The Wife of Bath Criticism

The Wife is presented as a 'carnal monster'

The Wife is an 'incurable romantic'

Which historical critic has seen the Wife of Bath as an allegory (symbolic story) about the turbulent historical situation in which Richard II is being called upon to rule over his people like a good husband?

Which type of critic would argue that the fourteenth century was undergoing economic change as they moved towards capitalism and the Wife as result views everything in terms of business?

Who argues that the Wife is a wholly sympathetic figure?

Who argues that the Wife may have even murdered her fourth husband?

Who argues that there are many connections between the Wife and her Tale, with her yearning for her lost youth in the transformation of the hag?

Which critic argues that the Wife is a man's creation and Chaucer is therefore reinforcing anti-feminist views rather than undermining them?

Which critic insists that Chaucer is on the side of women and that the Prologue and Tale undercut the anti-feminism? Chaucer therefore challenges the dominant ideology of the 14th century in its attitudes to women