2. After students have read the Wife's tale, consider first what might have led Chaucer to give her this story to tell. Explain that throughout The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer generally gives his pilgrims tales that fit their character. Thus the Knight, who is the noblest member of the group, recites a chivalric romance, while the Miller, who is one of the commoners, tells a bawdy tale.
3. To what extent does the Wife's tale seem appropriate to her character as it has been depicted?
• Does the tale reveal new or unexpected aspects of her character? Does it illuminate any of the very different relationships that she has experienced in marriage?
• The moral of the story seems to confirm her argument in the "Prologue," that wives should have authority over their husbands, but the proof of the moral seems to come through magic. Are we to take the story at face value, or is it, in the truest sense, a "fairy tale"? How does this reflect on the Wife's character and opinions?
• Does Chaucer in this way represent the Wife as seeing herself as the "loathly lady" waiting for some loving husband to unlock the beauty inside her?
4. Students may notice that the hag of the story seems to sound like the Wife of Bath when she lectures her unwilling husband on "gentilesse" (lines 1106-1212), the innate worthiness attributed to those of noble birth. Have students explore the hag's argument at this point: that true "gentilesse" is a quality of character, not a result of noble birth. Some or all of the following questions may help guide discussion:
• To what extent does this argument confirm the moral order of medieval life, which placed spiritual values above worldly ones?
• To what extent does it undermine the medieval belief in natural hierarchy, which saw a feudal pattern governing all things?
• Note that the hag's argument cannot change her loathly appearance. That occurs when her husband refuses the choice between inner truth and outer beauty by giving the governance in their marriage to her. In doing so, does he reject the concept of a natural hierarchy, which gives men authority over women, and place his faith instead in a spiritual order? Or does he "say the magic words" in the fairy tale tradition?
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 160 through the end in the purple literature book
