When and Where
When Written: End of the 14th century
Where Written: London, England
Genre, Setting
Literary Period: Medieval
Genre: Estate satire
Setting: The road to Canterbury, England
Chaucer is describing characters from each of the three medieval estates (church, nobility, and peasantry) with various levels of mockery.
The frame story is a religio
Climax
No climax: each Tale has its own climax, but the Tales as a whole are unfinished, and though they are interconnected in terms of characters and themes, there is not a single plot thread that develops throughout.
Point of View
Many different characters tell their tales, but the whole frame narrative is told through the eyes of Chaucer the pilgrim. It's also important to keep in mind that the Tales are unfinished. Each pilgrim is supposed to get two tales--one for the road to Ca
Themes
Social Satire
Competition
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire
Friendship and Company
Church Corruption
Writing and Authorship
Social Satire Theme
Medieval society was divided into three estates: the Church (those who prayed), the Nobility (those who fought), and the Peasantry (those who worked).
By the late fourteenth century, the rigid organization of these three estates had begun to break down. A
Competition Theme
The premise of The Canterbury Tales is a tale-telling competition between pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. In the General Prologue, the Host introduces the structure: each pilgrim will tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two on the way home. M
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme
Courtly love is the medieval concept of expressing admiration and love in a noble, chivalrous fashion. This type of love exists outside marriage: true courtly love exists on a spiritual, idealized level, and does not need to be physically consummated (sex
Friendship and Company Theme
Friendship can be seen on two scales throughout the Tales: the brotherly connection between two men, and the ties that exist among members of a company.
Church Corruption Theme:
The frame narrative of the Tales itself is religious: everybody is on pilgrimage to Canterbury. But these are not necessarily the most religious pilgrims in the world: for many of the travelers, that the pilgrimage is a tourist expedition rather than a de
Writing and Authorship Theme
In this tale-telling competition, the pilgrims are very interested in what makes for good and bad literature. Are the best tales the ones that give the best moral lessons, or the ones that provide the most entertainment for the company?
The pilgrims have
The Wife of Bath
Character Analysis
The Wife of Bath comes from the town of Bath, which is on the Avon River. She is a seamstress by trade but a professional wife by occupation: she has been married five times and presents herself as the world's expert in matters of marriage and the relatio
Springtime
Symbol Analysis
The pilgrimage begins in April, when all of nature is starting to flower and people are experiencing reawakening of both religious and sexual zeal. Springtime appears as a symbol of both courtly and erotic love throughout many of the Tales.
Clothing and Appearance
Symbol Analysis
What the pilgrims wear is often a very important sign of their characters. Outward appearance indicates who one is in medieval society.
he red clothing that the Wife of Bath wears signifies her lusty nature. An overemphasis on clothes and physical appeara
Literary Allusions
Symbol Analysis
Many characters use literary allusions from the Bible and classical mythology. The pilgrims use literary allusions to make themselves seem more authoritative as tale-tellers.
example-
...to the woman at the well with five husbands. Instead, the Wife of Ba
Prologue Summary
The Wife of Bath announces that she is an authority on marriage because of her experience, having had five husbands. She does not follow Jesus's example of only marrying once, nor does she heed his reproach to the woman at the well with f
Analysis
The Wife of Bath claims authority for her tale from her own experience. She interprets Scripture her own way, reading against the grain to find different meanings in the text than the generally accepted ones. Some literary scholars argue that Cha
The Wife of Bath's Prologue Introduction
The Wife of Bath's long prologue is in the form of a literary confession, or a monologue in which a character freely talks about his or her faults and virtues. The Wife of Bath says that her authority to tell her tale comes from experience: since she has
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath challenges anyone to prove that God commanded virginity: though it is great for some people, she says, it's not for her. God made sexual organs, she claims, for both function and for pleasure, and she does not envy
Analysis
The Wife of Bath is unabashedly lustful and physical. Her Prologue takes the form of a literary confession, in which she openly admits and defends her sins.
Prologue Summary cont.
The Pardoner interrupts, worried because he is about to be married. The Wife of Bath tells him to shut up and have another drink: when she, the expert in marriage, has told him her tale, he will be able to make his own decision abou
Analysis
In the General Prologue, Chaucer describes the Pardoner as feminine and anxious, which makes sense with his nervousness about being wed to a woman much stronger than himself.
