Out of the Ordinary, the Wife of Bath.
Novelist and philosopher C. Joy Bell, author of “Saint Paul Trois Chateaux” and “Sun is snowing” once said, “I don’t fit into any stereotype and I like myself that way” (Bell). This is the exact description of the Wife of Bath as she is the kind of person that stands out from the rest. Although she comes from the medieval period, she has characteristics of a modern woman such as power and affluence.
During the medieval period, women were viewed as subordinate creatures to men. A typical medieval woman married and began raising children soon after reaching puberty. Husbands had full control over their wives and a wife had to be loyal to her husband and obey him at all times. Blewitt described this saying; “A wife . . . must please her husband and be totally obedient to him, even when he is unjust and violent” (Blewitt 662). A woman’s sole purpose was to bear children, ". . . a wife's first duty was to provide her husband with an heir, and she could be divorced if she were barren"(Rhinesmith 601). They remained largely indoors, having no true chance to receive a formal education or hold economic or social power.
The Wife of Bath is a complete opposite of the typical medieval woman. Although she married early, she is not under the control of any man. In fact, she uses sexual power to control her husbands by depriving them of sex in order to get what she wants. Another thing that distinguishes her from the typical medieval woman is that she has a job. She is good in her occupation which is cloth making and she is extremely successful. Also she is not

confined to staying at home as she enjoys travelling and exploring new places.
Chaucer finds her very remarkable. He describes her as being a worthy woman. He says; “she was a worthy woman al hir lyve” (459). Of all the people Chaucer writes of, he describes the Wife of Bath more comprehensively. His description of her reflects how unconventional she is. Married to five husbands, she craves power and dominion, enjoys being the best in her profession and she loves adventure.
The Wife of Bath is beautiful and dresses so gracefully. She has a gap –tooth, which during her time symbolized sensuality and lust. She has a smile so bright and beautiful and she laughs so easily. Chaucer speaks of this, saying, “In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe” (474). In addition, her dressing shows she is not mediocre. She dresses in the finest, brightest and most expensive clothing. Dressing in such an outstanding and elegant manner reflects her wealth and affluence. In the medieval period, only the wealthiest people were dressed with such poise and grace. She dresses more like women of our world today. Chaucer describes her beauty and dressing by saying;
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.
Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe. (453-458)
She is physically and emotionally strong. She married first at a young age and married four more times, outliving her first four husbands. This shows not only shows that she is physically strong and healthy but also emotionally strong. She always has a smile plastered on her face, revealing her gap-tooth. I am sure she has gone through a lot but she always finds a way to keep her happiness and enjoy her life. One of the things she does to make herself happy is travelling. She loves to travel and go on pilgrimages. Although pilgrimages are meant to be religious since they journey to places of spiritual significance, she is not religious, she just loves to travel and she believes that every place should be seen. Chaucer tells of her love for travelling and a few places she has been to, saying;
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne.
(463-467)
She is the feminist of her time. Most medieval woman are completely submissive to their husband and bear anything that is being done to them. Unlike others she establishes equality between herself and men. In fact, she goes beyond equality, she craves for power and dominion over them. She uses sex as her power over men, she says, “leave virginity to the perfect and let the rest of us use our gifts as we may” (Chaucer), her gift is her sexual power. Her ultimate desire is to be in control. She wants things to be done how she wants it, when she wants it and the way she wants it. She uses her power to control her husbands. She says; “I governed hem so wel after my lawe” (Norton 122). “In wifhood wol I use myn instrument / As freely as my Makere hath it sent. / If I be dangerous, God yive me sorwe: / myn housbonder shal it han both eve and morwe / whan that him list come forth and pay his dette. /An housbonde wol I have,/ I wol nat lette, /which shal be bother my dettour and mt thral, / And have his tribulacion withal upon his flesh whil that I am his wif" (Norton 120).

Another thing that distinguishes her from the typical medieval woman is her success and affluence. She is the best cloth maker you would ever meet. She is one of the richest and wealthiest women of her time. Compared to her, medieval women have very little personal wealth or property. I would compare her to the influential women and celebrities of today like Oprah Winfrey, J.K Rowling, Abigail Johnson, Hillary Clinton, etc. In the medieval time I would equate her with another influential female icon, the prioress, Madame Eglantine. She is the best at what she does, she doesn’t settle for mediocrity. Chaucer described her professional excellence saying;
Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,
That she was out of alle charitee.
(447-452)
Her experience had enabled her to gain knowledge in horse riding, defence and the knowledge of love. This kind of knowledge is not be available to 99 percent of the medieval women. She is able to learn horse riding and defence since she travels a lot. Chaucer describes how easily she could ride he says; “Upon an amblere esily she sat, / Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat / As brood as is a bokeler or a targe; / A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large, / And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe” (469-473). Also, having so many husbands has made her well informed in the matters of love. Chaucer describes this in the general prologue saying, “Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde five. / Withouten oother

compaignye in youthe, / But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe (460-463). “Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce” (475). Unlike most medieval women, the Wife of Bath is loud, charismatic and graceful. She is the kind of person you cannot miss. On the pilgrimage she told stories of herself and other tales which made the trip so much fun. Her humour and charisma is admirable. Indeed she is a unique person, her characteristics would be valued more today, this makes her more of a modern woman. And this is why she appeals to a lot of modern readers.

Works Cited * Chaucer, Geoffrey. “The Canterbury Tales General Prologue.” The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. Ed. Joseph Black et al. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2011. 233-252. Print. * Abrams, MH. The Norton Anthology of English Literature. New York: W.W. Norton Company, 1993. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. * Blewitt, Ralph. “Courtesy Books”. The Middle Ages. Princeton: Princeton Press, 1993. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. * Rhine smith, Harvey. “Family, Western European.” The Middle Ages. Princeton: Princeton Printing Press, 1993. Web. 6 Oct. 2013. * Bell, C. Joy. Good Reads. Web. 6 Oct. 2013.