The Wyfe Of Bath And Feminism Essay

, Research Paper

The Wyfe of Bath represents woman as a jolly, healthy, rounded

personage. She is a sort of Dr. Ruth, in that she knows love’s troubles and is

willing to help out troubled souls. The Wyfe of Bath is the Nun’s foil, in that

she knows what she is and doesn’t try to cover up and repress her

sexuality. She “lets it all hang out” and revels in her sexuality.

Chaucer uses the Wyfe of Bath to contradict the dehumanizing view of

the women of his time. Women used to be put on a pedestal and

admired, they were not to be touched and not to be soiled in any way. If

women were virgins their whole lives they were admired, exalted,

canonized and worshipped. Women would become martyrs for the

protection of their “honor.” Odes were made in the name of women, and

Courtly Love was the new fad. In Courtly Love, a man would sing, write,

and do everything in the name of a woman (preferably a married one)

except bed her. One was NEVER to bed the woman one loved, mistresses

fulfilled that purpose. I have no idea how women felt about this, but it’s

possible they were not at all pleased; who in their right mind would enjoy

not getting to sleep with a handsome man who loved you? And they say

women are a tease.

The Wyfe of Bath, on the other hand, is not repressing anything. She is

not dowdy, beautiful, priggish, prudish, or anyone’s servant. She makes no

effort at hiding her sexual past, especially with men half her age, in fact

she talks about it at length. She loves tumbles in the hay, and has been

married five times- while actively looking for the sixth. She claims to have

loved three of her husbands but explained for pages how she would tell

the husbands she hated how bad they were. She was definitely the

dominant wife. She pretended to be dead so her fifth husband would feel

bad and do as she willed. The Wyfe of Bath knew what she wanted, how

to get it, and often she did.

Physically, the Wyfe of Bath was a healthy, large woman. Her scarlet

stockings seem to show she is sensual, and maybe a bit of a rebel. Red

socks would definitely stick out in a company of nuns and priests. Her

broad hat and wimple prove that she does know how to dress and is no

floozy in public, unlike Madame Eglantyne who strategically places her

veil to make her look better. She has a handsome red face and is gap-

toothed- traditionally thought of as meaning she has a good sexual

appetite. She also has large hips- good for bearing children and carrying