of her marriages she manipulated her husbands and uses her sexuality as a weapon against them in order to get what she wants, which was the upper-hand. She dominated the marriages and had control over the economics, the sexu al pleasure, and maneuvered the relationship to her likings. This was contrary to the submissive, obedient, proper, and inferior role that women played in the Middle Ages. Legally, women could do nothing without their husbands, and did not even exist other than as their husbands property. Even sex could technically only be performed for procreation, not enjoyment (i.e. lust). The Wife of Baths first three husbands were old and rich, and were willing to do what she wished. In order to get them on the defensive when they got suspicious of her stepping out, she would criticize and accuse them of looking at other women. The fourth husband she married was actually young and harder to control. He possessed a mistress as well as a wife, and shared similar qualities to those of The Wife of Bath. Number four soon died and then rapidly came husband number five. He was twenty years her junior, and was cruel and violent towards her. He never allowed the Wife of Bath have her way, until one day when he struck her so hard on the ear that she fell and appeared dead. When she was revived from her concussion her husband was so regretful that he gave up all authority in the marriage toShow MoreRelated Chaucers Canterbury Tales Essay - Marriage in The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale672 Words   |  3 PagesMarriage in Geoffrey Chaucers The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale The disparity in the outcomes of the hags marriage and Alisons marriages in Geoffrey Chaucers The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale depends in part on the womens differing expectations of their husbands. The hags modus agendi depends on a knights obligation to honour his pledge, whereas Alisons modus operandi depends on her husbands conduct after marriage, i.e. on her circumstances. 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