In the Wife of Bath Prologue, Chaucer illustrates this complex yet well-known character, Alison, who displays many different traits. The Wife of Bath Prologue is the longest selection of Chaucer’s; Chaucer even makes the prologue longer than the tale itself. Undoubtedly, Chaucer wants readers to focus on the central idea and message of the Wife of Bath Prologue. Chaucer shows Alison as a vigorous and vivacious woman. When reading descriptions of Alison, Chaucer focuses mostly on her physical appearance: clothes, feet, legs, hips, and moreover her gape-tooth. Majority of the text that focuses on Alison symbolizes sex. Furthermore, Alison sets this different idea of women. She argues that though she may present negatively to the readers, that
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Alison’s attitude towards men is basically, a man should be a slave to his wife. A man should do whatever the woman says because she is the wife. The Wife accuses her husbands of criticizing her or cheating, which makes them feel guilty, then they give in to her desires. The Wife uses her power in her relationship to gain control of the possessions. However, when she marries her fifth husband he is a tad bit different. In the Wife of Bath Prologue, The Wife rips three pages from her husband’s book, and he immediately strikes her causing her to be death. However, this bold woman does not walk away, but she pretends dead. When he leads down to check on her, she strikes him in the face. She probably does not hit him as hard, but for her it shows that she has control. The Wife must have power over her husband. For a quick moment, she loses authority or power, but she instantly gains it back. Chaucer shows this female character who marries several men and she does not care for one until it is her fifth husband. The woman is ridiculously wealthy by the end of the prologue. Chaucer does this to show her as an empowered woman. Alison is the new representation for women. The depth of knowledge she has and the way she uses it is what depicts her as a truly empowered
Alison’s attitude towards men is basically, a man should be a slave to his wife. A man should do whatever the woman says because she is the wife. The Wife accuses her husbands of criticizing her or cheating, which makes them feel guilty, then they give in to her desires. The Wife uses her power in her relationship to gain control of the possessions. However, when she marries her fifth husband he is a tad bit different. In the Wife of Bath Prologue, The Wife rips three pages from her husband’s book, and he immediately strikes her causing her to be death. However, this bold woman does not walk away, but she pretends dead. When he leads down to check on her, she strikes him in the face. She probably does not hit him as hard, but for her it shows that she has control. The Wife must have power over her husband. For a quick moment, she loses authority or power, but she instantly gains it back. Chaucer shows this female character who marries several men and she does not care for one until it is her fifth husband. The woman is ridiculously wealthy by the end of the prologue. Chaucer does this to show her as an empowered woman. Alison is the new representation for women. The depth of knowledge she has and the way she uses it is what depicts her as a truly empowered