Wife of Bath

What is the Wife of Bath's name?

Alisoun

What answers does the knight find at the beginning of his journey?

All the women he asks give him different answers to what they want most

What problems does the Knight find when he starts asking women what they want?

All the women he asks give him different answers.

What does the group of women turn into?

An old ugly woman

What does the group of women turn into?

An old ugly women

What does the old hag do publicly after the knight is spared his life?

Asks him to marry her

What does the court think they should do to the young knight?

Be put to death by decapitation

What did her fifth husband do to her?

Beat her often

Why did the wife regret the age difference between her and Jankyn?

Because he wasn't old enough to take her abuse, and even returned it

Why didn't the wife really feel like crying at her fourth husband's funeral?

Because she already had a new husband lined up

How did the fifth husband always win her back?

By being coy and flattering in bed

How does the wife of bath defend herself?

By saying you can interpret the Bible any way you want, and that God made people to multiply

Why did a lot of people criticize her for getting married so much?

Christ only went to one wedding, at Cana in Galilee --> ie. multiple marriages is frowned upon in Christianity, destroys sanctity of marriage

What did Midas's wife do?

Could not hold in the secret so she ran down to the water and whispered it

When is this tale set?

During the reign of King Authur

What is the setting?

England *in midieval England there used to be fairies (sprinkle magic) *now corrupt from church and clergy (England changed and so did the people)

Who were the most deceitful wives in history & why?

Eve (took the apple from the Garden of Eden), Delilah (betrayed Samson), Clytemnestra (murdered Agamemnon), etc.

How many marriages has the wife of bath had?

Five

What did the blood filling the bed symbolize?

Gold

How does the old hag eventually get her way? How does the knight feel while married to the hag?

He finally consents and they marry in a private ceremony. He feels miserable

How does the old hag eventually get her way?

He finally consents and they marry in a small private ceremony

What is the challenge that the queen presents the knight with?

He gets one year to find out what women want the most in the world and to report his findings to the court, and may be able to keep his head

What is the Wife & Jankyn's truce?

He hands over his estate to her and she acts kind and loving to him

What is the knight's reaction to the old hag's proposal?

He is disgusted, asks her to take his possessions instead of his body, etc.

Why does the knight return to the queen before he meets the old woman?

He promised he would.

Why was the knight condemned to die?

He raped a young lady.

Why didn't the wife like her fourth husband?

He was a rebel and had a mistress

What does the Wife of Bath use to "control" her husbands?

Her sexual power

What did she consider herself to her fourth husband?

His "purgatory"

Who was the only person Midas told about his "condition"?

His wife

What is the setting of the Wife of Bath's Tale?

In King Arthur's days, on an isle of Britain

What did Jankyn's book contain?

Information & stories about the five most deceitful wives in history

What was the fifth husband's name?

Jankyn

What does the Wife claim is the reason she is deaf in one ear?

Jankyn strikes her on the head

What does the wife of bath claim is the reason why she is deaf? Who is the cause of this?

Jenkin strikes her on the head

What does the Wife of Bath establish herself as an authority of?

Marriage

How does the knight feel while married to the hag?

Miserable

How did the wife manipulate her husbands?

Often accused the husbands of having an affair, claimed every wife wanted to destroy her husband while they were drunk, making them do what she wanted

How did her fourth husband die?

On a pilgrimage to Jerusalem

The wife of bath believes that women cannot keep secrets, what story does the wife of bath retell to prove her point?

Ovid's story of Midas

What story does the wife of Bath retell to prove her point that women can't keep secrets?

Ovid's story of Midas

What did the fifth husband do for work & where did he stay before he met the Wife?

Poor ex-student, boarded with the Wife's close friend

What does the young lusty knight in King Arthur's court do to the beautiful young maiden who walks in one day?

Rapes her

What did Jankyn do to torment the wife?

Read aloud from his book

Why does the Wife of Bath not agree with women wanting to be considered secretive?

She believes that women cannot keep secrets

What ends up happening to the old woman?

She got what she most desired (ability to have authority over her husband) and turned beautiful and young, and stayed married to the knight for many years

Why does the knight agree to marry the old woman?

