The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer, late 14th century; p 271-292

 

The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale—of which I share a quotation from each—originates from the famous Canterbury Tales which were an incomplete set of tales from the point of view of various pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury. The Wife of Bath, in particular, focuses on combatting gender norms and the battle of the sexes in her tale. In a quote from the prologue, we can observe her fiery personality as she uses a bread metaphor to call virginity a mere preference which enslaves women to social sexual norms. As for her tale itself, this tale tackles the feminine desire to be sovereign from their husbands and to have an individual voice. I did not pick this excerpt for the promiscuity, though, but instead for the individuality and freethinking. It would be very hard to find a woman today who cannot find relation with her tale. Like I said, this does not have to take the form of many, if any, lovers but rather any instance in which women are made to feel second tier to their male friends, relatives, and colleagues.

From the Prologue:

      “I nyl nat envye no virginitee.

      Lat hem be breed of pured whete seed,

      And lat us wyves hoten barly breed.

      And yet with barly breed, Mark telle kan,

      Our Lord refresshed many a man.” (Lines 142-146; p 275)

From the Tale:

      “’Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee

      as wel over hir housbond as hir love

      And for to been in maistrie hym above.

      This is youre mooste desir, thogh ye me kille.

      Dooth as yow list. I am at youre wille.’” (Lines 1038-1042; p 289)