Intro to ¨The Wife of Bath´s Tale¨

This tale is one of the earliest feminist works of its time. Feminism is a political and social idea that advocates for women´s rights and strives for equality between the sexes.
This tale has a tale within a tale!

• ¨The Canterbury Tales¨ is a frame story

• A Frame story surrounds another story or group of stories.

• the frame story and individual stories interact.

Frame Story

​The Canterbury Tales

¨The Pardoner´s Tale¨

¨The Wife of Bath´s Tale¨

¨The Knight´s Tale¨

¨The Friar´s Tale¨

¨The Clerk´s Tale¨

¨The Miller´s Tale¨

• frame and individual tales interactions:

  • individual tales reflect the description of the storytellers´ personalities and lives

  • ¨The Wife of bath´s Tale¨ is a frame story

  • The setting may not match

• The wife of Bath sets her story during the reign of King Arthur.

Frame Story

The Knight

Midas

1. ​A mysterious guide who helps point the way

2. Just ending that rewards good and punishes evil

3. character´s test of morality

4. characters, events or things that come in threes

1. ​Imagery- detailed description to create an image in the mind of the readers

2. Symbolism- and idea or thing that represents something else

3. Metaphor- description of something by saying it is something else

4. Allusions- implied or direct reference

5. Verbal irony- when you say something but mean something else

   1. Tip for reading: the Wife of Bath speaks using verbal irony while telling her story

Tells (p.141)

​Relates(v.)

begged earnestly (p. 140)

​Implored(v.)

hand down as an inheritance (p. 146)

​bequeath (v.)

Disrespectful, Scornful (p. 145)

contemptuous (adj.)

highly respected; held in high regard (p. 147)

​Esteemed (adj.)

heroism; distinction (p. 147)

Prowess (n.)

​Rebuke (v.)

criticize strongly (p. 149)