Abstract
This brief but concise paper points out the many factors which identify the Wife of Bath, Alisoun, as an anti-feminist, including her viewpoint on: Violence within marriage, honesty, equality of the sexes and feminine roles in society. The writer of this paper succeeds in disproving many critics opinions that the Wife of Bath was one of the first feminists in literature.

From the Paper
"Alisoun also describes a fight between her fifth husband, Jankin, and herself. They strike each other repeatedly, and she goes even so far as to push him back into the fire. Violence is by no means a true aspect of feminism; "she seems to see nothing wrong with the most horrible things that can be done to a woman, such as battery and rape." Furthermore, she shows absolute disrespect for her own body by engaging in domestic violence, and by treating herself and her sexuality as something that can be sold to the highest bidder, "be he short or tall, dark or fair; I didn't care."

Tags:alisoun, bath, canterbury, tales, chaucer, equality, feminism, geoffrey

Abstract
This comparison essay shows how the role of the woman is portrayed very differently in two stories from the same book of 14th century tales. The paper argues that within both stories the role of woman as a wife and the propagator of the human race is reinforced and presented as seemingly the sole respectable position for a woman. "The Wife of Bath" feels the position of women to be regrettable, however upon this she founds her conviction that women using men is only natural. "The Clerk" conversely argues that women above all must be loyal and also incredibly patient, but later refutes this, saying that no woman should allow herself to mistreated, and that they as well may pursue happiness.

From the Paper
"The Wife of Bath is an interesting character in the least, and at most a plain exhibit which presents the varying roles and positions of women during the time of their particular pilgrimage. She had been married four times prior to her most recent husband, who unfortunately had since passed on, leaving her a widow despite her moniker. The content and lessons put forth by the Wife of Bath as will be exhibited are conflicting in nature and contradictory quite often. However, regardless of the Wife of Bath's particular perceptions or rather stereotypes, the information presented within both her prologue and tale provide valuable insight into the role of women during the Middle Ages.

"As in her very name, one of the roles ascribed to women by the Wife of Bath is that of spouse or bride. The role of woman as wife and mother is the primary position which women occupy within the tale of the Wife, with the balance of power contained therein being what the Wife is seemingly most interested in and thus explores, as her perception of the position itself is not something she cares for. "If there were no authority on earth; Except experience, mine, for what it's worth... That marriage is a misery and a woe; For let me say, if I may make so bold... Five husband have I had at the church door." (Chaucer 258) The power within a relationship revolves very much around the relations of the body, the act of sex and the capacity to give and take it away."

Tags:women woman, the clerk, wife of bath, canterbury tales, female roles, middle ages, role of women

Abstract
In his work, "The Canterbury Tales", Geoffrey Chaucer describes a pilgrimage, or journey, taken by several very different individuals. One of these individuals is known as the Wife of Bath. A very intriguing woman, the Wife of Bath gives her fellow pilgrims a rather lengthy history of her life in the prologue to her obligatory tale. Yet, as she continues on, her tale is much more complex, and somewhat puzzling, based on her previous self-portrait. This paper discusses how Chaucer forces his readers to wonder which is a more accurate narration of her personality and how these two, the Prologue and Tale, fit together in the Wife of Bath's characterization.

From the Paper
"In the process of setting an example for others, the Wife of Bath is securing her sense of self worth. Although in her prologue she appears confident and bound to her opinions, in actuality she has been influenced by the perceptions of those around her and must reaffirm the significance of her experience. The society in which she lives has, to some extent, dictated the actions of her past. In her prologue, she says that there was no other conceivable reason, given the circumstances, for her to take these men as her husbands other than for her own ease and financial gain; she utilized the situation to her advantage while she had the ability, which is understood to be her youthfulness and vulnerability (WBP, 219-220)."

Tags:Ptolemy, knight

Abstract
This paper compares the "Wife of Bath'"s prologue to the tale told by the "Wife of Bath" in the "Canterbury Tales" and shows that it is clear that her words demonstrate an unfair treatment of wives by their men. In addition, the male characters in both aspects of her story show only a tendency for abuse and for violence unless they listen to their women and grant them respect.

Abstract
By analyzing the story "The Wife of Bath" by Geoffrey Chaucer in his "Canterbury Tales", this paper examines the Wife's views on the topic of sovereinitee (or dominance) in marriage as revealed in her Prologue, and analyzes how her opinions on the subject influence her Tale. It analyzes the Wife's identification with the old woman in her Tale, or rather, how the wife projects her own opinions and concerns on the character of the old woman and includes close readings of passages from the Tale. It also discusses how the Wife's construction of the old woman reveals the importance she places on female sexuality as a form of agency, as the main tool for gaining power, or sovereinitee, in marriage. Through the character of the old woman, the Wife reveals her fear of growing old and losing her most powerful weapon.

From the Paper
"In Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale focus on the power relations between husbands and wives, and on which party should have "sovereinetee," or dominion, over the other. The wife herself believes, not in equality between husbands and wives, but in a wife's control over her husband. She and Janekin struggle for this "sovereinetee" during their fight at the end of the Prologue. She justifies her belief by insisting that both husband and wife may only coexist in contentment and satisfaction if the wife achieves domination. Once the Wife wins complete control, she no longer needs to manipulate Janekin to gain power; her weapons of manipulation, primarily her sexuality, become pointless and she can give him whatever pleasure he desires. Her Tale is strongly biased by her own, often uninformed, opinions, and mirrors her views on the subject of marriage and "sovereinetee". The knight's wedding night with the old woman, in particular, mirrors the Wife's power struggle with Janekin, for the old woman in the Wife's Tale seems to represent an idealized version of the Wife herself. The old woman's ability to become young again serves as a scenario of wish-fulfillment on the part of the Wife, who has concerns about getting old since her sexuality comprises her main form of agency, serving as weapon for her to gain power in marriage. Without her looks, she is scared of losing power in the struggle for domination. She fully reveals this fear and the desire to remain young in her description of the old woman, who initially has no power over her husband since she cannot control him sexually, but also has the ability to return to youth and thus regain her power."

