The Importance of Gender in "Wife of Bath's Prologue"
The tale suits the teller in Wife of Bath’s Prologue ion several ways including her gender, sovereignty, and the middle ages when the story was written.
Gender as a Center of Conflict
In the “Wife of Bath’s Prologue,” it is rather apparent that gender is presented as a center of several conflicts and the teller is a woman who has lived through these experiences making her the best choice in the role. The story shows the position of the women in the society during the late middle ages. Most of the struggles in the book are so much between a woman and a man. To begin with, gender distinctions are peculiarly marked. By comparing the Wife of Bath with all the husbands she has had since she was twelve, it is rather apparent that Canterbury Chaucer skillfully brings into perspective the battle of the sexes and the fact that none of them wins. For instance, as men are portrayed to be economically empowered, women are rather intellectually empowered to get what they want by manipulating them and taking advantage of their desire for sex and status. Chaucer writes “The widowed wife is powerful and independent – until she gives her assets to Jankyn” (630), an implication of the change in the various forms of empowerment between the sexes. Gender plays a crucial role in the tale and is very effective being told by a woman.
The Issue of Independence
Chaucer’s uses the teller to underscore the issue of independence effectively. From the beginning of the story, it is clear that the autonomy of the female character forms a basis of the struggles that take place within the story and are strikingly presented by a woman augmenting persuasiveness with the audience. However, sovereignty in marriage is seen as a man’s domain. The story implies that a woman should not hold complete autonomy over the man in the story. However, the Wife is willing to do anything possible to win the supremacy in the marriage. The struggles and challenges faced by the teller as a woman serve to effectively meet the tale’s aim of portraying the theme of sovereignty well.
The Middle Ages and Society
Written in the late middle ages, “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue” was originally known as “The Tale of the Way of Bathe.” The text was written in Middle English with certain words of the Middle Age English found in the original copy. For instance, “’Is noghtthynhousbonde,’ thus seyde he certain” is a Middle English implication for “Is not thy husband,” thus he said certainly (Chaucer 20). The book’s setting in this period provides the teller adequate background to critique society including the use of allegorical confession from the time when she confesses her sins to the readers. Her action presents the view of the medieval church, which considered her wicked for her actions including marrying five husbands. She effectively portrays the male-dominated society that the tale is set.
Work Cited
Chaucer, Geoffrey, Nevill Coghill, and Charles Mozley. The Prologue / [and the Wife of Bath's Tale]. [Place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified], 1980.
