Chaucer

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Chaucer

• Text and Contexts

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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths Prologue
First married at 12 to a wealthy old man
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths Prologue
First married at 12 to a wealthy old man Has been married five times, and has grown rich herself
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths 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
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths 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 nameAlisonsuggests a connection with the Alisoun of the Millers Tale, and she also mentions a gossip named Alisoun
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths 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 nameAlisonsuggests a connection with the Alisoun of the Millers Tale, and she also mentions a gossip named Alisoun Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance to that of the Knights Tale
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths 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 nameAlisonsuggests a connection with the Alisoun of the Millers Tale, and she also mentions a gossip named Alisoun Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knights Tale Her prologue is a debate with clerical auctoritee (authority)
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths 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 nameAlisonsuggests a connection with the Alisoun of the Millers Tale, and she also mentions a gossip named Alisoun Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knights Tale Her prologue is a debate with clerical auctoritee (authority) Wife of Bath responds to Christian misogyny tradition of St. Jerome
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths 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 nameAlisonsuggests a connection with the Alisoun of the Millers Tale, and she also mentions a gossip named Alisoun Her tale presents a contrasting view of romance from that of the Knights 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 priesthood
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Wife of Baths 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 fyve
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Wife of Baths PrologueJesus 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, 21)
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.
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Wife of Baths PrologueJesus 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?
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Gospel of St. JohnJesus 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 knewest
the gift of God, and who it is that saith to
thee, Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked
of him, and he would have given thee living
water. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou
hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep
from whence then hast thou that living water?
12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob,
which gave us the well, and drank thereof
himself, and his children, and his cattle?
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Gospel of St. John Jesus and the Samaritan
Woman at the Well
13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever
drinketh of this water shall thirst again 14
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall
give him shall never thirst but the water that I
shall give him shall be in him a well of water
springing up into everlasting life. 15 The
woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water,
that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband,
and come hither. 17 The woman answered and
said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her,
Thou hast well said, I have no husband 18 For
thou hast had five husbands and he whom thou now
hast is not thy husband in that saidst thou
truly. 19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I
perceive that thou art a prophet. 20 Our
fathers worshipped in this mountain and ye say,
that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to
worship. 21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman,
believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall
neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem,
worship the Father.
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Gospel of St. John
22 Ye worship ye know not what we know what we
worship for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But
the hour cometh, and now is, when the true
worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit
and in truth for the Father seeketh such to
worship him. 24 God is a Spirit and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in
truth. 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that
Messias cometh, which is called Christ when he
is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus
saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
27 And upon this came his disciples, and
marvelled that he talked with the woman yet no
man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou
with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot,
and went her way into the city, and saith to the
men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all
things that ever I did is not this the Christ?
30 Then they went out of the city, and came
unto him.
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Wife of Baths PrologueA man should leave his
parents
Wife of Bath invokes St. Pauls statement that a man should leave his mother and father and join with his wife
God bad us for to wexe and
multiplye That gentil text kan I
wel understonde. 30 Eek wel I woot, he
seyde, myn housbonde Sholde lete
fader and mooder, and take to me
But of no nombre mencioun made he,
Of bigamye or of octogamye, Why
sholde men thanne speke of it vilainye
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Wife of Baths PrologueWax and Multiply
Wife of Bath knows of no Biblical text that specifically determines the number of times a woman can marry, but she does know that the Bible tells us to wax and multiply Genesis 1 27-28 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
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Letter of St. Paul Ephesians
522 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands, as unto the Lord. 523 For the husband
is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the
head of the church and he is the saviour of the
body. 524 Therefore as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own
husbands in every thing. 525 Husbands, love
your wives, even as Christ also loved the church,
and gave himself for it 526 That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word, 527 That he might present it to
himself a glorious church, not having spot, or
wrinkle, or any such thing but that it should be
holy and without blemish. 528 So ought men to
love their wives as their own bodies. He that
loveth his wife loveth himself. 529 For no man
ever yet hated his own flesh but nourisheth and
cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church 530
For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and
of his bones. 531 For this cause shall a man
leave his father and mother, and shall be joined
unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
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Wife of Baths PrologueKing Solomons Wives
Wife of Bath knows of no Biblical text against bigamy or octagamy King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines Alison wishes she could be refreshed only half as often as him
35 Lo, heere the wise kyng, daun
Salomon I trowe he hadde wyves mo
than oon- As, wolde God, it leveful
were to me To be refresshed half so
ofte as he! Which yifte of God hadde
he, for alle hise wyvys! No man hath
swich that in this world alyve is.
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
45 God woot, this noble kyng, as to my wit, The firste nyght had many a myrie fit With ech of hem, so wel was hym on lyve! Yblessed be God, that I have wedded fyve (Of whiche I have pyked out the beste, Bothe of here nether purs and of here cheste.
