The Wife of Bath is often considered an early feminist, but by reading her prologue and short story you can easily see that this is not true. In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, the Wife of Bath believes that a wife should have authority and control over her husband. The Wife's ideas were unquestionably unusual for her period and she shocked her audience with her radical views, but perhaps that was her intention. It should also be noted that the Wife of Bath possessed weaknesses towards men despite her confident air, and it is likely that her outspokenness is some sort of defense mechanism. Since feminism traditionally denotes a belief in equality between the sexes, it is easy to see that the Wife does not advocate feminism but rather the manipulation of men for one's own advantage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Both the prologue and the Wife of Bath's tale illustrate her belief that men should allow themselves to "be ruled by their wives" (176), and the Wife, or Lady Alice, repeatedly emphasizes that she has no problem abusing physically and psychologically of their husbands. The wife's first three husbands were old and rich, mere tools. Her fourth husband was like his wife's male counterpart – also promiscuous and stubborn – but he died quickly. The wife was not upset by the death of her fourth husband and already had a fifth husband lined up. Her fifth husband was the cruelest and most difficult for her to tame, and ironically her favorite of all. Of course, he got the better of them all in the end. Widowed five times, the wife openly admits that she "put [her husbands] to work so hard" (157) that they cried out in exhaustion and frustration. She also boasts of her ability to manipulate her past husbands, especially old, rich ones. The Wife lied to their husbands, making them believe she had heard rumors about an unfaithful act they had committed, when in reality she was only trying to “put them in the wrong” (157). After making him feel completely guilty, she could sleep without fear of being questioned by her husband. It's likely that much of the Wife's apparent brashness is just an attempt to shock her audience. Before the Wife of Bath begins her tale, the Friar states that she hopes “to have joy and salvation” (168) from the story she will tell, and, as if in protest, the Wife begins by mocking the friars. Dame Alice sets the scene by describing a land that was once inhabited by fairies, but is now filled with friars who "can only do physical dishonor to a [woman]" (170). When, in her prologue, the Wife states that her fifth husband was much happier once she "had taken over" (168), the reader must wonder how much of her advice is exaggeration or lies. she gives the impression of being a strong and often bold woman, but Chaucer does not portray her without weaknesses. In her prologue, the Bride painfully acknowledges that “age, alas, which poisons all, has robbed her” (162) of her beauty and youth. This, of course, does not stop her from marrying again and again: she even marries a twenty-year-old when she is forty. Ultimately, the Wife of Bath is trying to mask her insecurity about her deceptive beauty, which has been her primary means of controlling men and thus having a power in society that women do not normally enjoy. The Wife of Bath's tale illustrates her longing for youth. Also. The story suggests a fairy tale, but does not strictly follow the format of a fairy tale. His story features a young man who is imprisoned for rape. The fact that the protagonist is a rapist, 28(2), 233-248.