Table of Contents

Acknowledgements     v
Foreword     vi
The Wife of Bath's Tale in Context     1
The Wife of Bath's Tale     13
The Wife of Bath's portrait: General Prologue     13
The Wife of Bath's Prologue     14
The Wife of Bath's Tale     40
Notes     53
The Wife of Bath's portrait: General Prologue     53
The Wife begins her prologue: Lines 1-34     55
The Wife develops her arguments to support her position: Lines 35-114     57
The Wife's 'biological' argument: Lines 115-162     61
The Pardoner interrupts her: Lines 163-192     63
The Wife speaks about her first three husbands and how she handled them: Lines 193-284     64
The Wife describes further her techniques for dealing with her husbands: Lines 285-361     68
The Wife achieves dominance: Lines 362-451     71
The Wife's fourth husband: Lines 452-502     75
The Wife tells of Jankyn, her fifth husband: Lines 503-626     77
The Wife marries Jankyn and the problems begin: Lines 627-787     81
The Wife and Jankyn have their last argument: Lines 788-856     88
The Wife begins her tale: Lines 857-881     91
The knight commits his crime and is given his quest: Lines882-982     92
The knight receives his answer in return for a request: Lines 983-1108     96
The knight receives lectures on nobility, poverty, and respecting the old: Lines 1109-1216     100
The old woman gives the knight a choice and he makes his decision: Lines 1217-1264     104
Interpretations     107
Genre     107
Characterization     109
Themes     118
Language and style     134
Narrative techniques     140
The unity of prologue and tale     142
Critical views     143
A Note on Chaucer's English     145
A Note on Pronunciation     153
Essay Questions     155
Chronology     158
Further Reading     160
Glossary     162