ChaucerCanterbury Tales Wife of Bath’s PrologueSlide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Experience of Woe in MarriageWife of Bath’s Prologue: Jesus at the Wedding Feast at CanaWife of Bath’s Prologue: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellGospel of St. John: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellGospel of St. John: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the WellGospel of St. JohnWife of Bath’s Prologue: A man should leave his parentsWife of Bath’s Prologue “Wax and Multiply”Letter of St. Paul: EphesiansWife of Bath’s Prologue: King Solomon’s WivesCanterbury Tales The Wife of Bath’s PrologueSlide 21Slide 22Slide 23Slide 24Slide 25Slide 26Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Sex Organs Were Made for Having SexSlide 28Slide 29Canterbury Tales Wife of Bath’s Prologue ArgumentSlide 31Slide 32Wife of Bath’s PrologueSlide 34Slide 35Slide 36Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Janekin’s Book of Wicked WivesThe Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Janekin’s Book of Wicked WivesSlide 39Slide 40The Wife of Bath’s Prologue: Janekin’s Book of Wicked WivesSlide 42Slide 43Slide 44ChaucerText and ContextsCanterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old manCanterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herselfCanterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself• Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by menCanterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself• Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by men• Her name—”Alison”—suggests a connection with the “Alisoun” of the Miller’s Tale, and she also mentions a “gossip” named “Alisoun”Canterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself• Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by men• Her name—”Alison”—suggests a connection with the “Alisoun” of the Miller’s Tale, and she also mentions a “gossip” named “Alisoun”• Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance to that of the Knight’s TaleCanterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself• Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by men• Her name—”Alison”—suggests a connection with the “Alisoun” of the Miller’s Tale, and she also mentions a “gossip” named “Alisoun”• Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knight’s Tale• Her “prologue” is a debate with clerical “auctoritee” (“authority”)Canterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself• Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by men• Her name—”Alison”—suggests a connection with the “Alisoun” of the Miller’s Tale, and she also mentions a “gossip” named “Alisoun”• Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knight’s Tale• Her “prologue” is a debate with clerical “auctoritee” (“authority”)• Wife of Bath responds to Christian misogyny tradition of St. JeromeCanterbury TalesWife of Bath’s Prologue• First married at 12 to a wealthy old man• Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself• Enjoys sex, but does not like to be controlled by men• Her name—”Alison”—suggests a connection with the “Alisoun” of the Miller’s Tale, and she also mentions a “gossip” named “Alisoun”• Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knight’s Tale• Her “prologue” is a debate with clerical “auctoritee” (“authority”)• Wife of Bath responds to Christian misogyny tradition of St. Jerome• St. Jerome (ca 320-420) wrote “On Marriage and Virginity,” associating women with evil and prescribing celibacy for priesthoodWife of Bath’s Prologue: Experience of Woe in Marriage• The Wife of Bath says that she has lots of experience about the “wo” that is in marriage, so she is entitled to talk about it "Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, were right ynogh to me To speke of wo that is in mariage; For, lordynges, sith I twelf yeer was of age,5 Thonked be God, that is eterne on lyve, Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyveWife of Bath’s Prologue:Jesus at the Wedding Feast at Cana• People tell her that a woman should only be married once, because Jesus only went once to a wedding (the wedding at Cana, in the Gospel of St. John, 2:1) But me was toold, certeyn, nat longe agoon is,10 That sith that Crist ne wente nevere but onis To weddyng in the Cane of Galilee, That by the same ensample, taughte he me, That I ne sholde wedded be but ones.Wife of Bath’s Prologue:Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well• Jesus spoke to a woman who had been married five times at the well in Samaria; Wife of Bath misunderstands his implicit criticism of cohabitation Herkne eek, lo, which a sharpe word for the nones,15 Biside a welle Jhesus, God and Man, Spak in repreeve of the Samaritan. "Thou hast yhad fyve housbondes," quod he, "And thilke man the which that hath now thee Is noght thyn housbonde;" thus seyde he certeyn.20 What that he mente ther by, I kan nat seyn; But that I axe, why that the fifthe man Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?Gospel of St. John:Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well 5: Then cometh he [Jesus] to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6: Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7: There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 8: (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 9: Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 10: Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou