What is the purpose of the prologue in the Wife of Bath?
The Wife of Bath uses the prologue to explain the basis of her theories about experience versus authority and to introduce the point that she illustrates in her tale: The thing women most desire is complete control (“sovereignty”) over their husbands.
What is the summary of the Wife of Bath’s tale?
The tale concerns a knight accused of rape, whose life shall be spared if in one year he discovers what women most desire. He eventually turns to an ugly old witch who promises him the answer that will save his life if he will do the first thing she asks of him.
How does Chaucer describe the Wife of Bath in the prologue?
In “The General Prologue,” Chaucer describes the Wife of Bath as a deaf, gap-toothed woman. She has a bold face and wears ten pounds of “coverchiefs” and a hat on her head (Chaucer 91). She wears a skirt with red stockings and tight-laced supple shoes. She is also a great weaver and has been on many pilgrimages.
Who is the Wife of Bath speaking to in the prologue?
The Wife of Bath’s Prologue begins with the Wife proposing to “speke of wo that is in mariage,” claiming the authority to do so because she has been married five times.
Is marriage a necessary evil Wife of Bath?
Is marriage a necessary evil? The wife stated “it is better to be wedded than to burn”. This implies that she believes that marriage is a necessary evil. She also says “I will not keep myself wholly chase when my husband departed from the world.
What is the role of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales?
In The Canterbury Tales, written in the late 1300s by Geoffrey Chaucer and published after his death in the 1400s, the Wife of Bath is a seamstress and professional wife who has been married five times. She is a strong woman who has found that she can use her body to control her husband, whom she likens to slaves.
What arguments does the Wife of Bath give to justify her five marriages?
To justify her many marriages, she cites the facts that God instructed humans to multiply and that King Solomon had many wives. She also takes issue with the idea that virginity is a superior state, noting that, if no women ever bore children, there would be a lack of virgins in the world.
What does the Wife of Bath symbolize?
In the “General Prologue,” Chaucer’s description involves her physical appearance describing her clothes, legs, feet, hips, and most importantly her gap-tooth, which during that time (according to The Wife), symbolized sensuality and lust.
How does the Wife of Bath justifies her 5 marriages?
How is the Wife of Bath’s prologue a satire?
Chaucer uses irony and satire to challenge the church’s oppression of women by allowing the Wife of Bath to speak freely about sex, marriage and women’s desires. Chaucer develops her character, gap-toothed, earthy old hag, who is honest, witty and funny.
Who are the characters in the Wife of Bath’s prologue?
Characters
- The Wife of Bath.
- Jankyn.
- Husband #4.
- Husbands #1, 2, and 3.