The Wife of Bath

The Wife of Bath in Canterbury Tales is a strong woman who uses her body to manipulate men so she can be what she wants. This lesson discusses who she is and why she is called the wife of Bath.

The Canterbury Tales were written by Jeffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century but were first published in 1400. In the story, there are 29 people meeting in Tabard Inn on the way to see the sanctuary of the martyr St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. While in a hotel, they meet the host and narrator of the story, Harry Bailey, and they decide to travel together for the rest of their trip. During the journey, they begin to tell each other stories and win a free lunch at the end of the journey. Initially, the owner tells the people that they will tell two fairytales that are on their way to the shrine, and two more stories on the way back. The one who tells the best story wins a free dinner paid by the other group members.

There are a lot of people in the group, including "Bata's wife," "Priority," "Nun," "Human Rights," and "Squire." Each of these people has its own story, which is constantly told in the Canterbury Tales. One of the unique characters is Bata's wife.

Alison is not a woman who cares about changing the world in favor of other women who obey men. She is not feminist fighting for the rights of all women. She claims she knows what makes men happy because she is experienced. She believes in what gives people what they want, and that's their sexual pleasure. This proves that she is not fighting for the liberation of women. This is definitely not a feminist look. She uses sex to manipulate men, just like men; with women because she openly declares that she will give herself to a man. The desire for men's desire goes against feminist beliefs.