Name: ENG 205 The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale Reading Assignment p. 300 1. The medieval church revered virginity and also argued that a wife (wife means woman) should have only one husband. On what was their argument based? (lines 9-14) - Their argument was based on the fact that Christ only went to a wedding once in Cana, for this reason, she should only be married once. 2. Which allusions to the Bible does the Wife of Bath use to defend a woman’s marriage to more than one man? (lines 14-45). - The wife of bath gives the allusion about the woman from the bible who had five husbands already. The wife states that Christ himself told the lady that her fifth husband wasn’t the one for her. 3. How does she feel about her five marriages? Would she marry again if given the chance? (lines 45-54). - The wife is content with her five marriages. She stated that she picked the best husbands when it came to their privates and wealth. The wife said she would welcome another husband because she does not want to be chaste. When her current husband dies, she plans to marry again. 4. What two arguments from Apostle Paul’s writing does she cite in her defense? (lines 55-84). - Apostle Paul stated to be married is not a sin and that it’s better to be married than to have sexual intercourse without being married. 5. When she acknowledges that the Apostle Paul was a virgin, how does she defend her own actions? (lines 85-120). - The wife makes a reference to King Solomon who had many wives and St. Paul’s admonishment that it is better to marry than to burn. 6. Explain her argument about the purpose and design of the male and female (lines 121-134). - The wife is saying that the purpose and design of the male and female genitals is for both urinating and sexual pleasure but mostly to “procreate”. 7. She gives two more practical arguments from experience. What are they? (lines 135144). - The wife says that the husband cannot pay his debt to his wife without using his private. She also says that their privates should be used for urination as well. 8. How does she feel about the marriage relationship and intimacy? (lines 155-168). The wife says that she will use her gift from God as much as she wants because that’s the reason she has it. She will be intimate with her husbands anytime she wants. 9. Who interrupts her prologue, and what is his view of marriage? (lines 169-198) - The pardoner interrupts her prologue, and he says that he is having second thoughts about marriage and the longer he waits, the more he will feel like he doesn’t want to get married. 10. How many of her five husbands were good? In what two ways were they good? (lines 200-229) - The wife says that three of her husbands were good and the other two were bad. The three good ones were rich and old and gave her all the wealth she wanted. 11. How did she treat her husbands? (lines 225-240) - The wife treated her husbands bad. She would make them work hard and she did not obey them. They were lucky that she spoke sweetly to them from time to time. Her 12. - husbands would constantly try to purchase fancy gifts so that she may be pleased with them. What was her fourth husband like? How did she treat him? (lines 459-509) The wife’s fourth husband kept a mistress by his side. The way she treated him was like revenge but in a way that would cause him anger and jealousy. What was her fifth husband like? What was their age gap? (lines 509-569; lines 605- 13. 609) - The wife’s fifth husband was the worst-behaved out of all her husbands because he would beat her. The fifth husband also knew how to please the wife which is why she stayed with him. The age gap was twenty years. She was 40 and he was 20. 14. Describe their fight and why it occurred. (pp. 314-318) - The fight between the wife and her husband occurred because the husband liked to read but he would read about unfaithful women. This angered the wife and caused her to rip a page out of his book. Out of rage, he throws the book at her then proceeds to hit the wife in her ear, causing her to be deaf. 15. Who wins this fight? (p. 318) - The wife’s husband wins the fight. 16. In the Wife of Bath’s Tale, what crime does the young knight commit? (p. 319-320) - The knight raped a young maiden. 17. What does the queen decree that he must do to live? (pp. 320-321) - The queen says the knight should answer the question “what is the thing that most women desire”. 18. What various answers do women give him? (p. 321) - “to be oft widowed and remarried, wealth, treasure, honor, jollity, and pleasure, gorgeous clothing.” 19. When the time comes for him to answer, what one woman presents herself to him? What does she promise to do for him, and what must he do in response? (pp. 322-323) - The woman promised to help the knight 20. What answer does the knight give the queen? (323) - The knight says that most women desire to be in charge of their husbands and lovers. 21. What promise does the knight then fulfill? Is he pleased with having to fulfill his promise? (324) - The knight promises to reward the woman if she could help him. He kept his promise when the woman asks him to marry her. He is not pleased with his promise at first and was miserable. Towards the end, he is happy that he married the woman. 22. What choice does the knight’s wife give him? How does he choose? (327) - The knights wife gives him the choice, either he can have her be ugly but loyal and good or he can have her young and fair but also coquettish and unfaithful. He chooses by letting her decide because he trusts her. 23. What is the resolution to the story? (328) - The old woman turned into a young woman and she was nice.
