Women In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

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Recommended: Assess the character of the wife of Bath as portrayed by Chaucer in the prologue to the Canterbury tales

In medieval England, society’s roles were dominated by men and women were either kept at home or doing labor work. Among the most famous medieval English literature, “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer, lies ‘The Wife of Bath's Prologue’ and ‘The Wife of Bath's Tale.’ Within, Chaucer shares his perspective of the Wife of Bath, the Queen, and the Crone. Through the use of symbolism and diction, Chaucer aims to change society’s expectations of women.
Chaucer characterizes the women in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” as wise. The wife of bath expresses wisdom through her experience with marriage, she informs the other pilgrims that “when {she has} finished telling [her] tale/ of tribulation in the married life in which [she has] been an expert …show more content…

her wisdom is evident when she says “I dare to guarantee/ your life is safe; I shall make good my claim. Upon my life the queen will say the same. show me the very proudest of them all in costly cover chief or jeweled Caul./ That dare say no to what I have to teach. Let us go forward without further speech.” (190-196). Having lived a long time, the crone understands human nature well and is willing to guarantee that she has an accurate assessment of what women truly desire. Like the queen and wife of bath, the crone is characterized as wise in Chaucer’s ploy to emphasize women’s capabilities regardless of society’s conventions. At the trail the knight comes forward with his answer; to have sovereignty and control over their husbands. The queen agrees that he is correct and lets him go. The crone then requests that the knight marries her and she doesn’t take no for an answer so they got married. While in bed, the knight tells her how upset he is about having to marry such an ugly crone. The old lady doesn't take this to offense and gives him two options on the kind of wife the crone can be: beautiful and unfaithful, or ugly but loyal to her husband. The knight realizes he is no position to choose for her and lets the crone decide for herself and in result becomes

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