The Canterbury Tales possesses a group of stories told by the characters to pass time as they take a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas á Becket in Canterbury. In Medieval times, gender roles and occupation played a significant part in how one should act. Everyone had to behave in the utmost proprietary, in their position, because it was expected of them and valued. If one acted out of character or defied their civility, they were looked down upon. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, The Nun and The Knight best demonstrate the Medieval value of propriety, while The Wife of Bath best defies it.
The Nun best demonstrates the Medieval value of propriety because of her kindness and neatness. In Medieval times, nuns were to be chaste and modest, which were qualities that were highly respected by others. In The Canterbury Tales, The Nun was very “simple and coy. Her greatest oath was ‘By St. Loy’ ” (126). St. Loy is Saint Eligius, and he is known for his perfect manners. Since The Nun’s greatest oath is of a man with ideal manners, this shows that she values that
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In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s tone and description of her was negative. She “had gap teeth, set widely, truth to say” (135). To have this appearance was to be very bold and was far from the norm. The Wife of Bath did not conform to beauty standards of the Medieval Ages, showing that she is not proprietous. She was “a worthy woman all of her life, what’s more she’d have five husbands, all at the church door” (135). At the time, it was proper to be monogamous, and if not in a relationship, chaste. However, the Wife of Bath was anything but chaste. She was very promiscuous and had five husbands, all of which ended in divorce, which was also looked down upon. The Wife of Bath’s promiscuity and appearance exemplifies the defiance of the Medieval value of