How Does Chaucer Present The Wife Of Bath

In the General Prologue of the Canterbury Tales, author Geoffrey Chaucer introduces his character through brief descriptions of their lives. He offers information on things such as their occupations, personalities, and even appearances. For the majority of the characters’ descriptions, Chaucer maintains either a negative or neutral opinion of the characters. However, as he describes the Wife of Bath, it is clear that Chaucer thinks differently of her than he does of the other characters in the General Prologue. Through his use of tone, imagery, and the topics of his discussion of her, Chaucer shows his approval of the Wife of Bath. Chaucer maintains a tone of admiration throughout his description of the Wife of Bath, focusing the majority of it describing her outward appearance and respectable traits rather than discussing anything that could possibly make her look bad. The use of favorable adjectives all throughout the description rather than insultful ones, as typically used in the descriptions of other characters in the General Prologue, reveal that Chaucer could be in love with the woman and uses his description of her to confess his affectionate observations of her. In the
His use of imagery is clearly present as he gives generous detailing of many facial features that added to her attractiveness, such as her full figure and bold, fair face, along with her tasteful clothing in order to convey that she was wealthy enough to dress nicely or expensively. Chaucer writes, “She had a flowing mantle that concealed large hips, her heels spurred sharply under that” (482-483). Chaucer’s extensive detailing of the attractive features of the Wife of Bath give a clear image to the reader what men around her think of her appearance and hint to a possible admiration or love he holds for the