Chaucers View of Women Exposed in The Canterbury Tales Essay -- Geoff

Often, the most memorable female characters are those who break out of the stereotypical good wife mold. When an author uses this technique effectively, the char often carries the story. In Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales, he portrays the wife of Bath, Alison, as a woman who bucks the tradition of her times with her brashness and desire for control. Chaucer effectively presents a womans point of trance and evokes some sympathy for her.In the authors time, much of the literature was devoted to validating thefrailties of women. However, in this story, the Wife is a woman who hasoutlived four of five husbands for of five housbodes scoleying (P50) is she.She holds non her tongue, and says exactly what she thinks, even if shecontradicts others, even Jesus. For in the Bible it states that Jesus Spak inrepreve of the Samaritan/Thou hast yhad five housbondes, quod he,/And thatilke man that now hath thee/Is nat thyn housbonde (P16). Despite this quotefrom the holy writ, the Wife state s that ther are no other arguments Eek wel Iwoot he Jesus saide that myn housbonde/Sholde lete fader and moder and takeme,/But of no nombre mencion made he Jesus--/Of bigamye or of octagamye (P30).She maintains her position and dismisses the one contention in the Bible bystating in relation to the above quote Wat that he mente therby she can natsayn,/But that I axe why the fifthe man/Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?/Howmanye mighte she han in mar...