2. MY PROPOSAL
I PROPOSE TO DO MY FINAL ASSIGNMENT ON THE CHALLENGING OF GENDER ROLES THAT IS CONTINUOUSLY SHOWN
THROUGHOUT THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE. I WILL COMPARE WHAT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THIS ERA
VERSUS THE STRONG, OUTSPOKEN POINTS OF VIEW DISPLAYED BY THE WIFE OF BATH. CHAUCER TESTS HIS
AUDIENCE BY REVELING IN THE CHARACTER, THE WIFE OF BATH, EXPANDING THEIR LIMITS ON WHAT THEY VIEW AS
ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR BY A WOMAN AND ENCOURAGING OPEN-MINDEDNESS AND EQUALITY WITH THE SEXES.
I SHALL DO THIS BY:
•
•
•
•
•
•
PROVIDING MY AUDIENCE WITH A GENERAL OVERVIEW/SUMMARY OF THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE.
GIVE A BRIEF BACKGROUND ON CHAUCER’S HISTORY OF WHO HE GREW UP AND WHOM HE SOCIALIZED WITH.
SPECIFY CULTURAL ACCEPTED NORMS FOR WOMEN OF THE PERIOD, TO INCLUDE SEXUAL INEQUALITY.
PROVIDE DETAILS OF HOW THE WIFE OF BATH REFUTES THESE CHRISTIAN PIOUSNESS IDEALS.
CONCLUDE COMPARISONS AND ANALYSIS
SHOW “WORKS CITED” PAGE

3. OVERVIEW OF THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE
• HAS BEEN MARRIED FIVE TIMES AND VIEWS HERSELF AS AN EXPERT ON
MARRIAGE.
• HAS HER OWN OPINIONS ON THE MEANING OF THE BIBLE
• VIVIDLY DESCRIBES TO HER COMPANIONS HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER
HUBANDS
• BLAHB LAHB ALBHA BH

4. Melissa Haner
Professor Bellamy
ENGL 309
18 October 2013
Chaucer’s Challenge of Gender Roles
Chaucer through his artistic contribution of The Wife of Bath gives us a brilliant example of a woman whom tradition, religion and society
could not force into the mold of medieval societal expectations. She was determined to be seen, to be heard and to live her life according to
her interpretation of the Bible. While many people try to analyze her behavior and choices through a feministic point of view, the feminine
movement as we know it was not present in the 13th century therefore she was a stand-alone character; one quintessential to exposing the
bigotry and sexism that was deemed an acceptable way of life for the majority of women in many medieval societies. While class and vocation
had much to do with what was expected for and from a woman, for the most part subservience, piety and domesticity was the norm. Philip of
Novare urged that women not be taught to read and write, since this knowledge would expose them to sin, especially illicit communications
with lovers. He recommended instead that girls be kept busy with weaving and spinning so that they would not be idle (Stoertz 28).

5. In creating the Wife of Bath, Chaucer drew upon a centuries-old tradition of misogynist writing that was particularly nurtured by the medieval
church. In their conviction that the rational, intellectual, spiritual, and, therefore, higher side of human nature predominated in men, whereas the
irrational, material, earthly, and, therefore, lower side of human nature predominated in women, St. Paul and the early Church fathers exalted celibacy and
virginity above marriage, although they were also obliged to concede the necessity and sanctimony of marriage (Greenblatt 282). The Wife most
definitely did not accept this view of women; she wanted her views and experiences to be heard, and she was going to tell anyone predisposed to
listening…“she herself is a creation of speech, and speech – its perpetual use and frequent abuse – is a very dominant element in her life” (Storm 307).
The acquiescence of women can be found in multiple texts, quite plainly describing the patriarchal society’s views of women, their roles and the
lack of importance of their feelings and/or opinions. As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not
allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it
is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church (The Holy Bible, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35).
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves they should
marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion (The Holy Bible 1 Corinthians 7 8:9). The Wife construed multiple texts and lessons in the Bible
to benefit herself; she did not take them as such black and white messages. She married all the men she slept with, understood her passions and needs and
effectively directed them towards relationships that she deemed beneficial. Alison makes much of the fact that her husbands were much older than
she, and she refers pointedly to the resulting effects on the marital relationship when she speaks of her husbands who can only with difficulty “the statue
holde” (198) and pay the marital debt (Storm 306).