User:Sydostroff

The Wife of Bath Canterbury Tales Part 1 What specific occupation does your character practice? - The wife of bath is a housewife who is married to 5 different men.

What does the need for this occupation tell us about the time period? - It shows that this time period was sexist towards women and just used them for their bodies and house chores. What was his or her social standing? - She’s a very controversial character. She believes she’s an expert at being a wife because she’s had a lot of experience being married. She argues that although virginity is important someone has to be procreating so that more virgins are born.

What might your character’s day to day life be like? - Chores - Taking care of children - Cooking for family

What details about this character does Chaucer not include? - The details about her taking care of her families and children.

What modern day occupation might correspond to your medieval character and why? - A stay at home mom because their job is to take care of their children and husband. They do things like grocery shopping, cooking for the family, cleaning, and taking their children to activities. This is the modernized job of the Wife of Bath.

Part two Paraphrase each line of the prologue describing your character.

There was a housewife come from Bath, or near, The housewife is from England Who—sad to say—was deaf in either ear. She was deaf in both of her ears At making cloth she had so great a bent She had a knack for making clothes She bettered those of Ypres and even of Ghent. She traveled a lot and these places are foreshadowing to something In all the parish there was no goodwife In all of the church there’s no loyal wife Should offering make her before her, on my life; The church is more loyal than a wife. And if one did, indeed, so wroth was she She would be angry if someone offered their life. It put her out of all her charity It made her selfish. Her kerchiefs were of finest weave and ground; Her handkerchiefs were expensive and nice. I dare swear that they weighed a full ten pound She was once wealthy. Which, of a Sunday, she wore on her head. She wore her wealthy clothes Her hose were of the choicest scarlet red, Her bold clothing represents her confidence. Close gartered, and her shoes were soft and new. Wore a garter and has good clothing. Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue. She was fair and red with strong features. She’d been respectable throughout her life, People respect her. With five churched husbands bringing joy and strife, She has five husbands who brought her joy and bitterness. Not counting other company in youth; Not counting the relationships she had But thereof there’s no need to speak, in truth. But there is no need to speak of them Three times she’d journeyed to Jerusalem; She had done pilgrimages 3 times to jerusalem And many a foreign stream she’d had to stem; She's also traveled to many places in Europe

Which lines in the prologue best describe your character’s physical appearance? - Lines 9-14 Line 24 line 26

Which lines describe his/her personality? - Line 15

Which specific words add to your understanding of the character’s personality? - Bold - Respectable - wandering

List at least 5 examples of spelling variations from middle to modern English - Bath- english - Parish- church - Bent- low wooden stand with partitions for holding cutlery and plates - Garter- a band worn around the leg to keep up a stocking or sock - Wimple- name of the covering worn over the head and around the neck and chin by women in the late medieval period

Part 3- analyze text

What is Chaucer’s opinion toward this character? - Chaucer thinks she is different from most women during this time in that she is very open about her sexuality. He also thinks she is a little shallow and selfish, but she is respected by the people around her.

What specific lines or words tell you this? - Line 15 What word choices require an understanding of vocabulary from the time period? Bath- english Parish- church Bent- low wooden stand with partitions for holding cutlery and plates Garter- a band worn around the leg to keep up a stocking or sock

Analysis The Wife of Bath’s prologue opens with a strange line stating that “Who - sad to say- was deaf in either ear” meaning she was deaf in both ears. This one of the flaws of the wife. Then the Chaucer goes on to say that she is a very good wife and although she is married to five men she is loyal. “She bettered those of Ypres and even of Ghent.” Chaucer also has a rather lustful description of her. “Her hose were of the choicest scarlet red... Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue. The Wife is exactly what the medieval Church saw as a “wicked woman,” and she takes pride in that. From the very beginning, her speech has undertones of conflict with her patriarchal society.

The Wife of Bath Prologue explained