In the Hollywood blockbuster “Basic Instinct,” Sharon Stone plays a devious, manipulative, sex-driven woman who gets whatever she wants through her ploys for control. Stone’s portrayal of this character is unforgettable and makes the movie. In books or films, the most memorable female characters are those who break out of the stereotypical good wife mold. When an author or actress uses this technique effectively, the woman often carries the story. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” he portrays the Wife of Bath, Alison, as a woman who bucks the tradition of her times with her brashness and desire for control to present a woman’s point of view and to evoke some sympathy for her.
In the author’s time, much of the literature was devoted to validating the frailties of women. However, in this story, the Wife is a woman who has outlived four of five husbands “for of five housbodes scoleying” (P50) is she. She does not hold her tongue and says exactly what she thinks, even if she contradicts others, even Jesus. In the Bible, it states that Jesus “Spak in repreve of the Samaritan:/Thou hast yhad five housbondes,’ quod he,/And that ilke man that now hath thee/Is nat thyn housbonde'” (P16).
Despite this quote from the holy writ, the Wife states that there are no other arguments. “Eek wel Iwoot he Jesus saide that myn housbonde/Sholde lete fader and moder and take me,/But of no nombre mencion made he Jesus–/Of bigamye or of octagamye” (P30). She maintains her position and dismisses the one contention in the Bible by stating in relation to the above quote, “Wat that he mente therby she can nat sayn,/But that I axe why the fifthe man/Was noon housbonde to the Samaritan?/How manye mighte she han in mariage?/Yit herde I nevere tellen in myn age/Upon this nombre diffinicioun” (P20). A true account of her brashness is when she states that sex organs are for pleasure as well as function. She states that “In wifhood wol I use myn instrument/As freely as my Makere hath it sent” (P155). She displays her ruthless side when she makes her cheating husband, the fourth, think that she is cheating and revels in this victory by saying, “in his owne grease I made him frye” (P493). It is obvious that the Wife of Bath is no submissive woman who thinks what she is told to think.
She is opinionated and blunt, qualities which present her views accordingly. As she is not docile, the Wife must be something to the contrary, and of course she is, to a great degree. The Wife strives to gain complete mastery over her husbands. And gain mastery she does, as she hadde hem hoolly in myn hand / And sith that they hadde yiven me al hir land / What sholde I take keep hem for to plese / But it were for my profit and myn ese (P217). The Wife’s secret is simple, For half so boldely can ther no man / Swere and lie as a woman can (P234). She does something to every husband to maintain her control.
However, Jankyn, her fifth husband, believes in everything that disparages women, which is exactly what Alison detests. She lashes out with all she has left: she with her fist so took him on the cheeke / That in oure fir he fil bakward adown (P799). Her deceptive scheme is to pretend to die from the blow dealt by Jankyn. And with his fist he smoot her on the heed / That in the floor I lay as I were deed. / And whan he sawgh how stille that I lay, / He was agast, and wolde have fled his way, / Til atte laste out of my swough I braide: / ‘O hastou slain me, false thief?’ I saide, / And for my land thus hastou modred me? / Er I be deed yit wol I kisse thee’ (P801). Obviously, this is very effective, for Jankyn is so distraught that he pleads ‘Myn own true wif, / Do as thee lust the terme of al thy lif; / Keep thyn honour, and keep eek myn estat’ (P825).
And after he gives her control, ‘we hadde never debat’ (P828). She has won this battle of wits, but it seems as though Jankyn has none. One way or another, Alison has made her puppets dance, completely under her dominion. Her tale backs up her philosophy, as the main point is that ‘Wommen desire to have sovereinetee / As wel over hir housbonde as hir love, / And for to been in maistrye him above’ (T1044). The Tale backs up the Prologue and pleads for the emancipation of women. Alison is her own ideal of what a woman should be.
By gaining sovereignty, she has the power. Chaucer has presented us with a fresh view of women, uncharacteristic of his time. The Wife of Bath is unique, and her defining qualities allow what the author thinks of women to reveal itself clearly. She is an immoral woman who has done whatever she has needed to do to get what she wants, and the author makes no apologies. Category: English
