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Wife of Bath Revision
- Key Concepts
- Whereas Ford punishes the women for plotting in Tis Pity (Annabella,
Hippolita & Putana), Chaucer rewards the Wife for her plotting by
allowing her her 'sovreynaytee' at the end of the prologue.
- Ford demonstrates a more misogynistic text than Chaucer; which is ironic
considering Chaucer's text is older and set in a more misogynistic time period
- Knight's speech shows each stressed word having
significance: "FOUL and OLD" "Chese NOW". The imperatives
of "Chese" "Cheseth" show the lack of knight's choice
- Some critics believe that Chaucer put "as helpe me verray God
omnipotent" as the central line of both the Wife's and the Pardoner's
prologue to show their differing views. Pardoner uses it to remind the
pilgrims that God is watching and the WoB uses it as a throwaway line.
e.g. "Oh for Gods sake". Swearing such as "Oh Jesus Christ" was believed
to be directly inflicting pain on Jesus, thus making the WoB's throwaway
line blasphemous and also physically injuring Jesus
- Whereas Ford punishes the women for plotting in Tis Pity (Annabella,
Hippolita & Putana), Chaucer rewards the Wife for her plotting by
allowing her her 'sovreynaytee' at the end of the prologue.
- Key Quotes
- "Experience, though
no'on auctoritee"
- "God bad for us to
wexe and mutiplye"
- "As helpe me verray God omnipotent"
- "But she was somdel deef"
- Morally / Spiritually
- Links to Giovanni's moral / spiritual blindness
- Suggests ignorance
- Suggests ignorance
- Links to Giovanni's moral / spiritual blindness
- Morally / Spiritually
- "I have the power duringe al my lyf"
- "Myn entente is nat but for to pleye"
- "And al was fals"
- Links to theme of deception
- Links to theme of deception
- "For gentilesse cometh fro God allone"
- "I know wel of wanderinge by the weye"
- "Experience, though
no'on auctoritee"
- Critic Quotes
- "All of her disguises can be removed only
to reveal another disguise" - Thomas Van
- "The Wife of Bath's rebellion against masculine authority is
a subconscious response to the frustration of her biological
instinct to conceive and bear children" - F.M. Salter
- "The Wife of Bath is a character who at certain predictable
times puts on an equally predictable mask" - Gloria K.
Shapiro
- "All of her disguises can be removed only
to reveal another disguise" - Thomas Van
- Alternative productions
- Famous Animated Tale
- Famous animated tale shows a Yellow flower held by the rape
victim (Tale). As the Knight is excused of his sins the flower dies,
however when he is punished into marrying the old hag; it
comes to life. This therefore represents the concept of justice.
- When the Knight is frantically trying to find the
answer to "What do all women want?" Only men
reply, they all have differing answers. Shows the
difference between men and women and the lack
of understanding women perceive men to have
- The old hag turns into a beautiful woman, however once
they've consummated their marriage - she turns back into
an old hag. This is whilst the Knight's eyes are shut and
thus would increase the punishment. Feminists prefer this
ending for many believe that the Knight is rewarded for
his sins by the transformation into a beautiful woman
- Famous animated tale shows a Yellow flower held by the rape
victim (Tale). As the Knight is excused of his sins the flower dies,
however when he is punished into marrying the old hag; it
comes to life. This therefore represents the concept of justice.
- Famous Animated Tale
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