GENDER AND SOCIAL CONVENTION IN THE WIFE OS BATH'S TALE

Throughout The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer often uses his characters’ satirically uproarious accounts of human nature in order to lampoon many of the social convictions of his time. Some of the most unambiguous manifestations of this social criticism occur in “The Wife of Bath’s Tale.” In the tale, Chaucer takes on a number of issues, perhaps the most memorable being that of perceived gender roles and stereotypes. However, while “The Wife of Bath’s Tale” is notorious for its confrontation of traditional perceptions of gender, it is equally progressive in the questions it raises concerning social status and its subsequent meanings.
While these concerns may seem secondary to the role of gender in the tale, they take a central position as the Knight is forced to fulfill his promise to the old woman by taking her as his partner in matrimony. When the old woman confronts the Knight on their wedding night about the reason for his subdued demeanor, he responds, te...