Wife Of Bath: Negative Stereotypes Of Women During The Medieval Period
Dashawn Putman
English
September 29, 2014
Essay #1
During the Medieval Period, women just like the Wife of Bath in Chauncer’s readings were expected to act inferior to their male counterpart. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue can definitely be interpreted as an ironic illustration of this literature. I think this is an ironic illustration of this literature because the Wife of Bath represents the negative stereotypes of women in the medieval period being irrational, material, and earthly that she sought to critique. The Wife of Bath felt that exceptions should be made on certain things that males could do that women weren’t allowed to. Many people criticized the Wife of Bath for wedding 5 different husbands and compared her to the way God lived his life: “But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is, That sith that Crist ne wente nevere …show more content…
There should be no one inferior or superior in a relationship, everything should be equal. Since The Wife has already wedded 5 times, there is no one to govern her ways because in her opinion she’s a professional wife: “Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, is right ynogh for me To speke of wo that is in mariage; For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age, Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve, Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve -“ (1-6)
This quote just goes to reassure how even though The Wife had no authority, she assumed that her life experience would suffice. The amount of life experience she had was her justification for defending her rights and those of other women. By the end of the Prologue we see another side of The Wife, instead of fulfilling a combination negative stereotypes she actually seemingly has feelings. All the Wife of Bath seeks to accomplish during her whole prologue is equality for
English
September 29, 2014
Essay #1
During the Medieval Period, women just like the Wife of Bath in Chauncer’s readings were expected to act inferior to their male counterpart. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue can definitely be interpreted as an ironic illustration of this literature. I think this is an ironic illustration of this literature because the Wife of Bath represents the negative stereotypes of women in the medieval period being irrational, material, and earthly that she sought to critique. The Wife of Bath felt that exceptions should be made on certain things that males could do that women weren’t allowed to. Many people criticized the Wife of Bath for wedding 5 different husbands and compared her to the way God lived his life: “But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is, That sith that Crist ne wente nevere …show more content…
There should be no one inferior or superior in a relationship, everything should be equal. Since The Wife has already wedded 5 times, there is no one to govern her ways because in her opinion she’s a professional wife: “Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, is right ynogh for me To speke of wo that is in mariage; For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age, Thonked be God that is eterne on lyve, Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve -“ (1-6)
This quote just goes to reassure how even though The Wife had no authority, she assumed that her life experience would suffice. The amount of life experience she had was her justification for defending her rights and those of other women. By the end of the Prologue we see another side of The Wife, instead of fulfilling a combination negative stereotypes she actually seemingly has feelings. All the Wife of Bath seeks to accomplish during her whole prologue is equality for