Chaucer's the Canterbury Tales

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales demonstrate many different attitudes toward and perceptions of marriage. Some of these ideas are more liberal thought such as the marriages portrayed in the Wife of Bath, the Clerk’s and Merchant’s Tales. Then there are those tales that are very traditional, such as that discussed in the Franklin's and the Squire’s tales. And lastly there is a tales of that of the Friar and the Summoner which aren’t really involved with marriage but are in the middle of the marriage group to show the fighting between two men and to prove the Wife of bath right. While several of these tales are rather comical, they do indeed give us a representation of the attitudes toward marriage at that time in history. Marriage in Chaucer's time meant a union between spirit and flesh and was thus part of the marriage between Christ and the Church. The Canterbury Tales show many abuses of this sacred bond and different views on how a marriage should work.

The Wife of Bath’s tale, in which she says that one spouse, preferably the wife, must have mastery over the other. The Wife of Bath obviously has a rather carefree attitude toward marriage. She knows that the woes of marriage are not inflicted upon women; rather, women inflict these woes upon their husbands. In setting forth her views of marriage, however, she actually proves that the opposite is true. “Experience, though noon auctoritee Were in this world, is right ynough for me To speke of wo that is in marriage

...” (Chaucer 105). The Wife of Bath, in her Prologue, proves to her own satisfaction that the Miller's perception of marriage is correct, and then declares that it is indeed acceptable for a woman to marry more than once. She claims that chastity is not necessary for a successful marriage and that virginity is never even mentioned in the Bible.

Wher can ye seye in any manere age That hye God defended marriage

By expres word? I praye yow, telleth me. Or where comanded he virginitee?

I woot as wel as ye, it is no drede, Th'apostl, whan he speketh of maydenhede,

He seyde that precept therof hadde he noon: Men may conseille a womman to

been oon, But conseillyng is no comandement. He putte it in oure owen

juggement. For hadde God comanded maydenhede Thanne hadde he dampned

wedding with the dede; And certes, if ther were no seed ysowe, Virginitee, thanne

whereof sholde it growe? (Chaucer 106)

She later asks where virginity would come from if no one gave up their virginity. Clearly, the Wife of Bath is largely an argument in defense