THE WIFE OF BATH
B Y: S A M N E S S E R , M O L L I E S T E I N, E M I LY K U R Z I N S K I ,
STACEY KRUSPER, AND NOELLE BARNHART
VIDEO
 Music video
CHARACTERS
 The Wife of Bath
 The Knight
 The Queen
 Minister
 King Arthur
P RO L O G U E
 The Wife of Bath is a sinful woman that takes enjoyment in
manipulating and controlling men with her sexual power
 She claims she’s a “professional” when it comes to marriage and
lovemaking, considering she’s had five husbands
 At the young age of 12 The Wife of Bath was wed for the first
time
W I F E O F BAT H
 She often played mind games
with her first three good
husbands; such as claiming
affairs with other woman, and
teasing them with lust for money
H U S BA N D S O F T H E W I F E
 When discussing her husband she describes them all out of order,
going from one crazy story to a next
 She beings with her two bad husband(s)
• Fourth husband
• He had a mistress on the side
• She always tried to make him jealous of her
• He died on a pilgrimage, or maybe even murdered
H U S BA N D S O F T H E W I F E
 Her fifth husband
• She believed to be in love with him, but he constantly beat her
• This was the only man she married for love
• She was still married to her fourth husband when she had met her
fifth
• The only way shed marry the fifth is if she was widowed, surprisingly
her fourth husband was killed a little later
• Though he’s considered a bad husband, she’s in love with him
because he loves her back
T H E W I F E O F BAT H
One day a lusty knight finds a sense of “power” within him, and decides to
prey on a woman and rape her. The court ceases his crime and decides he
should be put to death by decapitation. On behalf of King Arthur’s queen and
the ladies of the court, they beg the court to give him one chance to save his
life. The court grants their request. The queen gives the knight of the challenge
within a year, of trying to find what women want most in the world and report
what he finds to keep his life. If his answer is wrong he will loose his head.
T H E W I F E O F BAT H
 The knight sets forth in sorrow. He roams throughout the country, posing the
question to every woman he meets. To the knight’s dismay, nearly every one of them
answers differently. Some claim that women love money best, some honor, some jolliness,
some looks, some sex, some remarriage, some flattery, and some say that women most
want to be free to do as they wish. Finally, says the Wife, some say that women most want
to be considered discreet and secretive, although she argues that such an answer is clearly
untrue, since no woman can keep a secret. As proof, she retells Ovid’s story of Midas.
Midas had two ass’s ears growing under his hair, which he concealed from everybody
except his wife, whom he begged not to disclose his secret. She swore she would not, but
the secret burned so much inside her that she ran down to a marsh and whispered her
husband’s secret to the water.
T H E W I F E O F BAT H
 On his way back he meets an old woman and ask her the same question, and he
guarantees a reward if she helps him. In return for help, he must pledge himself to her,
and his life will be saved. The knight and the old woman travel together to the court,
where, in front of a large audience, the knight tells the queen the answer with which the
old woman supplied him: what women most desire is to be in charge of their husbands
and lovers. The women agree resoundingly that this is the answer, and the queen spares
the knight’s life. The old hag comes forth and publicly asks the knight to marry her. The
knight cries out in horror. He begs her to take his material possessions rather than his
body, but she refuses to yield, and in the end he is forced to consent. The two are married
in a small, private wedding and go to bed together the same night. Throughout the entire
ordeal, the knight remains miserable.
T H E W I F E O F BAT H
 She offers the knight a 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. The knight ponders in silence. Finally, he replies that he would
rather trust her judgment, and he asks her to choose whatever she thinks
best. Because the knight’s answer gave the woman what she most desired,
the authority to choose for herself, she becomes both beautiful and good.
The two have a long, happy marriage, and the woman becomes
completely obedient to her husband.
Who is this?
le show
Well shes a
nympniac named
Shelley!
• Actress Chloe Sevigny in American
Horror Story
• Labled as the slut in the insane asylum
Briarwood
• Husband infidelity
• Slept in bed with 2 sailors, was caught
and throw in in the asylum
• Believes woman should have a choice.
• Dislikes the word “whore”
• Double standard
CONNECTION
 Chloe is an example of a modern day woman who wants
the decision to choose what she wants
 This shows that even today, woman don’t always have the
right to choose because of the mercy of men
SUMMARY
 The Wife of Bath represents the struggle of woman kind
• Theses struggles include:
•
•
•
•
Being over powered by men
Not having a choice in decisions
Being judged for going against the norm
Being an overall independent woman
QUESTION TIME!
1.
What is the challenge the queen gives the knight to keep
his life?
2.
What was the wife of bath's first response to the knight's
question?
3.
What does the knight must do in return to the old woman
for the answer to his question?
QUESTIONS
1.
What is the knight's answer that spares his life?
2.
What does the knight have to do since the old woman
gave him the correct answer for the queen?
3.
What choice does the woman give the knight?
4.
What was the knight's answer, which was what?
5.
What does the knight get for his right answer?