Comparing The Wife Of Bath's Prologue And Tale

Throughout British literature, the stories that are written are created for a reason. They are not just made up stories without a lesson in them; most of the time there is always an underlying message that is brought to the spotlight in these pieces. In “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale,” this story defies the idea of gender. Most specifically, it talks about power relations of gender. Throughout history and within today’s society, the man is usually the dominant. Throughout the story, this certain woman makes it clear that she is not to be messed with and does not oblige with the stereotypes that are predetermined based on her gender. In today’s society, there are things that would be considered taboo in today’s society, and even while …show more content…
In society now, she would’ve been ripped apart for being married to five men, and the other men around her tried to tell her that was wrong, but she defended herself. “Lo, heere the wisė kyng, daun Salomon; I trowe he haddė wyves mo than oon; As, wolde God, it leveful were to me, To be refresshėd half so ofte as he! Which yifte of God hadde he for alle his wyvys! No man hath swich that in this world alyve is. God woot, this noble kyng, as to my wit, The firstė nyght had many a myrie fit, With ech of hem, so wel was hym on lyve. Y-blessed be God, that I have wedded fyve! (376)” This statement about her having five husbands turns what other people see as a negative into a positive. She states that the wise king had more than one wife, and this is what God wanted people to do. She turns this into a power situation by saying that she has the knowledge of five husbands, and through these five husbands, she has taken the reigns in the relationships by making the husbands feel bad. She accuses her husbands of cheating and saying insulting