Mariana Matari
Bindu Nayar
English 2322
September 28, 2015
The wife of bath Antifeminist
In the Medieval times women were treated completely different than our modern days. Women were expected to take care of their children and home. Married women’s role was to satisfy their husbands and always listen to what they suggests. They were not treated equally in the middle ages on the contrary to men they were always respected because their job was to obtain money and supporting their families. Yet, in the Canterbury tales of Chaucer, the author introduced us to a very unique Character “the Wife of Bath”. Chaucer’s description was very detailed. He demonstrates The Wife of bath’s personality in an optimistic aspect which gives the reader a sense …show more content…
She is unashamed from anything even her sexual relationships. She is known to use her curvy body as a bargain to get what she desires. On the other hand, women were always judged by their actions. In the medieval ages men classified women under saints or sinners. The wife of bath’s actions label women as devious and untrustworthy. The wife of baths’ characteristics in the prologue impress the reader because they are unforeseen and daring in a culture where man are dominant. However, the objective of Chaucer’s narration of the wife of bath is his desire in making the readers laugh at her personality. “Because of this tradition, an antifeminist stereotype of women had taken shape”(The wife of bath prologue introduction). The wife of bath was married to five husbands, this points out her indecisiveness and her unstable relationships and her constant flirtation with other man when her husband’s went out of town. Chaucer wants the reader to conclude that the wife of bath was greedy and dishonest.” It held that women were lustful, dishonest, blabber-mouthed, greedy gold-diggers”( The wife of baths prologue introduction). More to the point, the wife of baths seemed to have a lot of freedom even though she was married. She feared no one and nothing and always gave spoke her mind especially when it comes to love and sex. The wife of baths always spoke against virginity when God asked each …show more content…
Furthermore, Chaucer demonstrate the Wife of baths as a hypocrite. She always mentioned the bible and God, however disobeyed the words of god and lived her life as a sinner who constantly acted the opposite way a religious women would act. She was known to be the Remedy of love who lived her life seeking happiness by practicing adultery in order to fulfill her wishes. Rather condescendingly she states” men may devine and glosen up and down/ but wel woot I express withounten lie/ God bad us for two wexe and multiplye/ that gentil text can I wel understone “( Feminist analysis of prologue for the wife of bath). Besides, Chaucer presents to us the wife of bath basically as a whore “For the wife of Bath money, sex, and marriage are all interlinked and none can exist without the other.”(Feminist analysis of prologue for the wife of bath). And a gold digger because the only time she loved and pleased her husbands is when she wanted money in exchange. The wife of baths states in the Canterbury tales of Chaucer “Goode, and riche, and Olde” (Feminist analysis of prologue for the wife of bath) and “she states to her
Bindu Nayar
English 2322
September 28, 2015
The wife of bath Antifeminist
In the Medieval times women were treated completely different than our modern days. Women were expected to take care of their children and home. Married women’s role was to satisfy their husbands and always listen to what they suggests. They were not treated equally in the middle ages on the contrary to men they were always respected because their job was to obtain money and supporting their families. Yet, in the Canterbury tales of Chaucer, the author introduced us to a very unique Character “the Wife of Bath”. Chaucer’s description was very detailed. He demonstrates The Wife of bath’s personality in an optimistic aspect which gives the reader a sense …show more content…
She is unashamed from anything even her sexual relationships. She is known to use her curvy body as a bargain to get what she desires. On the other hand, women were always judged by their actions. In the medieval ages men classified women under saints or sinners. The wife of bath’s actions label women as devious and untrustworthy. The wife of baths’ characteristics in the prologue impress the reader because they are unforeseen and daring in a culture where man are dominant. However, the objective of Chaucer’s narration of the wife of bath is his desire in making the readers laugh at her personality. “Because of this tradition, an antifeminist stereotype of women had taken shape”(The wife of bath prologue introduction). The wife of bath was married to five husbands, this points out her indecisiveness and her unstable relationships and her constant flirtation with other man when her husband’s went out of town. Chaucer wants the reader to conclude that the wife of bath was greedy and dishonest.” It held that women were lustful, dishonest, blabber-mouthed, greedy gold-diggers”( The wife of baths prologue introduction). More to the point, the wife of baths seemed to have a lot of freedom even though she was married. She feared no one and nothing and always gave spoke her mind especially when it comes to love and sex. The wife of baths always spoke against virginity when God asked each …show more content…
Furthermore, Chaucer demonstrate the Wife of baths as a hypocrite. She always mentioned the bible and God, however disobeyed the words of god and lived her life as a sinner who constantly acted the opposite way a religious women would act. She was known to be the Remedy of love who lived her life seeking happiness by practicing adultery in order to fulfill her wishes. Rather condescendingly she states” men may devine and glosen up and down/ but wel woot I express withounten lie/ God bad us for two wexe and multiplye/ that gentil text can I wel understone “( Feminist analysis of prologue for the wife of bath). Besides, Chaucer presents to us the wife of bath basically as a whore “For the wife of Bath money, sex, and marriage are all interlinked and none can exist without the other.”(Feminist analysis of prologue for the wife of bath). And a gold digger because the only time she loved and pleased her husbands is when she wanted money in exchange. The wife of baths states in the Canterbury tales of Chaucer “Goode, and riche, and Olde” (Feminist analysis of prologue for the wife of bath) and “she states to her