Les 2 Chaucer - The Wife of Bath

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

2nd Lesson Middle English Lit

Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and "The Wife of Bath"

Today's Class

• Continue reading "The Wife of Bath" 
• What did we learn last time?

Lesson Goal

• By the end of this lesson you about the motives and ideas behind Chaucer's "The Wife of Bath's Tale"
• You can put the tale in its historical context

The Wife of Bath

- Detailed description of her appearance
- Red stockings, broad hips, big butt
    = medieval stereotype of a lustful person
- Renowned clothmaker, makes lots of money, lots of travelling
- Widowed (5 husbands), since married women couldn't travel or do business

Let's continue reading

From Line 57 onwards

We skip lines 95-126

Make groups of 3 and divide the following lines

253-314 --> nobility

315-350 --> poverty

351-408 --> age, ugly and true

What is the message within these sections?

Answer the following questions in the groups of 3:

1. What is the message of the story?
2. What is a link-and-frame story exactly?
3. Where did Chaucer get this idea from? 

So, what is the message of the story?

The moral of the folk tale of the loathsome hag is that true beauty lies within, the Wife of Bath arrives at such a conclusion only incidentally. Her message is that, ugly or fair, women should be obeyed in all things by their husbands.

What is a link-and-frame story exactly?

This is when a story within a story is told. It is like story-ception.

Where did Chaucer get this idea from?

From his time at Italian court and Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron.

What did we learn last time?

The Middle English Period started with the Norman Conquest in 1066 (the Battle of Hastings). When did the Middle English period come to an end? and why?

The Middle English period came to an end between 1400-1500 with arrival of the printing press.

Characteristics of Middle English Period

Characteristics of Old English Period

End Rhyme

Alliteration

French

Anglo-Saxon

Grim and Tragic

Lively and Graceful

Epic

Romance

What were the biggest problems with religion during the Middle Ages?

The Christian authority was the Catholic Church, which was filled with corruption. Rich people were able to buy off their sins with the help of Pardoners.

The clergy often received high ranking government posts, which was something that was resented by the nobility.

The Bible was in Latin. There was a need for Reform and the translation of the Bible into the vernacular (volkstaal). It was believed that everyone should be able to communicate with God without the help of a priest.

The rising importance of religion in the Middle Ages is apparent because of what events?

The rising number in pilgrimages. As can be seen in The Canterbury Tales.

There was a distinct social structure during the Middle Ages, which consisted of which three classes?

Clergy, Nobles (Nobility), Peasants

What other class emerged and why did this class emerge? (Due to which event)

The middle claas or merchant class emerged, which consisted of trades people, merchants, and business owners.

Status could grow with the help of education and wealth.

The Black Plague (de zwarte dood) led to about 75 million deaths around the world. The decline of population started a labour shortage, which meant higher wages for skilled workers.

Women in Middle Ages

Women

• Women were accepted if they were Virgins, married, or widows that never married again.
•  In all of the other cases you were considered a whore (Eve).
• Men controlled their wives
• Women could inherit if men died