WoB Men Vs Women Quotes

Question 1

Saying that men can counsel women but not command

Answer 1

Men may conseille a womman to been oon,
But counseilling is no comandement.
He putte it in oure owne juggement

Question 2

She’s got the power

Answer 2

I have the power duringe al my lyf

Upon his propre body, and noght he. As the Apostel told unto me; And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel.

Question 3

The wife points out that women’s virtue is attacked based on their looks - if they are ugly or if they are beautiful. Similar to Celia and Lady Would-be in Volpone

Answer 3

Thou seist men may nat kepe a castel wal,
It may so longe assailled been overal.
And if that she be foul, thou seist that she
Coveiteth every man that she may se,
For as a spaynel she wol on him lepe

Question 4

How is Argus mentioned in relation to spying men?

Answer 4

Sire olde fool, what helpeth thee to spyen?
Thogh thou preye Argus with his hundred yen
To be my wards-cors, as he kan best,
In feith, he shal nat kepe me but me lest;
Yet koude I make his berd, so moot I thee! (She suggests he spied on her, but also keeps guard - yet even if she were married to Argus, she could still outwit him)

Question 5

She makes the point that wives in parables are almost always bad

Answer 5

Thou likest eek wommenes love to helle,
To bareyne lond, ther water may nat dwelle.
Thou liknest it also to wilde fyr;
The moore it brenneth, the moore it hath desir (…)
Thou seyest, right as wormes shende a tree,
Right so a wyf destroyeth hire housbonde

Question 6

The wife makes appoint about of women had written the stories instead of men

Answer 6

By God! If wommen hadde writen stories,
As clerkes han withinne hire oratories,
They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse
Than al the mark of Adam may redresse.

Question 7

Her example of Mercury and Venus as opposites

Answer 7

The children of Mercurie and of Venus
Been in hir wirking ful contrarius;
Mercurie loveth wisdam and science,
And Venus loveth riot and dispence. (...)
Ech falleth in otheres exaltacioun

Question 8

Jankin’s belief about women and the loss of mankind

Answer 8

“Of Eva first, that for hir wikkednesse
Was al mankinde broght to wrecchednesse,
For which that Jhesu Crist himself was slain (…)
Womman was the los of al mankinde

Question 9

Who are some of the people that Jankin read to the wife, regarding wicked wives?

Answer 9

Sampson (his lover cut his hair and eyes), Hercules and Dianire (she caused Hercules to set himself on fire), Socrates and Xantippa, Phasipha the queen of Crete, Clitermystra, Thebes, Eriphalem, Livia, Lucie

Question 10

What does Jankin say is better than living with an angry wife?

Answer 10

"Bet is" quod he, "thyn habitacioun
Be with a leon or a foul dragoun,
Than with a womman usinge for to chide
Bet is hye in the roof abide,
Than with an angry wyf doun in the hous (like that quote 'hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned')

Question 11

Tale: some of the things that people said women most desired on the knight’s quest

Answer 11

Somme seyde wommen loven best richesse,
Somme seyde honour, some seyde jolinesse,
Somme riche array, somme seyden lust abedde,
And oftetime to be widwe and wedde. (…)
And somme seyen that we loven best
For to be free, and do right as us lest

Question 12

Tale: women like to be thought of as clean of sin

Answer 12

For, be we never so vicious withinne,

We wol been holden wise and clene of sinne.

Question 13

The wife uses what tale to display how women can’t keep secrets?

Answer 13

Midas - his ears turned into ass’s ears, so “Doun to a mareys faste by she ran” and “leyde her mouth into the water doun” to let out the secret into the water

Question 14

Tale: what do women desire?

Answer 14

Knight: Wommen desiren to have sovereinetee
As wel over hir housbond as hir love,
And for to been in maistrie him above.
This is your mooste desir, thogh ye me kille.
Dooth as yow list; I am heer at youre wille.