The Wife of Bath’s Tale - Poem Summary

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is among the most iconic poems in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Written between 1387 and 1400, The Canterbury Tales is comprised of 24 tales narrated as part of a storytelling contest between a group of pilgrims traveling from London to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint à Thomas Becket.

“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is widely recognized as a protofeminist work since the story explores the double standard applied to women in Chaucer’s era. In medieval England, women were afforded limited agency with constraints on their gender roles and identities. Whatever little power men allowed them to possess was attributed to their social rank and marital status. Therefore, The Wife of Bath is one of Chaucer’s most developed and outspoken characters, with her descriptive and unconventional prologue weighing in at double the length of those of her fellow pilgrims.

The Wife of Bath begins the prologue to her tale by making a case for the importance of life experience for women. Having married five times herself, she argues that the Bible does not prohibit women from marrying more than once, as Abraham and Solomon did. Instead, she says, the Bible orders people to “go forth and multiply,” which she interprets as license to use her body however she chooses.

Soon, the Pardoner, a shameless seller of Catholic pardons for sins, interrupts. He claims that he was about to take a wife, but that the Wife of Bath has put him off of the idea. The Wife of Bath advises him to listen carefully to her tale before forming an opinion on the matter.

The Wife of Bath goes on to describe her five husbands, three of whom she characterizes as “good.” However, she defines “good” as rich, old, and submissive and goes on to detail the various ways in which she manipulated these men for money. Her tactics included withholding intimacy, nagging at them, and accusing them of infidelity. This last ploy is especially hypocritical, since she admits to having been adulterous herself.

In contrast, the Wife of Bath describes the following two husbands as “bad.” Her fourth spouse was a drunk who kept a mistress, while her fifth husband, Jankin, was kind to her in the bedroom but beat her viciously. Jankin was half the Wife’s age yet often read to her from a book of “wicked wives,” a volume of antifeminist literature that she forced him to burn after a particularly violent fight. Once he had submitted to her in this way, Jankin and the Wife of Bath enjoyed a perfectly happy marriage.

At this point, the Friar, a corrupt clergyman, mocks the Wife of Bath for her long-windedness. But the Summoner, another hypocritical religious figure, tells the friar to sit down, remarking that friars are notorious for their long stories. The friar retorts that, when his turn comes, he will seek his revenge by telling a farcical tale about a summoner.

Finally, the Wife of Bath arrives at her tale, which is set in the time of King Arthur. While riding home from a hawking expedition, one of the king’s knights happens upon a maiden walking alone. He violates her, a crime punishable by death at the time. But when he appears before the king, the queen intervenes, promising to spare the knight’s life if he can answer one question: “what do women most desire?”

Given one year to answer this query, the knight journeys far and wide, asking the question of everyone he encounters, but no two people give the same answer. Whereas, some say wealth, others say status, freedom, or good lovers. A year passes, and the knight journeys back home to appear before the queen. But on his way, he encounters a group of 24 maidens dancing in the forest.

He approaches the women, but they suddenly disappear, leaving only an ugly old woman. She agrees to provide the correct answer to the queen’s question, but on the condition that he do whatever she asks. He agrees, and she whispers the answer into his ear.

When they arrive at court, the knight relays the old woman’s answer to the queen: that women desire sovereignty over their husbands most of all. The queen agrees, pardoning him, but the knight is loathe to follow through with his promise when the old woman announces that he must now take her as his wife. Left with no way out of his promise, the knight marries the old crone.

Lying in bed together after the wedding, the old woman notes the knight’s unhappiness and gives him a choice: would he rather have an old, ugly wife who is entirely faithful to him or a young, fair wife who cuckolds him. The knight thinks hard but cannot arrive at an answer and finally tells the woman to choose whichever option she thinks would bring the most honor.

[cecily]

she is a legend, an icon, and she is the moment

[Noumanielts]

Really helpful to watch before the exam
Thanks ❤❤

[Kakao-qm]

It's a feminist standpoint - in many ways.
First, she is determined to make men change their opinions.
And in the way that she is honest and tells her truth - from having been married off at age twelve which honestly is sexual abuse against her will - to a much older man.
But she refuses to play the victim card. She is still self-confident even though she was physically abused by her fifth husband and had to sell her body to three older wealthy men in marriage...
But she was indirectly forced to learn her LESSON when she was SUDDENLY older and wealthy and her last two men married her obviously for MONEY. Still after becoming the victim of domestic abuse by her fifth husband she reacts in a way that leaves her in a positive position even though she was deaf in one ear after the incident...
She is determined to marry a sixth time and that's why she is on that pilgrimage!!!
In the end it's not only naive to expect her to be of highest morals just because she is a feminist, - it's also not a contradiction to say she is a feminist and still not a faultless character.
If power is bound to flawless characters then goodnight Europe. And the world.
Feminism isn't based on the pretense that women are better people, it's based on the assumption THAT they aren't less than men who have dominated them aß long as history can actually recall and remember...
Status and power don't belong to one side of humanity just because of a distinct body part!!!
Women don't have to be better than men to get the same rights. This idea is patriarchy at its best.
Chaucer shows in this very lively and reckless person that he doesn't need to paint a picture of perfection to make a lasting impression on every reader of his Canterbury Tales by this remarkable and outstanding victim of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and so she tells them all that her tale is still about how to survive and thrive in an environment that is, WORLDWIDE, more than ready to exploit women whenever possible...!!!

[tesxfaye]

This story was a bitch to read, thanks 😂

[boris]

Reminds me of the Land Girl Alison Smith in the town of Chillingbourne.

[nylalady]

Does anyone ever wonder why the knight believes the old woman's answer over all the other answers?

[ajulian]

The wife of bath’s tale is legit telling what women want

[kushmeena]

I'm an Indian and watch it because this story is taught us in English honours.

[madscabanal]

Please summerized A doll's house please!

[IcefireToken]

Thank you for this I really needed it I’m working on my project for my 12th grade English class and this story was hard to understand

[rosie]

It’s giving feminism and I’m here for it

[aurora_skye]

The Wife of Bath would have loved thank u, next 😂

[africanwarlord]

If this woman is a rolemodel to women then we are so screwed

[naylisyazwina]

I'm a woman but the comment section is concerning. The Wife of Bath is one terrible woman but I can see how during her time, why women would look up to her because they had no agency at all. Any man or woman that behaves like she does is scum though, no matter the time period.

[farrukhmalick]

Woman having gaped tooth was considered to be a shrewd.