The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale Contents
- The Prologue: introductory comments
- Part one: l.1 'Experience' - l.76 'Cacche whoso may'
- Part two: l.77 'But this word' - l.134 'To purge uryne'
- Part three: l.135 'But if I seye noght' - l.162 ' Al this sentence'
- Part four: l.163 'Up sterte' - l.192 'For myn entente'
- Part five: l.193 'Now sires' - l.234 'Of hir assent'
- Part six: l.235 'Sire old kanyard' - l.307 'I wol hym noght'
- Part seven: l.308 'But tel me this' - l.378 'This know they'
- Part eight: l.379 'Lordinges, right thus' - l.452 'Now wol I speken'
- Part nine: l.453 'My forthe housebonde' - l.502 'He is now in the grave'
- Part ten: l.503 'Now of my fifthe housebond' - l.542 'Had told to me'
- Part eleven: l.543 'And so bifel' - l.584 'As wel of this'
- Part twelve: l.585 'But now, sire' - l.626 'How poore'
- Part thirteen: l.627 'What sholde I seye' - l.665 'I nolde noght'
- Part fourteen: l.666 'Now wol I seye' - l.710 'That women kan'
- Part fifteen: l.711 'But now to purpos' - l.771 'Somme han kem'
- Part sixteen: l.772 'He spak moore' - l.828 'Now wol I seye'
- Part seventeen: The after words l.829 'The frere lough' - l.856 'Yis dame, quod'
- The Wife of Bath's Tale: Introductory comments
- Part eighteen: l.857 'In the' olde days' - l.898 'To chese weither'
- Part nineteen: l.899 'The queen thanketh' - l.949 'But that tale is nat'
- Part twenty: l.952 'Pardee, we wommen' - l.1004 'These olde folk'
- Part twenty-one: l.1005 'My leve mooder' - l.1072 'And taketh his olde wyf'
- Part twenty-two: l.1073 'Now wolden som men' - l.1105 'Ye, certeinly'
- Part twenty-three: l.1106 'Now sire, quod she' - l.1176 'To lyven vertuously'
- Part twenty-four: l.1177 'And ther as ye' - l.1218 'I shal fulfille'he Holocaust and the creation of
- Part twenty-five: l.1219 'Chese now' - l.1264 'God sende hem'
- Reaction to the Wife's Tale
- Themes in The Wife of Bath's Tale
- The struggle for power in The Wife of Bath's Prologue
- The 'wo' that is in marriage
- The portrayal of gender in The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
- Desire and The Wife of Bath's Tale
- Is there justice in The Wife of Bath's Tale
- Social criticism in The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
- Marriage and sexuality in The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
- Mastery in The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
- Debate, dispute and resolution in The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
- Tale and teller in The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale
Part nine: l.453 'My forthe housebonde' - l.502 'He is now in the grave'
Synopsis of l.453-502
The Wife meets her match; and the triumph of time
The Wife introduces the account of her marriage to her fourth husband with the comment that he had a lover. At that time, she claims, she was still young and passionate and enjoyed dancing, singing and drinking. She dismisses the idea that wives should be prohibited from drinking, but admits that drinking made her feel lustful.
When the Wife thinks about her youth, she is glad that she had a good time and made the most of it. She recognises, though, that the flower/flour of her youth has gone. Undaunted she determines to be merry and sell the ‘husks' of her life for the most advantage that she can get.
She returns to the fact that her fourth husband had another woman. This galled her and she speaks of her determination to make him suffer for it. Out of her anger and ‘jalousye' (jealousy) she made a purgatory on earth for him. In fact she gave him such torment on earth that she thinks he must have gone straight to glory in heaven when he died. (See Religious / philosophical context > Medieval beliefs about sin and forgiveness > Judgement and purgatory)
The Wife discovered herself to be a widow on her return home from one of her trips to Jerusalem (see Religious / philosophical context > Pilgrims and pilgrimage). She declares that she buried her fourth husband without any wasted expense and bids him farewell.
