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Canterbury Tales Feminism

Topics: Feminism, Gender, Gender role Pages: 2 (414 words) Published: April 12, 2015
 
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Adafih Blackburn 
Mrs. Herrick 
British Literature H 
3 September 2014 
 
Feminism is the belief that men and woman should have equal rights and opportunities.  During the medieval times there were designated roles assigned to women, therefore that soon  began to change. Women gradually began to express their concerns and tried to have an equal  role in society apart from the men. The stance of feminism on both Chaucer and the Wife of Bath  is a complex one but the conclusion is that they both are not feminists.  The Wife of Bath, according to some is just Chaucer reincarnated as a woman. In the  argument on whether or not the Wife of Bath is a feminist, one can say that she is anti feminist.  She is anti feminist in the way that she uses sexual aspects for her personal gain instead of trying  to prove herself worthy and equal in the patriarchal medieval society Chaucer created . Instead of  being a trailblazer and revolutionary woman like a feminist would, she constantly seeks out  different husbands after being "widowed" to provide for her needs; sexually and financially. The  worthy woman from beside Bath city has many indications of just being a typical “medieval  woman”. At first, it may have seemed that she was just rebelling against the male­dominated  society at that time but she does not really do anything considered to be powerful or radical for  the women of her time. The worthy woman of Bath portrays all the negative characteristics of 

 
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women which include: stupidity, deceitfulness and raunchiness. Even though she is striking back  at men, she is not doing it in a way so that it betters herself and the women of her time but solely  for personal gain. She has all of her husbands wrapped around her finger and she puts up a fight  with them but she is not trying to pull away from the male centered society, she is still dependent ...
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