The Wife of Bath (analysis from line 15)

 The narrator says, almost denying what he had said until now, she was respectsble, mitigating his previous judgments. Indeed, this is only an impression: the author goes on saying she had been married five times, not counting her previous loves and lovers. Anyway mentioning the topic, he ironacally adds that there is no need of talking about this.This way, the narrator completely destroys her reputation. Then, he gives another (unuseful) positive judjement about her: she had been three times to Jerusalem, and had travelled to Rome, Boulogne, and many other places of pilgrimage. The long list wants to underline her ostentation of being religious and her will to be the first even in demostrating her devotion (although her prvious loves deny it). Indeed the narrator ends the description telling she knew all about travelling, but also having sexual relationships with many persons. This last characteristic is reiforced by saying her teeth were widely spaced, that was cosidered a sign of lasciviousness during the Middle Ages.