Commentary on l.453-502
Chaucer introduces poignancy to the Wife's story. The drama of her battle with her husbands is suspended briefly as she remembers her youth and acknowledges that she is ageing. Memory is important to the sense of self in life and in texts. Chaucer makes the Wife reflective here which enables readers / listeners become more aware of the Wife as a person. Chaucer works with three time periods in a few lines – the time of her youth, the time when she married her fourth husband and the present.
l.456 joly as a pye: Using yet another animal image, the Wife compares her ebullience to the chatter of a magpie. The magpie is also used as an image of passionate chatter in Chaucer's unflattering account of January (the elderly knight of The Merchant's Tale) in bed with his young wife, May.
l.460 Metellius, the foule cherl, the swyn: The Wife seems genuinely outraged that a husband should kill his wife for drinking, and was (presumably) admired for doing so. According to the online Chaucer Name Dictionary Metellius' wife was fined for drinking wine. The Wife, though, claims that Metellius murdered his wife for her drinking.
l.466 A likerous mouth moste han a likerous tayl: The Wife is graphic in depicting the desires drinking leads her to.
l. 472-3 it dooth myn herte boote / That I have had my world as in my tyme.: Chaucer counteracts the reader's possible censure of the Wife's drunken behaviour by helping us appreciate her obvious enjoyment of life.
l.483 seint Joce: The Wife refers to a local saint from Brittany, also known as Judocas or Josse – an indication that she is well travelled.
l.484 I made hym of the same wode a croce: The Wife's idiom refers to the teaching of Jesus that his followers should prepared to suffer as he had (being put to death on a wooden cross), by taking up their own cross and following in his footsteps (Luke 9:23-24). In common jargon this led to the phrase that ‘everyone has a cross to bear' i.e. that suffering comes to everyone. The Wife is imposing the pain of jealousy on her fourth husband, as he has on her.
l. 485 Nat of my body, in no foul manere: Given her account thus far, the hearer needs to decide whether to believe the Wife's assertion here that she was chaste.
l.489-90 in erthe I was his purgatorie, / … I hope his soule be in glorie: The painful ‘cleansing' of souls, which the Catholic church believed happened in purgatory, was meant to be endured after the grave but the Wife is enacting it on earth. Because of this, she hopes that her fourth husband can by-pass proper purgatory and go straight to the bliss of heaven. See Religious / philosophical context > Medieval beliefs about sin and forgiveness > Judgement and purgatory.
l.495 whan I cam fro Jerusalem: This is clearly not the first pilgrimage that the Wife has been on. See Religious / philosophical context > Pilgrims and pilgrimage.
l.496 the roode beem: This is the central wooden beam (sometimes a screen) that bisected a church, dividing the ordinary people in the nave from the holy activities of the priests in the chancel, where the mass was celebrated. The rood itself was the cross or crucifix usually centrally positioned at the entrance to the chancel (on the rood beam).
l.498 the sepulcre of … daryus: Darius III was an ancient King of Persia, whose tomb was designed by the artist Appelles. Appelles is reputed to have also designed a magnificent tomb for Darius' wife, Satira. The point is clear: the Wife is not committed to costly commemoration!
Investigating l.453-502
- Do you think that new aspects of the Wife's character are revealed in this section?
- Read the section out aloud from line 469 ‘But, Lord, Crist! ...' to line 480.
- Try to identify for yourself moments where the lines flow smoothly
- Try to identify for yourself moments where you sense that a pause, a slowing down or a quietening of the voice is necessary to your reading.
- How does The Wife's expression of her awareness of ageing affect the ideas that you may have formed so far of the Wife as ‘a verray jangleresse' (l.638, a talkative, ranting, lying woman)?
- How does The pause and flow of the lines affect the ideas that you may have formed so far of the Wife as ‘a verray jangleresse' (l.638, a talkative, ranting, lying woman)?
