Marriage and the Role of Women in The Wife of Bath PrologueThe Canterbury Tales, begun in 1387 by Geoffrey Chaucer, are written in heroic iambic pentameter couplets and consist of a series of twenty-four linked tales told by a group of superbly characterized pilgrims ranging from knight to plowman. The characters meet in a London inn, before traveling to the shrine of St Thomas a Becket in Canterbury. The Wife of Bath is one such character. She bases her story and prologue on marriage and brings humor and intrigue to the tales, as she is lively and very often crudely spoken. Her role as a dominant woman contrasts greatly with others in the tales, as the genteel and proper prioress represents the argument for virginity, while the wife defends the state of marriage. Women were very much seen as second-class citizens in the 14th century. , they were rarely educated and had little status in society. In contrast, the book's two female characters come from areas of society where it was possible for women to have influence, probably because these characters would be of greater interest to its readership. The prioress was undoubtedly the most powerful person in the convent and the wife's position as a weaver would allow her to gain respect and power, although it is implied that she achieves this through other means. Through the Wife Chaucer shows how women gained authority through marriage, using the humor typical of modern stepmother comedy. Her ironic approach shows how the wife controls her husbands, terrorizing them so that everyone is “very happy” when she “talks to them.” The reason for the cruel treatment of the wife after marriage was that she no longer needed to "earn his love, or do... middle of paper... and in the church of times modern. The aspects of marriage described in the prologue to Wife of Bath, there is much talk of sexual pleasure and wealth. Her depiction shows that the struggle for power causes conflict, violence, and occasional abuse while justifying her lifestyle and fighting for women's equality. trust as a deception and adventures that seem banal. The Wife of Bath's description of married life is quite comical, which she seems to enjoy especially if she manages to flourish overall. Chaucer's portrait of married life in the 14th century is at its best. a humorous battlefield for independence, wealth and the pleasures of the flesh. Works Cited: Chaucer, Geoffrey The Canterbury Tales: Sixth Edition. Abrams, M. H. Norton & Company: New York., 1993.