The Wife of Bath Essay- By referring closely to the extract and other
appropriately selected parts of the text, and making use of relevant
external contextual information on medieval attitudes to sexual morality,
examine the poetic methods which Chaucer uses to write about the Wife
of Bath as a rebel against such attitudes
The extract is lines 587-629. It begins with “Whan that my fourth housbonde
was on beere” and ends with “Hath wedded me with greet solempnitee”
Essay
Chaucer completed “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” in the
fourteenth century, where archaic attitudes regarding sexuality dominated
female existence, particularly because of the extensive power of the Roman
Catholic Church in medieval society. In the Wife’s character, Chaucer reflects
a satirical criticism of these norms by creating a representative of all women.
Therefore, the Wife’s rebellion against the codes of sexual morality reflect
Chaucer’s criticism of Church power and hypocrisy.
This is first made clear in the Wife’s examination of biblical hypocrisy,
where she laments “What rekketh me, thogh folks seye vileynie / Of shrewed
Lameth and his bigamie? / I woot wel that Abraham is a hooly man, / And
Jacob eek… ech of hem hadde wives mo than two”. The Wife’s Prologue
resembles a dramatic monologue, allowing her to outline her argument
against moral codes in a clear and instructive tone when she assumes the role
of a teacher. Here, she presents an extended list of biblical exempla,
demonstrating to the reader how the Bible holds double standards in regards
to sex for men and women. The listing accentuates her assertive tone,
showing a desire to rebel against these standards. Moreover, the rhetorical
question displays to the reader how the Wife rejects any biblical judgment. In
this way, Chaucer criticises the Church’s monopoly on public morality.
, The Wife continues to challenge the medieval virtues of virginity by
arguing “Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed / And lat us wives hoten
barly-breed”. Chaucer employs the use of metaphor to portray the differences
between virgins and wives. In medieval society, virginity was regarded as the
zenith of morality. However, the Wife criticises this attitude held by the Church.
The juxtaposition between the two images accentuates the different moral
standards assigned to virgins and wives, but the Wife argues that sexual
women are essential since “with barly-breed, Marke telle kan, / Oure Lord
Jhesu refresshed many a man”. With these additional biblical exempla, the
Wife not only challenges the Church’s view on sexual morality, but its very
interpretation of scripture. This is because she uses her comparison to barley
to suggest that wives are fundamental to everyday life, as they procreate. This
is essential, and she points out that God told mankind to “wexe and multipie”
in the Book of Genesis.
The Wife of Bath acknowledges the Church’s stance on sexual morality
by saying “For peril is bothe fyr and tow t’assemble”. The Church believed that
women were seductresses sent to tempt men away from piety, influenced by
their perception of Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden. Since the Church had
profound control over social and political life, this became the view of wider
society. The Wife’s metaphor explains that sex is a dangerous thing, implying
that it will result in fire and punishment. However, instead of condemning
herself, she uses this to her advantage, adopting the title of “seductress” to
control her husbands. This is seen most clearly when she says “How pitiously
a-night I made hem swinke! / And, by my fey, I told of it no stoor”. The
exclamatory endstop is emphatic, highlighting the pleasure that the Wife takes
in sexually tormenting her husbands. This defies medieval expectations of a
demure and submissive woman, particularly in relation to sexual intercourse.
appropriately selected parts of the text, and making use of relevant
external contextual information on medieval attitudes to sexual morality,
examine the poetic methods which Chaucer uses to write about the Wife
of Bath as a rebel against such attitudes
The extract is lines 587-629. It begins with “Whan that my fourth housbonde
was on beere” and ends with “Hath wedded me with greet solempnitee”
Essay
Chaucer completed “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale” in the
fourteenth century, where archaic attitudes regarding sexuality dominated
female existence, particularly because of the extensive power of the Roman
Catholic Church in medieval society. In the Wife’s character, Chaucer reflects
a satirical criticism of these norms by creating a representative of all women.
Therefore, the Wife’s rebellion against the codes of sexual morality reflect
Chaucer’s criticism of Church power and hypocrisy.
This is first made clear in the Wife’s examination of biblical hypocrisy,
where she laments “What rekketh me, thogh folks seye vileynie / Of shrewed
Lameth and his bigamie? / I woot wel that Abraham is a hooly man, / And
Jacob eek… ech of hem hadde wives mo than two”. The Wife’s Prologue
resembles a dramatic monologue, allowing her to outline her argument
against moral codes in a clear and instructive tone when she assumes the role
of a teacher. Here, she presents an extended list of biblical exempla,
demonstrating to the reader how the Bible holds double standards in regards
to sex for men and women. The listing accentuates her assertive tone,
showing a desire to rebel against these standards. Moreover, the rhetorical
question displays to the reader how the Wife rejects any biblical judgment. In
this way, Chaucer criticises the Church’s monopoly on public morality.
, The Wife continues to challenge the medieval virtues of virginity by
arguing “Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed / And lat us wives hoten
barly-breed”. Chaucer employs the use of metaphor to portray the differences
between virgins and wives. In medieval society, virginity was regarded as the
zenith of morality. However, the Wife criticises this attitude held by the Church.
The juxtaposition between the two images accentuates the different moral
standards assigned to virgins and wives, but the Wife argues that sexual
women are essential since “with barly-breed, Marke telle kan, / Oure Lord
Jhesu refresshed many a man”. With these additional biblical exempla, the
Wife not only challenges the Church’s view on sexual morality, but its very
interpretation of scripture. This is because she uses her comparison to barley
to suggest that wives are fundamental to everyday life, as they procreate. This
is essential, and she points out that God told mankind to “wexe and multipie”
in the Book of Genesis.
The Wife of Bath acknowledges the Church’s stance on sexual morality
by saying “For peril is bothe fyr and tow t’assemble”. The Church believed that
women were seductresses sent to tempt men away from piety, influenced by
their perception of Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden. Since the Church had
profound control over social and political life, this became the view of wider
society. The Wife’s metaphor explains that sex is a dangerous thing, implying
that it will result in fire and punishment. However, instead of condemning
herself, she uses this to her advantage, adopting the title of “seductress” to
control her husbands. This is seen most clearly when she says “How pitiously
a-night I made hem swinke! / And, by my fey, I told of it no stoor”. The
exclamatory endstop is emphatic, highlighting the pleasure that the Wife takes
in sexually tormenting her husbands. This defies medieval expectations of a
demure and submissive woman, particularly in relation to sexual intercourse.
