2. What attitude toward women and marriage does Chaucer convey through the character of the Wife of Bath?
3. How does this view compare to attitudes toward women and marriage that prevailed in medieval society?
4. How does the Wife of Bath herself view marriage (refer students back to the picture and the whip). Explain how the tale told by the Wife of Bath reflects on both her character and on Chaucer's view of marriage and women
5. Students need to understand that Chaucer the Poet actually wrote The Canterbury Tales, but Chaucer the Pilgrim tells them. Making himself a character in the Tales enables Chaucer to inject opinions without claiming they are his own, a tactic which enables much of the satire and irony in The Canterbury Tales.
6. Have students turn to page 125 in the purple literature book.
7. Point out, for example, the narrator's opinion of the Wife's cloth-making ability (lines 457-458) and his estimate of her kerchiefs (lines 463-464). How does this tendency to exaggerate affect our impression of the narrator?
8. Point out also his summary of her married life (lines 469-472). How should we interpret the narrator's suggestion here that quantity is a mark of quality, that the Wife's worth as a woman can be measured by the number of husbands she has had?
9. Finally, note those lines that seem to imply that the Wife has had extramarital affairs as well (lines 471, 477, 485-486). Are these sly turns of phrase intended by the narrator, or does Chaucer seem at points like these to be having his narrator reveal more than he means to?
10. Have students offer a general impression of the Wife of Bath, based on her portrait in the "General Prologue." What can we infer about her personality, for example, from her domineering manner in church (lines 459-462), her world travels on pilgrimage (lines 473-477), and her social skills (lines 484-486).
11. Note that Chaucer devotes many lines to her costume. Does she seem fashionable? Over-dressed?
12. Conclude this close reading by asking students to summarize what the narrator seems to think of the Wife of Bath. Is she admirable? Ridiculous? Attractive? Repulsive? Have students explore the notion that we see her in a dual perspective, both social and moral. How would one judge her by the standards of her society? How does she measure up to moral standards?
13. In Medieval marriage, often a much older man (around 40) married a very young girl (15). Medieval marriage was a largely financial arrangement, involving a transfer of wealth from the bride's family to the groom. Medieval law held wives in subordination to their husband.
14. Finally, what of love? In medieval times, love seems to have had little place in marriage. So – is the Wife a free thinker or an outlaw?
15. Begin reading “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” on page 156 in the purple literature book. Have students stop reading in the middle of page 160 and make their prediction as to what women want. Give them about 5 minutes to come up with an answer.
16. Invite students to share their responses with the rest of the class.
Homework Collected: None
Homework Given:
Snowbound Storytelling, Chaucer end of unit assessment, due on Monday, February 2nd, Chaucer Test on Wednesday, February 4th
Handouts given out: None
To Read:
“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” on page 156 through 160 in the purple literature book
