The wife as a character Flashcards
(62 cards)
what are the 6 key features about the wife of bath?
-her experience with marriage and sex
-bold personality which employs all of the negative attitudes towards women in antifeminist literature
-her appearance
-her mislabeled authority due to her lack of education
-her storytelling style
-her feminist attitude
“but she was somdel..
-“deef, and that was scathe”
-she was a bit deaf
-that was unfortunate
-reason why is Jankin hit her over the head with a book- only find out 700 lines later
“of clooth making…
-“she haddes swich an haunt”
-of cloth making she had great skill
-context- women could only be educated on sewing, leather work or brewing
“she koude muchel of..”
-“wandering by the weye”
-alliteration of w
-pilgrims travelled long journeys in 14th century
-not always for Christian reasons sometimes for adventure or social opportunities
-wife did not go for Christian reasons
“hir hosen weren…
-“of fyn scarlet reed”
-red dye was reserved for higher classes as it was expensive
-symbol of high social status
-the way the wife wants to be perceived
“Gat tothed..”
-“was she”
-symbol of a lustful personality in medieval times
“on hir heed an hat…”
-“as brad as is a bokeler or a targe”
-alliteration of h
-simile of as large as a shield or target
-combat language reminiscent of the way the wife is a target for male violence
“experience, though…”
-“noon auctoritee were in this world, is right ynough for me to speke of the wo that is in marriage”
-syntax of experience shows how she values her own experiences over authority
-the rhyme shows how she challenges male authority
-
“God bad us…”
-“for to wexe and multiply”
-bibical quotes molded to justify her multiple marriages
-manipulates the text
“housbondes at…”
-“chirche dore I have had five”
-social status again only high ranking classes were married inside the church
-link to her red dyed socks- juxtaposes the way she is perceived as a high status
-5 husbands gave her the experience to speak of marriage
-asserts her opposition to the belief of female chastity in medieval society
“why sholde men thanne…”
-“speke of it vileynye”
-rhetorical question leaves no time for answers- her story telling style is rushed so no one interrupts her
-argues that God gave no limit to the amount of husbands someone could have
-challenges male authority of the church- believes they have more power than good
“For soothe, I wol nat…”
-“kepe me chaast in al”
-welcomes her next husband whoever he will be
-rejects medieval belief that widowed women should be chaste
-nymphomaniac tendencies
“of shrewed…”
-“Lameth and his bigamine”
-wife wouldn’t have known this due to uneducation so may have heard it from Jankin or at church
-confuses bigamine (2 spouses at once) with serial marriage
-uneducated but confident in her arguement
“Abraham was a hooly man…”
-“and Jacob eek, and each of hem hadde wives mo than two”
-uses biblical characters to justify her marriages
-limited understanding of the bible
“he nath nat every vessel…”
-“al of gold, somme been of tree”
-double negative common style of Chaucer’s writing
-domestic imagery compares herself to wood rather than gold
-used, worn out and common rather holding the same significance as gold
“he make his paiement…”
-“if he ne used his sely instrument”
-hints at prostitiution
-doesn’t value sex rather see’s it as a means of financial gain, and a chore she must perform
“I nil envyne no…”
-“virginitee”
-double negative
-doesn’t want virginity
-doesn’t aspire to be prefect as St. Paul holds virginity as the perfect state
“upon his flessh, whil that I am his wife…”
-I have the power durinage my lyf upon his propre body, and noght he”
-conveys marriage as sounding like a punishment
-ignores biblical teachings that a man and women should love each other
-theme of mastery
-her arguments are not always clear so uses imagery
“I have toold thee forth my tale…”
-“of which I am expert in al myn age”
-again shows her experience of marriage
-links to the main theme of the wo in marriage in line 3
what the pardoner calls her when her interrupts her the first time…
-“dame”
-ironic as this term was used for high social classes
-she shouldn’t be considered a dame/ lady
-interrupted by the pardoner who she shuts up quickly
“as thre of hem…
-“were goode and two were badde”
-three good husbands listened to what she said and were old and rich
-the bad husbands had power over her
“as help me God, I laughe…”
-“whan I thynke how pitously a-nyght I made hem swynke”
-highlights her cruel nature
-takes pride in her cruel actions
-dominates her husbands
“for half so boldely kan ther no man…”
-“swere and lyen, as a womman kan”
-believes women lie better than men
-links to the antifeminist attitudes towards women
-context of the book romancing the rose
“thou…”
-“siest”
-section shows her accusations against her husbands
-shows her experience in marriage