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
50 55 Diverse scoles maken parfyt clerkes, And diverse practyk in many sondry werkes Maketh the werkman parfyt sekirly Of fyve husbondes scoleiyng am I.) Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal. For sothe I wol nat kepe me chaast in al. Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon, Som Cristen man shal wedde me anon. For thanne th'apostle seith that I am free, To wedde, a Goddes half, where it liketh me. He seith, that to be wedded is no synne, Bet is to be wedded than to brynne.
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
60 65 70 What rekketh me, thogh folk seye vileynye Of shrewed Lameth and of bigamye? I woot wel Abraham was an hooly man, And Jacob eek, as ferforth as I kan, And ech of hem hadde wyves mo than two, And many another holy man also. Whanne saugh ye evere in any manere age, That hye God defended mariage By expres word? I pray you, telleth me, Or where comanded he virginitee? I woot as wel as ye it is no drede, Th'apostel, whan he speketh of maydenhede
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
75 80 He seyde that precept therof hadde he noon. Men may conseille a womman to been oon, But conseillyng is no comandement He putte it in oure owene juggement. For hadde God comanded maydenhede, Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede And certein, if ther were no seed ysowe, Virginitee, wherof thanne sholde it growe? Poul dorste nat comanden, atte leeste, A thyng of which his maister yaf noon heeste.
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
85 90 95 The dart is set up of virginitee Cacche who so may, who renneth best lat see. But this word is nat taken of every wight, But ther as God lust gyve it of his myght. I woot wel, th'apostel was a mayde But nathelees, thogh that he wroot and sayde He wolde that every wight were swich as he, Al nys but conseil to virginitee And for to been a wyf, he yaf me leve Of indulgence, so it is no repreve To wedde me, if that my make dye, Withouten excepcioun of bigamye. Al were it good no womman for to touche, He mente, as in his bed or in his couche For peril is bothe fyr and tow t'assemble Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble.
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
100 105 110 This is al and som, he heeld virginitee Moore parfit than weddyng in freletee. Freletee clepe I, but if that he and she Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee. I graunte it wel, I have noon envie, Thogh maydenhede preferre bigamye Hem liketh to be clene, body and goost. Of myn estaat I nyl nat make no boost, For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold, He nath nat every vessel al of gold Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse. God clepeth folk to hym in sondry wyse, And everich hath of God a propre yifte - Som this, som that, as hym liketh shifte.
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Canterbury TalesThe Wife of Baths Prologue
115 120 Virginitee is greet perfeccioun, And continence eek with devocioun. But Crist, that of perfeccioun is welle, Bad nat every wight he sholde go selle Al that he hadde, and gyve it to the poore, And in swich wise folwe hym and his foore. He spak to hem that wolde lyve parfitly, And lordynges, by youre leve, that am nat I. I wol bistowe the flour of myn age In the actes and in fruyt of mariage.
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Wife of Baths PrologueSex Organs Were Made for
Having Sex
Telle me also, to what conclusion
Were membres maad of generacion,
And of so parfit wys a wight ywroght?
Trusteth right wel, they were nat
maad for noght. 125 Glose whoso
wole, and seye bothe up and doun,
That they were maked for purgacioun
Of uryne, and oure bothe thynges smale
Were eek to knowe a femele from a male,
And for noon oother cause, -- say ye
no? The experience woot wel it is
noght so. 125 So that the clerkes be nat
with me wrothe, I sey this, that
they maked ben for bothe, This is
to seye, for office, and for ese Of
engendrure, ther we nat God displese.
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Wife of Baths PrologueSex Organs Were Made for
Having Sex
Why sholde men elles in hir bookes
sette 130 That man shal yelde to his wyf
hire dette? Now wherwith sholde he
make his paiement, If he ne used
his sely instrument? Thanne were
they maad upon a creature To purge
uryne, and eek for engendrure. 135 But I
seye noght that every wight is holde,
That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde,
To goon and usen hem in engendrure.
Thanne sholde men take of chastitee no
cure. Crist was a mayde, and shapen
as a man, 140 And many a seint, sith that
the world bigan Yet lyved they
evere in parfit chastitee. I nyl
envye no virginitee.
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Wife of Baths PrologueSex Organs Were Made for
Having Sex
140 And many a seint, sith that the world
bigan Yet lyved they evere in
parfit chastitee. I nyl envye no
virginitee. Lat hem be breed of
pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves
hoten barly-breed 145 And yet with
barly-breed, mark telle kan, Oure
lord jhesu refresshed many a man.
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths Prologue Argument
Wife of Bath twists St. Pauls argument that it is better to marry than to burn
Whan myn housbonde is fro the world
ygon, Som Cristen man shal wedde me
anon. 55 For thanne th'apostle seith
that I am free, To wedde, a Goddes
half, where it liketh me. He seith,
that to be wedded is no synne, Bet
is to be wedded than to brynne. . .
. 75 ThApostle, whan he speketh of
maidenhede, He saide that precept
therof hadde he noon Men may
conseile a womman to be oon, But
conseiling nis no comandement. He
putte it in oure owene juggement.
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths Prologue Argument
Wife of Bath argues against St. Jerome, author of misogynistic text St Jerome was 4th-century bishop who argued for celibacy of the priesthood on the basis of the wickedness of women. Here are some quotes from his Letter to Eustochian I will say it boldly, though God can do all things He cannot raise up a virgin when once she has fallen. Sampson was braver than a lion and tougher than a rock alone and unprotected he pursued a thousand armed men and yet, in Delilah's embrace, his resolution melted away. David was a man after God's own heart, and his lips had often sung of the Holy One, the future Christ and yet as he walked upon his housetop he was fascinated by Bathsheba's nudity, and added murder to adultery.
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Canterbury TalesWife of Baths Prologue Argument
From St. Jeromes Letter to Eustochian continued I praise wedlock, I praise marriage, but it is because they give me virgins. I gather the rose from the thorns, the gold from the earth, the pearl from the shell. "Doth the plowman plow all day to sow?" Shall he not also enjoy the fruit of his labor? Wedlock is the more honored, the more what is born of it is loved. Why, mother, do you grudge your daughter her virginity? She has been reared on your milk, she has come from your womb, she has grown up in your bosom. Your watchful affection has kept her a virgin. Are you angry with her because she chooses to be a king's wife and not a soldier's? She has conferred on you a high privilege you are now the mother-in-law of God.
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Wife of Baths Prologue
Alisons Fifth HusbandShe marries for love (or lust, maybe) Whan that my fourthe housbonde was on beere, I weep algate, and made sory cheere, 595 As wyves mooten, for it is usage- And with my coverchief covered my visage But for that I was purveyed of a make, I wepte but smal, and that I undertake.        To chirche was myn housbonde born amorwe 600 With neighebores that for hym maden sorwe And Janekyn oure clerk was oon of tho. As help me God! whan that I saugh hym go After the beere, me thoughte he hadde a paire Of legges and of feet so clene and faire, 605 That al myn herte I yaf unto his hoold.


