Today most feminists commonly depict the Wife of Bath from Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, as the ideal model for the feminist literary figure. ... In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses a style of writing that tends to make fun of and point out the inner controversy of each pilgrim. ... Throughout her prologue, the Wife of Bath makes it clear that she intends for the reader or listener to view her as a rational, independent woman. ... I nil leve no tales: I knowe you for a trewe wif, dame Alis." ... Nevertheless, at the time of her prologue, at least thirty years later, after ...

• Word Count: 1773
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Chaucer's main target of his satire and criticism throughout his Canterbury Tales is the Anglo-Saxon church. Even though in this tale he focuses more on the gender debate, his contempt of the corrupt church and its disciples is embodied in the Wife's prologue. ... Chaucer does it through the Wife of Bath as a medium to reach the hopelessly ignorant women of the time should they hear of the tale. ... The complexity and uniqueness of Dame Alice, which is her real name, is symbolized by having a prologue practically twice as long as her tale. ... In this quote from the prologue, t...

• Word Count: 1579
• Approx Pages: 6