Topic : The Wife of Bath’s Tale

Main text

You can read The Wife of Bath's Tale's main text and modern English translation below, side-by-side.   The Wife of Bath's Prologue The Prologe of the Wyves Tale of Bathe   1       "Experience, though noon auctoritee "Experience, though no written authority 2       Were in this world, is right ynogh for me Were in this world, is good enough for me 3       To speke of wo that is in mariage; To speak of the woe that is in marriage; 4       For, lordynges, sith I twelve yeer was of age, For, gentlemen, since I [...]

Key info

• Poet: Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 - 1400)
• Title of the Poet: Father of English Literature, Father of English Poetry, Father of English Language, Grandfather of the English Novel
• Written Date: Between 1387 and 1400...

Summary

The Wife of Bath

Before sharing her story, the Wife of Bath talks about her personal life. She has been married five times and defends her choices by saying God wanted humans to multiply and even King Solomon had many wives. She rejects the idea that virginity is superior. She argues that if no women had children, there would be no virgins. She believes God gave her gifts, like her sexuality...

Themes

Power and Sovereignty in Relationships

A central theme of the tale is the struggle for power within relationships. The Wife of Bath, in both her prologue and tale, argues that women desire sovereignty over their husbands and lovers. This idea is...