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Wife of Baths Prologue
He was, I trowe, a twenty wynter oold, And I was fourty, if I shal seye sooth, But yet I hadde alwey a coltes tooth. Gat-tothed I was, and that bicam me weel, 610 I hadde the prente of Seinte Venus seel. As help me God, I was a lusty oon, And faire, and riche, and yong, and wel bigon, And trewely, as myne housbondes tolde me, I hadde the beste quonyam myghte be.


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Wife of Baths Prologue
For certes, I am al Venerien In feelynge, and myn herte is Marcien. Venus me yaf my lust, my likerousnesse, And Mars yaf me my sturdy hardynesse. Myn ascendent was Taur, and Mars therinne, 620 Allas, allas, that evere love was synne! I folwed ay myn inclinacioun By vertu of my constellacioun That made me I koude noght withdrawe My chambre of Venus from a good felawe. 625 Yet have I Martes mark upon my face, And also in another privee place.


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Wife of Baths Prologue
For God so wys be my savacioun, I ne loved nevere by no discrecioun, But evere folwede myn appetit, 630 Al were he short, or long, or blak, or whit. I took no kep, so that he liked me, How poore he was, ne eek of what degree. What sholde I seye, but at the monthes ende This joly clerk Jankyn, that was so hende 635 Hath wedded me with greet solempnytee, And to hym yaf I al the lond and fee That evere was me yeven therbifoore But afterward repented me ful soore He nolde suffre nothyng of my list.


