Stereotypes of Women in The Canterbury Tales Stereotypes of women have not changed throughout the years of history. Throughout the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer portrays women through negative stereotypes. Women are portrayed as selfish, lustful and immoral. In the Wife of Bath’s Prologue women are portrayed as selfish. The wife announced she had been married five times and she thinks she knows everything there is to know about marriage. The wife explained how she was able to gain the upper hand (“sovereignty”) over these men. She is a strong willed and dominant women who gets what she wants and whenever she wants it. She thinks she should not be controlled or told what to do by anyone not even her husband. She believe everyone should bow down