Tags:domination, submission, women, Janekin, knight

Abstract
This paper discusses and analyzes "The Wife of Bath's Tale" from Chaucer's "The Centerbury Tales", read by Jankin, the fifth husband of the Wife of Bath. This review shows how the reading by Jankin may have influenced her to be a feminist.

From the Paper
"Chaucer's 'Wife of Bath' has been characterized as a lusty realist beside whom only Falstaff and Sancho Panza are worthy to walk, a person who is no ordinary woman and who has gone through five husbands. (Chute) At issue in this report is the question of how this remarkable woman's fifth husband Jankin, a clerk recently come from Oxford and his tale. Against Jovinian influences the feminism experienced by the Wife of Bath, that she is a feminist is undoubted..."

Tags:Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, feminism, literature

Abstract
This paper explains that, in Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales", the Prologue and subsequent Tale of "The Wife of Bath" section make the most blatant use of a persona, or mask, in comparison to the other pilgrims' sections when The Wife presents herself as a feminist; however, she is actually an anti-feminist. The author points out that, before the Wife begins the story of her experiences with men, she inserts a disclaimer that gives more insight into her possible motives: She tells the pilgrims not to be annoyed at what she says because it is all according to her fantasy. The paper argues that the Wife is hiding behind a facade of feminism, which is the very persona that she presents through her personal experiences by using the textual authority and the undertones of her story to present her true feelings about women's subservience to men.

From the Paper
"After reading the Prologue and Tale, some could arrive at the aforementioned feminist conclusion. Unfortunately, they wouldn't be reading into the true heart of things if they did. In the Prologue, there is an excerpt that totally turns things around. The Wife makes quite an observation after she mentions the book of wicked wives; "Who peyntede the leon, tel me who? / By God, if wommen hadde writen stories, / As clerkes han withinne hire oratories, / They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse / Than al the mark of Adam may redresse" (III, ls. 692-695). She is referring to an old Aesop's Fable, in which a lion and a man come across a stone portrayal of a hunter killing a lion; the lion tells the man that if a lion would've portrayed the scene, it would be the other way around ("The Man and the Lion")."

Tags:prologue, persona, textual-authority, undertones, subservience

Abstract
An analysis of the three major attributes of Chaucer's Wife of Bath, as outlined in the Prologue and the Wife's Prologue. Thjese attributes are her sexual; lusts- five husbvands already and now looking for number six- and the Chjristian excuse for being married so often and having sex prior to marriage (beginning in her case, at age twelve). Sex, religion, and the third attribute- a master seamstress, as her fine clothing shows off

From the Paper
Chaucer's Wife of Bath It is interesting to note that in the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, we meet most of the travelers well before we come upon this Wife of Bath. Chaucer lets us know her "attributes" right away: She was deaf, she was sexually active but "respectable": "With five churched husbands bringing joy and strife, not counting other company in youth" ("Prologue" lines 462-30. She was obviously well off, in the description of her clothing, shoes, and hat. But, she was overweight, or as Chaucer kindly put it "buttocks large" ("Prologue" line 474). Yet, for some reason, in the list of travelers, Chaucer must have thought her less important than most

Tags:marriage, sex, christian marital beliefs

Abstract
The writer argues that the Clerk's Tale tells a story with the opposite view than that of the Wife of Bath's Tale. The paper tries to prove that the Clerk is commenting on the way in which a wife should behave towards her husband. The writer brings a passage from the tale to illustrate this theory.

From the Paper
"Petrarch's interpretation of the story, as adopted by Chaucer, is not so much an allegory as an exemplum. In an exemplary story, or a moralized tale, it is customary for the models of human behavior to be presented in extremely unrealistic terms. "Often highly artificial and to a modern reader incredible, these "examples" seem to have appealed very strongly to medieval congregations because of their concreteness and narrative and human interest, as well as their moral implications" (Holman and Harmon 192). In the case of the Clerk's Tale, Griselda's passivity in allowing her children to be, as she is led to believe, slain without a word of protest is, by any standards of genuine behavior, both preposterous and repugnant. However, the usual understanding of the exemplary mode of narrative screens out such irrelevant incidents, while allowing those elements in the story which contribute to its exemplary significance to be fully exploited."

Tags:marriage, poetry, religion, morality, allegory

Abstract
The paper examines the characters in "The Wife of Bath's Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer and the themes of deception and duality which are brought about by these characters. The paper shows how Chaucer uses images to accentuate the theme of duality such as the knight and hag, and the ease with which love becomes violence, youth becomes age, ugliness becomes beauty and wrong becomes right.

From the Paper
"The contrast between youth and age is the second instance of my thesis. he hag and the Wife are past their youth; the knight and Jankyn are young, virile and attractive. A common device of the Middle Ages is the memento mori, the remembrance of the inevitability of death. The skeleton confronts the revelers: "As I was, so ye are; as I am, so ye shall be." The hag becomes young and desirable, a transformation which could have been a two-edged sword; she now could be desired by others, and only through trust in her integrity will the knight be able to rest assured that she is his alone."

Tags:Jankyn, Loathly, Lady, memento, mori, Old, Bawd