Prologue Summary cont.
Of her five husbands, the Wife of Bath says, three were good and two were bad. The first three were good because they were rich, old, and obedient to her every whim. Once they had given her their money and land, she no longer had an
Analysis
Women in medieval society could only gain power and money through their husbands. The Wife of Bath both goes against and conforms to stereotypes: though she takes power over her husbands, she also admits to marrying solely for money.
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath tells all the wives to listen to her carefully: Always, she says, be mistress in your own household, for women are twice as good as men at lying and cheating. The Wife of Bath recounts how she used to accuse her hus
Analysis
Though men may have all the tangible power in society, women are better at lying and deceiving than men are: though a man may be the head of the household, the woman, according to the Wife of Bath, is the neck, turning him wherever she likes.
Prologue Summary cont.
For example, says the Wife of Bath, in such a rant, she would ask why the neighbor's wife looks so pleased with herself. Some men, she claims, only want women for their looks, some for their money, some for their figure, some for th
Analysis:
The Wife of Bath gives a typical rant that she might launch into against one of her husband. She gives a long list of what men want in a woman, which foreshadows the long list of answers to the question of what women want that the knight in her
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath rants against the old proverb that women only show their vices after they are married. She also argues against the complaint that the husband is expected to flatter and praise his wife in public. It's also ridiculou
Analysis
It is useless, says the Wife of Bath, to try and keep jealous tabs on a wife's activities: either she will love her husband and be faithful, or she will find some way to cuckold him behind his back. Husbands, she argues, must trust their wives. A
Prologue Summary cont.
The wise astrologer Ptolemy, says the Wife of Bath, knew best: Ptolemy advises men to mind their own business. What good is it to spy on her? If she will stay, she will stay; if she will stray, she will stray
Analysis
Not only does the Wife of Bath re-interpret the Bible, she also finds her own textual authorities who agree with her ideas about morality.
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath boasts that through her sexual and verbal powers, she kept control over her five husbands. If they ever accused her of anything, she would call them drunk, and she could make them admit to crimes they never committe
Analysis
The Wife of Bath uses both the power of her physical presence and her verbal skills to make her husbands submit to her will.
Prologue Summary cont.
Women, says the Wife of Bath, are born with the tricks of deceiving, weeping, and spying. She also claims that everything in the world is for sale and that she has endured the lovemaking of old husbands to satisfy her purse, even th
Analysis
Again, the Wife of Bath reiterates how women can take control within their households even though men have all the power in medieval society.
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath tells about her fourth husband, who took a mistress. Back in those days, the Wife of Bath was still a young, lusty maid, and she was so angry that she decided to give the husband a taste of his own medicine and made
Analysis
The Wife of Bath ascribes to Hammurabi's code of an eye for an eye: if her husband makes her jealous, she will make him jealous in return.
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath took her fifth husband, a clerk named Jankyn, not for his money but for his looks and charms. Jankyn boarded at the house of a friend whom the Wife of Bath gossiped with. The Wife of Bath wears her special red robes
Analysis
As the Wife of Bath tells the story of her fifth husband, she loses her place several times, growing lost in reverie as she reacts to her own story. Rather than just a silly, pompous character who brags about her sexual exploits, the Wife of Bath
Prologue Summary cont.
The Wife of Bath is upset to learn about Jankyn's book of wicked wives that he spends his time studying. She tears a leaf out of the book. The book, called "Valerie and Theofraste," contains tales of all the unfaithful women of hist
Analysis
The Wife of Bath's hatred of Jankyn's terrible book is another reminder of the importance of the written word and text to Chaucer. The Canterbury Tales are explicitly written to be read, even though the pilgrims tell the stories to each other ora
Prologue Summary cont.
Out of frustration, the Wife of Bath tears three leaves out of the book and punches Jankyn in the face. Jankyn retaliates by smacking her on the head, which causes her to become deaf in one ear. She pretends to be dead so that he wi
Analysis
The Wife of Bath's violence against the book itself is the equivalent of punching Jankyn in the face: books in medieval society were rare and precious, and even though Jankyn's book is objectionable, it is still a treasure.
Prologue Summary cont.
