Wife of Bath Prologue & Tale Sections

Question 1

1-77

Answer 1

Alison’s view of marriage and her challenge of the medieval church’s “auctoritee”

Question 2

78-114

Answer 2

Alison discusses virginity and her analysis of the Bible to justify why people should not be virginal.

Question 3

79-162

Answer 3

Alison uses biological, rational arguments to justify why people should not be virginal.

Question 4

163-194

Answer 4

The Pardoner interrupts, telling her that she has put him off of marriage; she tells him to keep listening, intent is only to entertain.

Question 5

195-451

Answer 5

Alison describes married life with her first three husbands, who constantly verbally abused her - she manipulates them and reveals that this verbal abuse did not happen.

Question 6

452-502

Answer 6

Alison laments her lost youth, talks about her fourth husband who had a mistress.

Question 7

503-626

Answer 7

Alison tells of her courtships with Jankyn, who became her 5th husband.

Question 8

627-827

Answer 8

Alison describes married life with Jankyn - things quickly become unpleasant. He constantly reads her pages from his ‘Book of Wicked Wives’, which leads to a physical fight between them. She gains the upper hand, he hands over his sovereignty and they live peacefully.

Question 9

828-856

Answer 9

The friar interrupts and insults Alison’s prose, then has an argument with the Summoner. The host intervenes and asks Alison to tell her tale.