Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath\'s Prologue

Wife of Bath's Prologue, by Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the first pieces of literature that introduces us to a smart, intelligent, and independent woman. One of the most important aspects of the wife's character is her sexuality. In a day when women were not prone to speak out about their sexuality, the wife does and not only that, she brags about how much she enjoys sex. The wife is not afraid of her sexuality and she wants everyone in her presence to know this about her. She is a shrewd businesswoman and men do not intimidate her. With the Wife of Bath, Chaucer creates a character that resists the patriarchal domination of the day and motivates other women to do likewise.

Chaucer establishes the wife's character early in the prologue to give readers a hint of her strength as a character. When readers reach lines 45 through 78, they have very little question that they are dealing with a fierce and assertive woman. This portion of the text allows readers a glimpse into the wife's past and gives them a sense of what kind of woman she is. This passage begins with the wife stating she has been married five times and she is looking forward to her next husband. Marriage is important to the wife of Bath primarily because it allows her to have as much sex as she wants. She states she does want to abstain from sex for very long while she is waiting for her next husband. She is looking for him and when she finds him, she will welcome him whole-heartedly. She states, "Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal. For sothe I wol nat kepe me chaast in al" (51-2). She defends her position on this matter by Quoting St. Paul, who declared women are free to marry if their husbands die. This tells us that the wife is intelligent to think for herself. She will not let anyone make her feel inferior because she has wed so many times and she certainly won't let them make her feel bad for wanting to marry again when the Bible clearly states it is fine for her to do so. She even tells readers how Paul says marriage is better than "to brynne" (58). She dismisses people who gossip about being married more than once, mentioning the fact that Abraham, Lamech and Jacob were holy and married more than once. Here we see the wife was smart enough to debate this topic with anyone brave enough to engage her. She goes one step further, defending the act of sex by saying, "For hadde God comanded maydenhede, / Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede" (75-6). In other words, if God had been against sex, he would declare marriage a sin. Furthermore, without sex, there would be no way to procreate, making more virgins. The wife's argument is sound and, coming from a woman, is aggressive.

This aggression leaves very little to the imagination. Chaucer speaks out against oppression with this woman and it is safe to assume the wife was one of the first feminists. The Wife of Bath is confident enough to know her experience accounts for something and she hints at nothing. She is blunt with her rant on femininity, power, sex and relationships in general. She might live in a time when women are oppressed but she refuses to let anyone tell her how to think, especially when it comes to matters of her own body and desires. She was certainly no stranger to expressing herself and eager to let others know what she thinks. Those around her can take her opinion for what it is worth but they will not go without knowing what that opinion is.

The Prologue's style is unique, which is clearly intentional, as to correspond with the wife's character. The poetic style of the poem is complex but it is written with iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets. It is interesting to see such a topic as sex written in Olde English in a structured style. In today's world, this contrast is lovely because it only enhances what Chaucer attempts to do. He places a modern, sexual woman in the midst of a society that still sees the woman as the weaker sex that should probably remain quiet most of the time. However, quiet is the last thing this woman will be and, while she is crude and blunt, we love her because she speaks her mind.