The Friar interrupts the Wife of Bath's prologue to complain about its length. He and the Summoner begin to quarrel. The Friar starts to tell a nasty tale about summoners, but the Host steps in and lets the Wife of Bath tell her tal
Analysis
The interruption of the Friar and Summoner remind the reader that this is a frame narrative, and the other pilgrims are always present in every tale.
The Wife of Bath's Tale Introduction
The Wife of Bath sets her Tale during the days of King Arthur, when fairies, not friars, roamed England. A young, lusty knight rapes a maid, but instead of having his head chopped off, the queen gives him the chance to save his life if he can find out wha
Tale Summary
In the days of King Arthur, Britain was filled with fairies and elves, unlike now, when lecherous friars roam around the land. Although the friars rape women, just as incubi used to do in the days of fairies, women only lose their dishonor: t
Analysis
Even though the Wife of Bath sets her fable in the romantic realm of Arthurian legend, she takes the opportunity to retaliate against the Friar, who has just rudely interrupted her.
Tale Summary Cont
A lusty young knight in Arthur's court is riding through the forest when he spies a beautiful maid. Overcome with desire, he rapes her. The court is outraged, and according to law, the knight should be beheaded. But the queen and her lad
Analysis
In the context of the tale, King Arthur is a wise king because he bows to his wife's counsel, practicing mercy at her decree rather than overruling her. The knight gets the opportunity to learn from his mistakes and to become more humble through
Tale Summary Cont
The knight sets forth sorrowfully through the countryside and asks the question of every woman he meets. Everyone answers differently. Some say riches; some say honor; some, jolliness; lust; clothes; etc. Some say that women want to be f
Analysis
Though the knight seeks his answer far and wide, women don't come to consensus. The only shortcoming that women have according to the Wife of Bath--that is, their inability to keep secrets--is the only thing that can save the young knight. Althou
Tale Summary Cont
The day comes when the knight must return to court. As he is riding past the forest, he sees a group of women dancing and decides to ask them his question. But before he can come close, the dancers vanish, and only an ugly old woman rema
Analysis
The disappearing dancers signify the presence of magic in the area. The ugly but wise old hag is a stock character in Arthurian legends: although she appears to be a doddering old fool, she is actually a powerful witch. The knight, who has thus f
Tale Summary Cont
The knight and the old woman go to court, where a large audience of the queen and her maids is assembled, waiting to hear the knight's answer. He tells them that women desire sovereignty over their husbands and lovers. The women in the a
Analysis
The women gathered in assembly to hear the knight are reminiscent of the townspeople who gather in the Knight's Tale to watch Palamon and Arcite duel. Though no women agreed throughout the knight's yearlong journey, all the woman concede that he
Tale Summary Cont
At that moment, the old woman comes forward and demands that the knight marry her. The knight recoils in horror, begging her to take his possessions instead of his body, but the old woman insists, and he is forced to wed and bed her, and
Analysis
Even though the knight begs to get out of his contract to marry the ugly old woman, everybody involved or witnessing--the old hag, the queen, even the knight himself--know that the knight is bound by his promise.
Tale Summary Cont
While they are in bed, the old woman asks the knight why he is so despondent, and the knight replies that he is repulsed by her "loothly" and "oold" appearance. The old woman reminds him that true gentleness and character are on the insi
Analysis
The old woman is not ashamed of her ugliness, nor is she angry at the knight's superficiality. She takes it for granted that he would be unhappy with an ugly woman, but reminds him that beauty is on the inside.
Tale Summary Cont
The old woman gives the knight a choice. She can remain ugly but faithful and virtuous; or she can be beautiful, but he must take his chances that she may stray and cuckold him. The knight thinks for a while, then says that the choice is
Analysis
It is unclear whether or not the knight genuinely, deep in his heart, wants to give the old woman the choice or whether he recognizes her question as a riddle and gives her the answer she wants to hear. Perhaps it doesn't matter, as he does give
Tale Summary Cont
Since the knight gives her the authority to choose for herself, the old woman says that she will be both beautiful and true. She tells him to kiss her, and when he does so, she transforms into a young woman, and they live happily ever af
Analysis
The Wife of Bath's tale of the loathly lady who turns into a beautiful maid is a very common plot. However, the Wife of Bath's twist is that at the end of the day, women must have sovereignty over their husbands, and that a woman's faithfulness i