The Wife of Bath's Tale and the Misogynistic Portrayal of Women

In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath, does try to depict, that women of the era, should be subjected to their husband and that their husbands was the head of the wives and home. It is clear that the wife of Beth, challenge and break the rules of submissiveness. The behaviour and attitudes of the Wife of Bath does have several distinct personalities that we can recognize and relate to, from the way people behave today. I believes that experience is the greatest authority of all women, and it is the true desire of sovereignty over oneself. Chaucer’s portrayal of the Wife of Bath supports the long tradition of misogynistic literature that presents women as morally corrupt and lustful, through Power, Appearances, Poverty.

The Wife of Bath's Tale' begins and ends with power in the hands of men, this suggest to me that a world in which people manipulate their power is only possible if we let it be. I believe that power is mythical, it is controlled by our desires. Women who uses their bodies to gain something, as seen in the tale, is not having power, it is a sign of weakness. Yes I agree that men are weak when it comes to women sexual power, but that is a temporary fix, so actually women are powerless because we are controlled by our desire.

Appearance in tale 'The Wife of Bath's ' is meant to symbolize the female body, I believe, but I will discuss the attitude and portrayals of behaviour of women, who seem to say, but do the opposite. Women to me, always followed the rule of experience rather than authority, we believe in the phrase, “Once bitten twice shy”. I believe Women are cunning by nature to get what they want. Women may appear romantically Appealing to obtain attention, and to please, but it is just a front to attained what she desires.

My defense on poverty has everything to do with our material day-to-day lives, I will explore the concept of poverty in self. For me, Poverty normally arises when people lack the key capabilities of inadequate income, education, poor health, insecurity, low self-confidence, a sense of powerlessness, and the absence of rights such as freedom of speech. It is paramount that in order for us to achieve sanity, we must have a sense of who God really is. Most women loses focus on life and live for the moment depending on others for maintenance, to me that is being weak and lazy.

The Wife of Bath employs Chaucer’s portrayal of the Wife of Bath in supports of the long tradition of misogynistic literature that presents women as morally corrupt and lustful. When I link the rules of life, and the desire of us women, to the concept of sovereignty, 'The Wife of Bath's Tale' suggests that women's desire is a force that should not be disturb and must be obeyed in order to hold the family and society together.