Chaucer, at least on the surface, recreates the commonly perceived stereotype of a vile woman in Alisoun; and as DW Robertson states in Chaucer's Exegetes: "She is only an elaborate iconographic figure designed to show the multiple implications of an attitude." » Alisoun is portrayed as an iconoclast, transgressive to the core, hoarse and incorrigible to boot. In fact, her attempt to act as a preacher was an act of rebellion in itself, as women were and still are generally prohibited from preaching. Alisoun's expression and actions seem entirely governed by self-interest, as evidenced by her selective exegesis of the Bible, where the amusing irony of it all lies: she uses the same source as her ecclesiastical counterparts to undermine them . Therefore, on one level, she is not completely overturning the established status quo, but simply offering her own perspective to counter the dogmatic and patriarchal point of view. Alisoun fuels her rhetoric with seemingly relevant aphorisms, proverbs, and biblical references to justify her life choices, and she uses the same generally accepted authority to further her own cause through biased interpretations. However, Alisoun sometimes seems almost desperate in her attempts at self-justification, as when she uses astrological associations with Mars and Venus for this purpose. This could be seen as a subconscious conformity on her part and therefore, it could further be said that even though she seems free from social limitations, Alisoun still seeks acceptance by the same society that looks down on women such as her. Therefore, she was not entirely free, even if she tried to pass herself off as a free thinker. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay On the other hand, it could also be explained as self-affirmation, a conscious attempt by a vivacious woman to defend her beliefs, whether material hedonism or otherwise, against the shackles of tradition and dogma, as she chooses to enter the male domain of preaching to defeat established opinion on her own turf , albeit on his terms. Despite her revolutionary view of the Bible, she never undermines God's authority; rather, his anger is directed at the Church's common misinterpretation of His words. On this note, a parallel could be drawn with Milton's sentiments as expressed in Christian Doctrine, where he attributes sole authority to the Bible; explaining that individuals should develop their faith on their own through the study of Scripture without considering other opinions. This could also be seen as Chaucer's own commentary on the social circumstances of his time. Thus, it could be argued that through Alisoun, Chaucer expressed a feminist character even before the movement was born. Indeed, Alisoun addresses many important issues regarding women's rights and marriage, although her methods may not be entirely convincing. It must be understood that the Bible, like any other scriptural text, is quite ambivalent and can therefore often be interpreted on different levels. As mentioned before, Alisoun chooses a vein that suits him, even if it is not commonly accepted. What gives her arguments their force is that she reinforces them under the guise of pragmatic common sense and corroborates them with examples from the Bible, which to any layman without a complete knowledge of Scripture would seem quite convincing. Therefore, one can be sure that Alisoun was an intelligent, educated speakerand cunning. Furthermore, the General Prologue confirms that she was well traveled and, as Alisoun herself points out, that she was a sufficiently experienced woman. She could further be credited with observing that she turned the debate onto others, as shown in her relationship with her husband, that is, she forced her opponents to justify and explain. even if she is the one considered to be in the wrong, which is clearly the sign of a skilled debater. Furthermore, his arguments follow a certain logic, even if this is also designed according to his own interest, for example with regard to him. interpretation of Pauline doctrines. Overall, one could argue that there is an affability about his cartoonish character despite his boldness. Furthermore, she accepts her own faults even though she may try to defend or disdain them; as she points out, she may not be perfect, but is that a crime? She refuses to adhere to common beliefs and rituals prescribed by the Church, as she prefers to confess her crimes to her close friends rather than to the priest, as is the norm. Even during the Lenten season, she is seen flirting with strangers and seeking new lovers in social congregations while her husband is away. In fact, it was during this period that she declared her love for Janekin and promised to marry him once her fourth husband died. Afterwards, although she showed her usual sorrow as a widow, she lusted after Janekin at the same time. Therefore, again, it is evident that on some level Alisoun as an individual was still repressed by social mores. However, one couldn't blame her, because after all, she was a woman living in the 14th century. Here Chaucer might reflect on the futility of such rules and regulations, for even though actions can be curtailed, but who can control thought? Alisoun's deepest and most logical riposte against anti-feminist doctrines such as those written by St. Jerome remains: "Qui peyntede leoun, tell me, who?" This particular quip, using Aesop's fable as a reference, captures the essence of his argument, that since men are the dominant gender, it is obvious that the texts they write should glorify their stature while diminishing that of women. Therefore, other Marxist connotations could apply here. The comforting irony here would be that this is a male writer speaking through a female voice, and along the same lines, the destruction of Janekin's book could be seen as symbolic optimism coming from Chaucer. In this section, some excerpts will be discussed. concerning Alisoun's disregard for the teachings of the Church. Regarding the permitted number of marriages (Prologue 10-14) "He who is with this Christ...for the non-" Most preachers of the time like Saint Jerome disapproved of remarriages and supported For this they often used arguments such as in the entire Bible Christ only attends one wedding, that is, that of Cana, and therefore it is understood that people should only marry once. However, Alisoun minces no words in expressing his opinion on the matter as it is clear that this is a stupid and baseless interpretation. Therefore, it is interesting to note that Alisoun was not so different from the preachers of her time, as far as partial exegesis is concerned. Likewise, Alisoun dismisses the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman with five husbands in his characteristic insolent manner. Afterwards, she uses literal interpretations of certain Bible verses to support her views regarding marriage and sex. It refers to the book of Genesis where God would have.