The Wife of Bath

A worthy woman from beside Bath city
was with us, somewhat deaf, which was a pity.
In making cloth she showed so great a bent
she bettered those of Ypres and of Ghent.
In all the parish not a dame dared stir
towards the altar steps in front of her.
And if indeed they did, so wrath was she
as to be quite put out of charity.
Her kerchiefs were of finely woven ground,
I dared have sworn they weighed a good ten pound
the ones she wore on Sunday, on her head.
Her hose were of the finest scarlet red
and gartered tight; her shoes were soft and new.
Bold was her face, handsome and red in hue.
A worthy woman all her life, what's more
she's had five husbands, all at the church door,
apart from other company in youth;
no need just now to speak of that, forsooth.
And she had thrice been to Jerusalem,
seen many strange rivers and passed over them;
she's been to Rome and also to Boulogne,
St James of Compostella and Cologne,
and she was skilled in wandering by th way.
She had gap-teeth, set widely, truth to say.
Easily on an ambling horse she sat
well wimpled up, and on her head a hat
as broad as is a buckler or a shield;
she had a flowing mantle that concealed
large hips, her heels spurred sharply under that,
in company she liked to laugh and chat
and knew the remedies for love's mischances,
an art in which she knew the oldest dances.

CHARACTERISATION’S ANALYSIS – The Wife of Bath

The object of the present work is to analyse the characterisation of the Wife of Bath.

The only piece of information the reader can have from the title is that the woman described comes from Bath. He or she could also understand her social status from the word “Wife”. Below, I'm going to explain the strategies adopted by the narrator to introduce the character.

The narrator starts the characterisation defining her a “worthy woman”, revealing that she occupies an high and respected position in society. Indeed she doesn’t live in the countryside, but she comes from “beside Bath city”. Her deafness is the unique lack, and it might reveal that she is not so young anymore.
Well, in the first two lines the narrator provides the reader with information about her social status and her provenance and he gives a clue about her age.

Afterwards the narrator focuses on her excellent ability in making cloth and on her relationship with the other dame. No one of them dares to surpass the Wife of Bath, because she would be able to become really wrath. Her behavior shows that she has an eccentric personality. In addition, telling that “not a dame dared stir towards the altar steps in front of her”, the narrator tells about her reputation: she is respected and feared.

Chaucer moves on to the description of her clothes and her appearance.
Everything she wears is of hightest quality and colour, is precious and expensive (“Her kerchiefs were of finely woven ground [..] they weighed a good ten pound [..] her hose were of the finest scarlet red [..] her shoes were soft and new”). Her clothes show that she pays attention on her appearance and she is rich enough to afford to wear so elegantly.
Afterwards the narrator tells about her face: “bold, handsome and red in hue”, communicating the first impression you get from her face. First, she is impudent, revealing her presumptuous character and underlining her nobility. Secondly, she looks handsome and her beauty reinforces her personality.

G. Chaucer says again: “A worthy woman all her life” and he continues telling about her past husbands. She has been married five times at church, but you have to consider also her partners in youth. Such information confirms her beauty, but also reveals another feature of her eccentric character.
In the same way, the Wife of Bath has visited many cities, traveling around the world: she went three times to Jerusalem, but she also reached Rome, Bolougne, St James of Compostella and Cologne.
The Wife of Bath is an independent woman, who is able to seduce a man as she is able to go on a long journey alone.

Chaucer ends the characterisation giving further details on her appearance. She has gap-teeth, that are a sign of sensual character. She sits comfortably on her horse. She wears a hat that is wide like a shield, like everything she wears, that captures the attention. She also wears a long mantle that covers her large hips, which the narrator refers to highlight her attraction.
Finally Chaucer describes her behavior in the company of pilgrims, saying that she likes laughing and chatting, and she is an expert in love affairs, since she knows the oldest dances of love art.

Thus, the narrator builds the characterisation of the Wife of Bath trough the description of her appearance, in particular her clothes, her past life and her behavior with the people around her.