The Wife
of Bath
Characteristics
• Hometown-Bath, a seaport
• Physical Features
– Slightly deaf
– Physically imposing—other women
never got in her way in church
– Face was Bold with a red hue
– Gap between her teeth, set widely
– Flowing mantle concealed wide
hips
• Personality
– Other women afraid of her
– Wrathful to those in her way
– Likes to laugh and chat
– Knows all remedies of love’s
mischance
Characteristics (cont)
•
Attire
– Hose, finest scarlet red and tightly
gartered
– Finely woven kerchiefs on her
head
– Shoes, soft and new
– Big hat
•
Occupation
– Exceptional weaver of fine cloth
– Better than famous Flemish
craftsmen
•
Family History
– 5 Husbands
– Married all in the church (“no need
to speak of that”)
Characteristics (cont)
• Extensive Religious Travel
–
–
–
–
–
Jerusalem
Rome
Boulogne
St. James of Compostella
Cologne
• Her Horse
– She sits side saddle
– The horse is gentle, it
ambles
– She wears spurs that are
concealed to urge the horse
to move
Quotes of Note
Others assert we women find it sweet
When we are thought dependable, discreet
And secret, firm of purpose and controlled,
Never betraying things that we are told.
But that’s not worth the handle of a rake;
Women conceal a thing? For Heaven’s
sake.
And when I’ve finished telling you my tale
Of tribulation in the married life
In which I’ve been an expert as a wife,
That is to say, myself have been the whip.
So please yourself whether you want to sip
At that same cask of marriage I shall broach.
Be cautious before making the approach,
For I’ll give instances and more than ten.
Connections
• Ongoing verbal jousting with the Friar
throughout the trip to Canterbury
• Gives advice to the Pardoner concerning
marriage and he says “there’ll be no
marrying for me this year.”
• Speaks after the Pardoner and thus her tale
is compared to his
• Stark comparison with the other woman of
the tale—the nun
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
The Real Chaucer’s
English