Wife Of Bath

3 Pages 811 Words

During the Wife of Bath’s prologue she is described rather quickly as a little deaf, quite a traveler (she has been on many pilgrimages to exotic places) and that she has had many husbands. The narrator also describes the wife as very outspoken. I am not sure if he does this in an admiring sort of way or if he is actually making fun of her or pointing out traits that he doesn’t actually like. Although in some ways I feel that he is just stating the facts. The lines that make me feel this way are the ones that describe her facial features, such as the gaps between her teeth. He does not say whether or not he admires or hates her features just that they are there.
An important view that the wife holds is that religion itself is anti-feminist. She goes on by saying that the bible is written by men and because of this holds a male point of view. Many people think that the wife of bath could be the first feminist character written. However, the ideas she holds regarding controlling men with sex and jealousy don’t seem to go along with an idea that is “feminist”. This can be attributed to the fact that she pretends to be well learned when in fact she quotes readings that have nothing to do with what she is saying. This may prove that she is not as well educated as she wishes everyone to believe she is. One thing I found interesting though is something I read by a critic of Chaucer. When the wife quotes from Ovid’s story, she tells the reader to read the story to figure out the ending. Originally she explains that women are not able to keep secrets when in fact she may be luring the reader into reading the story and making her point that men are unable to keep secrets as well (because the barber, not the wife was in fact the keeper of the secret in this story).
While she seems to be against religion, she also uses it to her advantage. She twists the words and their meanings and uses them to defend her actions....