'Wife of Bath' - Context

Question 1

When was Chaucer born and when did he die

Answer 1

1340-1400

Question 2

Authority of the Church

Answer 2

• controlled and led by men in a hierarchal system => extremely precarious for a woman to challenge the authority of the Church or even claim divine authority from it as well

Question 3

Stereotype of women in marriage

Answer 3

• men were told to be the authoritative figure within their marriage to retain control over their wives
• incontrollable nature of women is supported by the Wife
  => her character is not controversial it is just one that was repressed

Question 4

Middle Ages crime

Answer 4

it was not a crime to hit, rape a woman and sometimes, depending on the circumstances, it was condoned to kill a woman, especially if she had been unfaithful

Question 5

Medieval canon law

Answer 5

woman could marry once and any subsequent marriage was to be regarded as bigamous

Question 6

Who was Chaucer accused of rape by

Answer 6

Cecilia Champagne

Question 7

Llolard movement

Answer 7

Bible was translated by John Wycliff in 1382 into vernacular language meaning it was now accessible to all

Question 8

Edward III expectation

Answer 8

He held an expectation of brutality of soldiers towards women, which is characterised by the knight’s behaviour in the tale

Question 9

Printing press

Answer 9

came about in 1476 => by the Wife ripping a page out of Jankin’s book, it is even more momentous as it was hand copied at this stage in history

Question 10

Augustinian tradition

Answer 10

• Eve is responsible for sin => misogynistic

- it is referred to as Adam’s sin => showing that women did not have a right to their own autonomy

Question 11

Who was the reigning monarch and his wife

Answer 11

Richard II and Anne of Bohemia