- English Standard Version
- King James Version
1And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3And he said to them, Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them. 6And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, 8by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the prophets of old had risen. 9Herod said, John I beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him. 10On their return the apostles told him all that they had done. And he took them and withdrew apart to a town called Bethsaida. 11When the crowds learned it, they followed him, and he welcomed them and spoke to them of the kingdom of God and cured those who had need of healing. 12Now the day began to wear away, and the twelve came and said to him, Send the crowd away to go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find lodging and get provisions, for we are here in a desolate place. 13But he said to them, You give them something to eat. They said, We have no more than five loaves and two fish - unless we are to go and buy food for all these people. 14For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each. 15And they did so, and had them all sit down. 16And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing over them. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. 17And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. 18Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, Who do the crowds say that I am? 19And they answered, John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen. 20Then he said to them, But who do you say that I am? And Peter answered, The Christ of God. 21And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22saying, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 23And he said to all, If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. 28Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah - not knowing what he said. 34As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him! 36And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen. 37On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not. 41Jesus answered, O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here. 42While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43And all were astonished at the majesty of God. Jesus Again Foretells His Death But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. 45But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. 46An argument arose among them as to which of them was the greatest. 47But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts, took a child and put him by his side 48and said to them, Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For he who is least among you all is the one who is great. 49John answered, Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us. 50But Jesus said to him, Do not stop him, for the one who is not against you is for you. 51When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them? 55But he turned and rebuked them. 56And they went on to another village. 57As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. 58And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. 59To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. 60And Jesus said to him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. 61Yet another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home. 62Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.
1Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 3And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 4And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 5And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 6And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. 7Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; 8And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 9And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. 10And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. 12And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. 13But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. 14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. 15And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. 18And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? 26For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. 28And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 32But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. 33And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. 34While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. 35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. 36And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. 37And it came to pass, that on the next day, when they were come down from the hill, much people met him. 38And, behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son: for he is mine only child. 39And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him that he foameth again, and bruising him hardly departeth from him. 40And I besought thy disciples to cast him out; and they could not. 41And Jesus answering said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. 42And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him down, and tare him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father. 43And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 44Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying. 46Then there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be greatest. 47And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him, 48And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great. 49And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us. 51And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 52And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. 53And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 56For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village. 57And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
In traditional Roman Catholic doctrine, an 'antechamber' to heaven, a place between Heaven and Hell, where the souls of those dead who are not damned, but not yet fit for heaven, go to be purged (purified) of their sins.
In many religions, the place where God dwells, and to which believers aspire after their death. Sometimes known as Paradise.
The city on a hill (Mt. Zion) which King David captured and made the capital of Israel. It was the site of the Temple built by Solomon and of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Today it is still a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims.
In the New Testament the term is used of all Christians but gradually came to describe an especially holy person.
The name given to the man believed by Christians to be the Son of God. Also given the title Christ, meaning 'anointed one' or Messiah. His life is recorded most fully in the Four Gospels.
1. Instrument of execution used in the Roman Empire.
2. The means by which Jesus Christ was put to death and therefore the primary symbol of the Christian faith, representing the way in which he is believed to have won forgiveness for humankind.
The spirit which gives life to a human being; the part which lives on after death; a person's inner being (personality, intellect, emotions and will) which distinguishes them from animals.
1. All Christians worldwide.
2. The Church in the West until the Reformation.
3. The Roman Catholic Church.
1. Term for a worshipping community of Christians.
2. The building in which Christians traditionally meet for worship.
3. The worldwide community of Christian believers.
The area of a church used by the congregation during worship.
A person whose role is to carry out religious functions.
The area in a traditional Christian Church where clergy, choir and the altar are situated, often raised or behind a screen, dividing it from the nave area containing the pulpit and seating for the congregation.
The central religious service of the Roman Catholic Church, incorporating praise, intercession and readings from scripture. The central action is the consecration of the bread and wine by the priest.
A symbol depicting Jesus' body on the cross, intended to convey his death and suffering (or sometimes his victory) on behalf of humankind.
Related material
Scan and go
Scan on your mobile for direct link.