WIFE OF BATH

Geoffrey Chaucer has delineated a number of marvelous characters. He was a poet of 14^th century who created some of original characters which the readers cannot forget. Wife of Bath is one of those immortal and unforgettable characters in his book 'Prologue to the Canterbury Tales'.

Wife of Bath was the product of city of Bath in England. She was a firm minded woman and belonged to upper class of England. She let no one exceed in offering charity. Chaucer has informed us;

“And if ther did, certeyn so wroth”.

Which means that if anyone tried to give more alms than that of hers, she would get angry. She was rich because she knew the art of sewing magnificent clothes. Her clothes were liked and purchased throughout the England. Her character is simultaneously type and individual. When Chaucer informs us about her general details, she becomes representative of all aristocratic women sharing her traits.

The writer gives such forceful, elaborate and convincing details about this character that her very picture emerges before the readers’ eyes.

Boisterous sexuality combines with the religious feelings in the character sketch of ‘Wife of Bath’. The interesting thing to be noted here is that she was a much-married woman of the town;

“She was a worthy woman in all her lyve,

Housband at chirche dore she hadde five.”

She had numerous love affairs in her youth. Chaucer readily tells that she was ready for a sixth time if she found an amiable, charming and fascinating bachelor with dominating personality. She had gone long to perform pilgrimages;

“And thrice hadde she been at Jerusalem,

She hadde passed many a strange streem.”

Many marriages contracted by ‘Wife of Bath’ reflect the true condition of social setup in the Middle Ages. In fact, a single woman or a widow with sufficient property was hardly ever left single for long. Men in the 14^th century were willing to get marry with such a wealthy woman in order to stand in society.

She went on pilgrimages a many other women of the age did. Women often used to set out on pilgrims as a means of escaping from the restrictions of the husbands. Chaucer also informs us about her personal details;

“She koude muchel of wandering by the weye,

Gat-toothed was she, smoothly for to seye.”

The term ‘Gat-toothed’ has been interpreted in different ways. Skeat comments that it means gap-toothed or having teeth wide apart. It is supposed to indicate;

“Much travel and good fortune.”

Professor Curry remarks that a gap-toothed person in Middle Ages was considered to be;

“Envious, luxurious, good natured, bold, deceitful and suspicious.”

Professor Barnow reflects that gap-toothed women were predestined to the office of love. Bowden makes a conclusion that all these signs mentioned above in the minds of Chaucer’s contemporaries. The 'Wife of Bath' holds all these three characteristics in her character.

We can conclude the whole discussion in the words that 'Wife of Bath' was a very unique character in the company of those twenty-nine people who were going to Canterbury.