Wife Of Bath In Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chaucer opens the study by describing twenty-nine people who are heading for a pilgrimage. Each of these people have different personalities which are identifiable based on their behavior. The wife of Bath is represented in the story more than any other character. She is explicitly exposed in a provoking way in the General Prologue to reveal a shocking experience to the reader. She is seen as not the ideal person by how she handles herself during the pilgrimage. This reference is made in comparison to the nuns in the journey. She is defined this way to show how she does fit the description of an ideal Christian woman on the realm of behavior. She is not beautiful but is filed with force and energy. She wears bright clothes and an elaborate head dress. These attires are showy rather than elegant. Thus, unlike the good Christian, that she is not, she attempts to explore an uncharted elegance.

The descriptions provided in the story are provoking based on her facial and body features which are sexually suggestive. Chaucer describes her physical appearance: her legs, clothes, feet, and most importantly her gaped tooth. According to her, this was an important aspect that a woman should possess because they define sensuality and lust. During the period when the story was written, having a gap in the teeth symbolized sensual nature of a person. This is to infer that she was interested in love and not anything to do with making a home with a husband and children. It is the more reason that she had five