Julia Sevco

Miss Skirtich
19 March 2018
English 12: World Literature

An Experienced Woman

A Medieval woman on a pilgrimage conjures up an image of a submissive, religious,

repentant lady not one filled with lechery and vile. Geoffrey Chaucer uses direct and indirect

characterization to reveal characters’ personalities and their particular vices or sins. As a result,

he criticizes the classes of Medieval England especially the stereotype of women. Geoffrey

Chaucer displays the Wife of Bath’s lechery and vile behavior in The Canterbury Tales by

illustrating her manipulation, lies, and pride.

Chaucer infuses vile behavior through the Wife of Bath’s manipulating ways. The Wife

of Bath named Alison uses sex to control her husbands. She seduces men using her body to meet

her needs. She states, “Why then take trouble to provide them pleasure unless to profit and

amuse my leisure?” (Chaucer 264) The Wife of Bath only performs her wifely duties when she

receives profit in return. Her immoral behavior represents the behavior of a prostitute. She teases

men and fails to satisfy them until they pay her. She employs control of property as a tool to gain

power in her relationships. Strong-willed and dominant, Alison gets what she wants when she

wants it through her controlling of men. The Wife of Bath dominates and manipulates her

husbands. She claims, “I have a husband yet who shall be both debtor and my slave” (Chaucer

264). The Wife of Bath expects financial obligation from her husbands. Selfishly filled with

sexual greed and immorality, Alison establishes supremacy over her various husbands treating

them as her slaves.

Additionally, Chaucer showcases vile behavior through the Wife of Bath’s lies. Skilled at

lying, the Wife of Bath practices dishonesty with her husbands. She says, “No one can be so
bold. I mean no man at lies and swearing as a woman” (Chaucer 262). The Wife of Bath proudly

claims her superiority over men at her immoral lying behavior. She displays her talent at lying.

In addition, she makes her husbands believe her lies. She states, “O lord, I wrecked their peace,

innocent as they were, without remorse” (Chaucer 268). She shows no regret in tricking her

husbands into believing her lies. She accuses her husbands of saying insulting things and

cheating to make them feel guilty so they succumb to her desires. Alison harasses her husbands

into believing they did things including cheating on her when drunk. In addition, she makes her

niece confirm her lies. She finds pleasure in the men confessing and apologizing for doing

nothing wrong. The Wife of Bath feels no guilt in deceiving her husbands.

Finally, Chaucer illustrates the Wife of Bath’s vile behavior through her pride, one of the

seven deadly sins. The Wife of Bath reveals her pride by dressing in a sexual manner, “Her hose

were of the finest scarlet red and gathered tight” (Chaucer 15). Tight clothing reveals her sexual

nature during a time when women act demure and submissive. Her clothing symbolizes that she

is not timid or shy and shows off her expertise as both a weaver and temptress. Filled with pride,

the Wife of Bath believes she knows more about marriage than God and the Bible. She states, “If

there were not authority on earth except experience mine” (Chaucer 258). Filled with pride, she

believes she knows more than God. She twists God’s Word to justify her promiscuity and many

marriages. She believes God made people to multiple. She portrays herself as more of an expert

than God on marriage and God’s intended purpose regarding marriage.

In conclusion, Chaucer infuses lechery and vile in The Canterbury Tales through the

Wife of Bath’s manipulative, lying, and prideful behavior. The Wife of Bath is a headstrong bold

woman of her time who revels in her sexual experience. She justifies her sins and disgraces the

institution of marriage and God’s intention for man and woman to become one in unity and
indissolubility. Some view her appalling behavior as the start of the feminist movement, but the

Wife of Bath’s motives were strictly selfish and prideful. The view and stereotype of women has

evolved since medieval times but the sins and vices Chaucer portrays still exist.