In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury tales, twenty-nine pilgrims travel to Canterbury to visit the shrine of St. Thomas Beckett. In the Tales, the Wife of Bath is symbolic of all women who want equal rights in a society where women were not seen as equals. Although, the Wife of Bath has had five husbands she is an independent woman, she is also well traveled and wealthy.
In her experiences with her husbands, she learned to provide for herself in a world where women had little independence and power. By making cloth she was able to become wealthy. “ In making cloth she showed so great a bent/ She bettered those of Ypres and of Ghent” (457-458). She provided for herself and did not rely on anyone. She proved that by traveling alone to sell her cloth so she could make a living without a husband.
Because she has been on many pilgrimages, her journey to Canterbury is probably nothing to her. “She’d been to Rome and also to Boulogne/ St. James of Compastella and Cologne” (375-376). Although her trip to Canterbury was notable, it was not the most remarkable place she had traveled.
As a result of being independent and well traveled, the Wife of Bath becomes very wealthy. Her wealthiness is displayed by what she wears, makes, and where she has traveled. “Her hose were of the fines scarlet real and gartered tight; her shoes were soft and new”. She only wears the finest clothes and they are all brand new.
In conclusion, the Wife of Bath is a very significant character in The Canterbury Tales; she portrays an independent, well-traveled, wealthy woman who wanted it all in a time where it was practically impossible for a woman. She was able to supply herself with everything she needed, go far and wide, and become rich. The Wife is respected for getting people to consider granting women equal rights and proving that it is possible to be successful woman.
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