THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE AND TALE

OVERALL THEMES:

• “Experience, though noon auctorite Were in this world, is right ynough [certainly enough] for me.”• Experience and logic vs. Religion• Religion can be interpreted “bouth up and doun”

• Marriage• Virginity• Women’s sovereignty

BACKGROUND

• Experience as the greatest authority• The Wife of Bath argues that

because she has had five husbands her experience is more relevant to knowledge than is religion.

• As the Wife begins her tale she is interrupted by the Pardoner.• He states that his wife is leaving him

and is curious if marriage is worth it.

• This interruption allows the Wife of Bath to start her tale.

THE WIFE OF BATH’S PROLOGUE:

• Five husbands• Three were good:• These were rich, old, and submissive.

• The Wife of Bath purposefully tormented these three husbands

• She would accuse her husband of having an affair, torment them about alcohol use, etc.

• All of these statements were lies

• Furthermore, she refused to give her husbands what they “coveiteth” until they promised her money.

WOB PROLOGUE CONTINUED

• The fourth husband:• She married her fourth husband

while she was still young• He had a mistress• Recounting this tale has made the

Wife of Bath sad and nostalgic because she has lost her “flour;” however, she states, she will still try to sell her “bran.”

• After she returns from her tangent she claims that “By God, in erthe I was his purgatorie.”

• She ends the story of the fourth husband by stating that he died while she was on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

WOB PROLOGUE CONTINUED

• The Fifth Husband:• This story is much more extensive

than any of the previous four• She begins by stating that “God lete

his soule nevere come in helle! And yet was he to me the moste shrewe [worst].”• “But in oure bed he was so fresh and

gay, and therwithal so wel coude he me glose… That thogh he hadde my bet [beat] on every boon, He coude winne agayn my love anoon.”

WOB PROLOGUE CONTINUED

• The Fifth Husband:• As she begins her story of how their relationship

developed, the Wife explains the fifth husband was different than the other four because she married him for love, and not money.

• The fifth husband’s name was Jankyn• They first met while she was married to her fourth husband

• She tells Jankyn, that if she is ever widowed, they would marry.

• She lies to him and tells him that she dreamed “he wolde han slayn me as I lay upright, And al my bed was ful of verray blood; but yet I hope that he shal do me good, for blood bitokeneth gold, as me was taught, And all was fals—I dremed of it right naught.”

WOB PROLOGUE CONTINUED

• The Fifth Husband:• At her fourth husband’s funeral the Wife of Bath stated that she “weep

algate, and made sory chere As wyves moten, for it is usgage, and with my coverchief covered my visage; But for that I was purveyed of a make, I wepte but smal, and that I undertake.”• Essentially, the Wife of Bath cried but was not sad because she already had

lined up her fifth husband.

• After their marriage, the Wife of Bath begins to regret the age difference.• He would not suffer her abuse• He abused her in return

• He read her a book of wicked wives and when she tore up pages from the book out of anger, he “smoot me ones on the list.. That of the strook myn ere wex al deef.”

WOB PROLOGUE CONTINUED

• The Fifth Husband:• The Wife states that this husband was her favorite.• Through the fighting the Wife of Bath and the fifth

husband come to an agreement where she will act kind and loving and he will provide her with his meager estate.

• This tale finished the Wife of Bath begins her tale.

WOB TALE

• The Wife of Bath begins her tale in the days of King “Arthour”• She states the land was “fulfild of fayrerye” and the

“elf-queen;” however, these have been replaced by fryers because people stopped performing good deeds.

• In King Arthur’s court a knight comes across a beautiful maiden. He is overcome by his lust and sense of power and rapes her.

• Thus, the court decrees, that the knight should be put to death by decapitation.

• The ladies on Arthur’s court argue, however, that the knight, if within one year, can discover what women want most in the world and report his findings back to the court he will keep his life.

WOB TALE CONTINUED

• He travels the land and asks every women he meets. To his dismay they all have different answers.• “richesse”• “Women desyren to have sovereyntee As wel over hir housband as

hir love”• “Plighte”

• In the wife’s tale, she explains that many women just want to be considered discreet and secrative.• Telling of Ovid’s story of Midas.• Midas had two donkey ears growing under his hair, which he concealed

from everyone except his wife, who told the the marsh water the secret.

• The knight meets a large group of women dancing and decisdes to ask a question.• All he sees once he approaches closer is an ugly old women. The women

states she will help the knight if he pledges himself to her.

WOB TALE CONTINUED

• At the court, the knight tells the queen the old women to hold which is that women want to be in charge of their husbands.

• Following this the women asks the knight to marry her. The knight agrees and is miserable.

• In bed one night, the women asks the knight if he would rather her be ugly but loyal and good or young and fair but also coquettish and unfaithful. He responds by saying whichever she prefers. This results in her turning into a beautiful and good wife.

ANALYSIS

• Religion vs. experience• What was the Wife of

Bath’s relationship with her fifth husband? Why was she so attracted to him?• Relationship between Wife

of Bath and the old women in her tale• Society in Wife’s tale, is it

patriarchal or matriarchal?

The Canterbury Tales The Clerks Tale

SUMMARY

*Town of Selluzo*Marquis by the name of Walter*Walter a lot of time in pleasures and delights*Refused to wed

SUMMARY CONT.*His people grew in fear since he didn’t have an heir

*The People pleaded with him to marry

*Walter agreed, but ordered that he was to choose anyone he wished, and when to marry.

SUMMARY CONT.

*While hunting in following days, Walter sees Griselda, and knows she is the one he wishes to marry.* Walter goes to her house, and gets permission from her father for the two to wed. *Although they were married, the people were surprised, due to her being a peasant.

SUMMARY CONT.

* Soon after, Griselda gave birth to a little girl. But Walter wanted to ensure Griselda was loyal.

*Walter informed Griselda (incorrectly) that the people wanted to kill the child due to her social status. Although sad, Griselda consented.

*Instead of killing his child, Walter secretly sent the child to be raised by his sister. Although sad due to believing her daughter was killed, Griselda stayed loyal.

SUMMARY CONT.

*Years passed and Griselda gave birth to another child, yet this time a son. *Walter still felt that Griselda may betray him, so yet again he decided to test her loyalty the same way he did their daughter. *He sent his son away, and Griselda mourned again, however she continued to stay loyal.

SUMMARY CONT.

*More years passed, yet Walter wanted to test his wife once more.

*Walter informed Griselda that the people had grown tired of her, and that he must divorce her and re-marry

*Walter informed his workers to take Griselda back in peasant clothes and for her to plan his next wedding.

SUMMARY CONT.

*On the day of the wedding, instead of finding her husbands new wife, Griselda was instead introduced to her children.

*Due to her continued loyalty, even after Walter left her, he recognized that she was, in fact, loyal.

*Walter, Griselda, and their children lived the rest of their lives happily.

ANALYSIS

*Pro-women as well as anti-women*Walter is God, Griselda is human*Griselda Changing symbolizing status change