The Wife of Bath’s Prologue (Chaucer 673-683) deconstructs the misogynist rhetoric in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. Valerie, Theofraste and Against Jovinian all instruct husbands in how to deal with their wives duplicity. Janekin, her fifth husband and the clerk of Bath, had these sexist works “bound in oo volumes” so that he could refer to them easily (Chaucer 687). Janekin “reded away” at night from these misogynist books, which portrayed wives and husbands alike as shameful manipulators. Janekin’s condescension frustrated the Wife, but it wasn’t because she disagreed. In fact, as she demonstrates in her prologue, Wife Bath views women’s inherent sensuality and guile as positive qualities that wives can use to control their husbands. The Wife of Bath accepts that women can be scheming or erotic just like her husband. However, she interprets these facts in an opposite way. She is dangerous to men, like Janekin, because she interprets stereotypes in a way that is contrary to the reality.
The Wife appeals first to the supposed sexism amongst her fellow Pilgrims, which is a largely male group. The Wife of Bath believes that the men in her company hold similar opinions to those held by her fifth husband. As a result, in the “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue”, (Chaucer 1-8), she acknowledges “experience, even though noon auctoritee”, which is a blatant admission of her lack of schooling (1). Despite the fact that she initially minimizes her competence, the Wife’s subsequent critical analysis demonstrates her intelligence. She demonstrates a vast knowledge of Christian discourse, misogynist writings of her era, and Roman mythology. Her allusions include references to King Solomon’s Marriages, Argus’s One Hundred Eyes (35, 364). In the way she applies these allusions, it is evident that she has a sharp analytical mind. She uses Biblical and classical teachings for support in her interpretations of women’s superiority over men. The Wife’s concession in the overall prologue is seen as a way to preemptively acknowledge a bias, which she then proceeds to eliminate. Her unassuming intro draws her listeners in to her prologue so that she can later relay her more risky beliefs. This subtle manipulation is used in the context in which the prologue ends to show how the Wife uses deception and lies in her misogynist society.
The Wife’s description of women’s natural craftiness is a reference to the fact that deceitfulness is a necessity for wives in order to control their men and enjoy their husbands stupidity. The idea that women can take the lead role in their marriage by deceiving their husbands is contrary to Janekin’s philosophy. The Wife Of Bath, however, believes that women’s “deceit, weeping and spinning” are a gift from God. The Wife of Bath’s hysteria about women is both a confirmation of stereotypes, as well as redefining them. She explains how, to prove her point, she “hadde…many…a mirthe” as she spied on her first three wealthy, older husbands while they were engaging in extramarital relationships (405). Her ability to laugh at her husband’s infidelity shows her independence. In contrast to ignoring or running away from her husband’s sins, the Wife in Bath chose to entertain herself with “continual murmurs or grunchings” regarding his infidelity. Although the Wife’s victory might seem insignificant, it is the symbolism behind her rebellion that marks her success, not the size of the reward. She used her cleverness to invert the power dynamics of her marriages. The company is able to understand the deeper meaning of her petulance by gaining insight into the Wife of Bath’s machinations. The Wife Of Bath explains her actions to show how women can exploit men in subtle ways.
This example leads to the Wife’s endorsement that sex can be used as a bargaining tool for marriage (Chaucer, 415-423). In this example, she punished her man further by refusing to have sex with him. She refused her husband’s advances until he had “hadde made his raunson,” at which point she allowed him to do “his nicetee.” (417-8) In exchange for her husband’s money, the Wife performed sexual favors. She exploited her husbands’ weak positions to gain her own advantage, a clear display of power. Further, she calls sex “nicetee”, a meaningless act, which indicates her lack of interest or even resentment in marital romance (418). She continues by explaining to the company how “all is meant to be solde” in relation to women. (420). Here, The Wife of Bath uses the rhetoric that depicts women as being opportunists to argue for men to understand this and accept it in order to satisfy their sexual desires. The women are in control of the sexual situation because men can’t fulfill their needs without them. She tells them that she will commit “all his desire” and “a feinted appetite”, in order to “win” a man. This proposal is both belittling and enticing to men. She can hide her true feelings by pretending to be interested in a man. The ambiguity of her guarantee makes him vulnerable to her and gives him power. Her guarantee is erotic, which creates a conflict for men – married or celibate. Accepting the Wife’s proposal requires men to acknowledge women’s power. The Wife of Bath’s ultimatum shows her cleverness yet again. She has used her deception to manipulate the company and make them consider her claims.
The Wife’s abuse relationships are evident throughout her entire prologue. They undermine her argument. Her indifference towards the physical abuse that she endured from her fourth, fifth and sixth husbands seems to undermine her assertions of female superiority (Chaucer 674). The Wife’s bravery is evident in the circumstances that led to Janekin’s beating and the aftermath (794-804). The Wife of Bath, as mentioned above, hated it when Janekin would read his “volume” of antifeminist texts. He hit her on the forehead, which caused her to fall. As she recounts her story, the Wife tells us that Janekin “was shocked” when she “lay like [she] was doing it” (801-2). After a harsh reprimand, the Wife in Bath used Janekin’s guilt to convince her husband that he should burn his misogynist novel. Here is a final demonstration of the Wife’s manipulative powers. Janekin’s assault left her deaf. But she refused not to be the victim. Instead, she took advantage of his misdeeds to get her prerogative – the destruction Janekin’s sexist text.
By the time she finishes her prologue The Wife in Bath has managed to undermine her fifth spouse’s gender politics with her cunning disposition. Her narration is enthralling and includes anecdotes of her marriages. Together, these facets redefine stereotypes of women as traits that God gave them to dominate men. In her development of her arguments, the Wife de Bath reveals her female identity to her fellow travelers, causing uncertainty and doubt which the pardoner expresses (Chaucer, 169-174). After reading the Wife Bath’s description of woman, the pardoner becomes unsure if it is worth marrying for fear of losing his control over his own body to his wife (172-4). The fact his interlude is early in the “Wife of Bath Prologue”, proves that The Wife of Bath effectively articulates her nonconformist beliefs. Her sexism is broken before she can even get to the core of her argument. She provokes these emotions in her listeners, forcing them to rethink preconceptions. This is done before she begins her fictional story. She uses the sexuality and deception of misogynist literature to create a powerful female identity.
Works Cited
Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. 9th ed. Vol. A. W. W. Norton published a work in New York in 2012. 282-310. Print.
Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature is a comprehensive collection of classic and contemporary writing from the British Isles. 9th ed. Vol. A. W.W. Norton published a book in 2012 in New York. Print.