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Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of Wicked
Wives
Alisons young husband, Jankin, reads aloud from a book about bad wives every night
And thanne wolde he upon his Bible
seke That like proverbe of
Ecclesiaste, Where he comandeth, and
forbedeth faste, Man shal nat suffre
his wyf go roule aboute, 660 Thanne wolde
he seye right thus, withouten doute  
"Who so that buyldeth his hous al of salwes,
And priketh his blynde hors over the
falwes, And suffreth his wyf to go
seken halwes, Is worthy to been
hanged on the galwes! 665 But al for
noght, I sette noght an hawe Of his
proverbes, n'of his olde sawe, Ne I
wolde nat of hym corrected be. I
hate hym that my vices telleth me
And so doo mo, God woot, of us than I.
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
690 695 Whan he hadde leyser and vacacioun From oother worldly occupacioun To reden on this book of wikked wyves. He knew of hem mo legendes and lyves Than been of goode wyves in the Bible. For trusteth wel, it is an impossible That any clerk wol speke good of wyves, But if it be of hooly seintes lyves, Ne of noon oother womman never the mo. Who peyntede the leon, tel me, who? By God! if wommen hadde writen stories,
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
700 720 725 As clerkes han withinne hire oratories, They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse Than all the mark of Adam may redresse. . . . But now to purpos, why I tolde thee That I was beten for a book, pardee. Upon a nyght Jankyn, that was oure sire, Redde on his book as he sat by the fire Of Eva first, that for hir wikkednesse Was al mankynde broght to wrecchednesse, For which that Jhesu Crist hymself was slayn, That boghte us with his herte blood agayn. Lo, heere expres of womman may ye fynde, That womman was the los of al mankynde.     
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
775 780  Tho redde he me how Sampson loste hise heres, Slepynge, his lemman kitte it with hir sheres, Thurgh whiche tresoun loste he bothe hise yen. . . . Of latter date of wyves hath he red, That somme han slayn hir housbondes in hir bed, And lete hir lecchour dighte hir al the nyght, Whan that the corps lay in the floor upright. And somme han dryve nayles in hir brayn Whil that they slepte, and thus they han hem slayn. Somme han hem yeve poysoun in hir drynke. He spak moore harm than herte may bithynke, And therwithal he knew of mo proverbes Than in this world ther growen gras or herbes.
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
785 790 795   "Bet is," quod he, "thyn habitacioun Be with a leon, or a foul dragoun, Than with a womman usynge for to chyde. "Bet is," quod he, "hye in the roof abyde Than with an angry wyf doun in the hous, They been so wikked and contrarious. They haten that hir housbondes loven ay. -- He seyde, -- a womman cast hir shame away, Whan she cast of hir smok -- and forthermo, -- A fair womman, but she be chaast also, Is lyk a gold ryng in a sowes nose. -- Who wolde wene, or who wolde suppose, The wo that in myn herte was, and pyne? And whan I saugh he wolde nevere fyne To reden on this cursed book al nyght,
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
800 805 810 Al sodeynly thre leves have I plyght Out of his book, right as he radde, and eke I with my fest so took hym on the cheke, That in oure fyr he fil bakward adoun. And he up-stirte as dooth a wood leoun, And with his fest he smoot me on the heed That in the floor I lay, as I were deed. And whan he saugh how stille that I lay, He was agast, and wolde han fled his way, Til atte laste out of my swogh I breyde. 'O, hastow slayn me, false theef,' I seyde, 'And for my land thus hastow mordred me? Er I be deed, yet wol I kisse thee.' And neer he cam and kneled faire adoun, And seyde, 'Deere suster Alisoun,
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
815 820 As help me God, I shal thee nevere smyte. That I have doon, it is thyself to wyte, Foryeve it me, and that I thee biseke." And yet eftsoones I hitte hym on the cheke, And seyde, 'Theef, thus muchel am I wreke Now wol I dye, I may no lenger speke.' But atte laste, with muchel care and wo, We fille acorded by us selven two. He yaf me al the bridel in myn hond, To han the governance of hous and lond, And of his tonge, and of his hond also, And made hym brenne his book anon right tho. And whan that I hadde geten unto me By maistrie, al the soveraynetee,
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The Wife of Baths PrologueJanekins Book of
Wicked Wives
825 And that he seyde, 'Myn owene trewe wyf, Do as thee lust the terme of al thy lyf, Keepe thyn honour, and keep eek myn estaat,' - After that day we hadden never debaat.