She knows the secret to what women want and if she saves his life he promised he would do what she says.

How was her fifth husband different from her other four husbands?

She married him for love and not money

Why did the Wife tell the fifth husband she'd marry him only if she were widowed?

She was already married to her fourth husband

What does the Wife do out of anger one night?

Tears 3 pages out of the book and punches Jankyn in the face

What did the Wife of Bath do to her husbands in bed?

Teased them then wouldn't satisfy them until they paid her

What must the Knight do to save his head? How long does he has to complete this mission?

Tell the Queen what women desire most. He has one year to find an answer.

What does the knight's wife (basically) say to him at the end of the tale?

That beauty does not matter and personality outshines it

What does the knight say to his wife when she asks him why he is sad?

That he is ashamed to have such an ugly wife

What does the knight say to his wife when she asks him why is he sad?

That he is ashamed to have such an ugly wife

What is the Pardoner worried about?

That his soon to be wife will try and control him and his body like the Wife of Bath does to her husbands

What does the old ugly woman ask of the knight?

That in exchange for an answer to his question, he'd protect her

What does the knight say to his wife after her offer?

That she can choose whatever she thinks is best

What lie did the wife tell her fifth husband after meeting him?

That she dreamt he would kill her in her sleep

What does the knight tell to the court when he returns that the old lady supplied him with?

That the thing women most want is to be in charge of their lovers and husbands

What does the wife say about women?

That they desire what is forbidden to them, and runs away from things pursuing them or forced upon them

What did the friars and mendicants replace on the island?

The faeries and elves

What are the two choices the old lady gives?

The knight can either choose to have her: 1. Be young, beautiful and unfaithful 2. Old and faithful

What is the reaction of the women in the court when the knight gives them his answer?

They all agree with him and spare his head

What was the difference between the friars and incubi?

They both raped women/faeries but the friars only caused women dishonor and did not impregnate them like the incubi

What did the Wife of Bath say about the ending of Ovid to the pilgrims?

They should read it

Why were the "good" husbands good?

They were rich, old and submissive (did what she wanted)

What do Arthur's queen (Gunievere) and the ladies of the court want for the knight?

To give him one more chance to redeem himself

What did the wife constantly do to her fourth husband?

Try and make him jealous

How old was the wife of bath when she first got married?

Twelve

What did Midas have growing under his hair?

Two donkey ears

What was Jankyn's book of "five wicked wives" called?

Valerie & Theofraste

When did the wife really fall in love with Jankyn?

When he carried her fourth husband's casket

What was the age difference between the Wife and Jankyn?

Wife was 40, Jankyn was 20

What is the point of the story Midas?

Woman can't keep secrets.

Did the wife love her fifth husband?

Yes, despite his violent nature

what does the old hag do publicly after the knight is spared his life?

ask him to marry her

What does the knight say to his wife after her offer ?

that she can choose whatever is best

Moral

women rule the marriage

Wife of Bath

- Says women want to be in charge of their own lives. - Says women can't hold secrets. - Turns into a beautiful, young, FAITHFUL woman because the knight gave her the opportunity to choose herself.

Queen

-She gives the knight a chance to save his life. -asks the knight to find out what women really want or desire. He needs to find out within a year and a day or he will be beheaded. - asks the king not to kill the knight because she thinks justice will be better served if he learned a lesson.

How many of the wife's husbands have been "good" and how many have been "bad", according to her?

3 "good", 2 "bad"

How many marriages has the wife of bath had?

5

What does the old hag offer her husband?

A chance for her to be ugly but nice and loyal, or beautiful but unfaithful and bad

what does the old hag offer her husband?

A chance for to be ugly but nice and loyal or beautiful but unfaithful and bad

What does the Knight see as he rides past a forest?

A group of women dancing

What does the knight see as he rides past a forest?

A group of women dancing

What does the Wife of Bath conclude her tale with?

A plea that Christ sends all women young, handsome, long-lasting in bed men that will not outlive them

What does the wife of bath conclude her tale with?

A plea that Christ would send us husbands, handsome, young, and long lasting in bed