Tess of D'Urbervilles and Wife of Bath Essay

Thomas Hardy’s main character, Tess, in Tess of D’Urbervilles, and Chaucer’s main character, Alisoun, in The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, have both been portrayed as women ‘behaving badly’ in society’s point of view and these portrayals have been greatly influenced by the values and attitudes towards women in each of the composer’s contexts. The representation of women behaving badly in these two texts has been achieved through the use of strong characterisation and literary techniques.

The values and attitudes towards women in the Victorian Era have greatly influenced the representation of Tess in Hardy’s novel. During this period, married women had limited rights and they were valued by their husbands if they were obedient and submissive. Also, purity was a characteristic much sought after by males. Females, who were classified as ‘fallen women,’ as they have misbehaved sexually and were not pure, were shunned from society. In Tess of D’Urbervilles, Angel Clare initially viewed Tess as being pure and chaste as he described her as being “a fresh and virginal daughter of Nature”, however when she finally confessed to him that she was raped by Alec and had an illegitimate child who died at infancy, his opinion of her has changed drastically. He now thinks of Tess as an “impostor” and that the woman he has “been loving” is not Tess but rather “another woman in [her] shape.” Angel’s radical change in his opinion of Tess revealed that according to the strict Victorian moral code, Tess’ rape by Alec coupled with her departure is viewed as her “behaving badly” as she should have stayed with Alec instead of “slipping away by stealth.” Her mother’s remarks, that she should have “got him to marry ‘ee”, further emphasised that Tess should have stayed and married Alec, and in not doing so, she was viewed by society as a woman behaving badly.

This concept of the characteristics of women which were valued was also evident in the 14th century, the period when Chaucer’s poem The Wife of Bath’s Prologue was written. Parallels between the two texts can be seen, as in the 14th century, women were also expected to be submissive and obedient to their husbands and this has influenced the way women have been represented as ‘behaving badly.’ Alisoun, the wife, has been portrayed as a woman who does not conform to these expectations, but instead she is dynamic and vivacious. She tells us that she has had five husbands, “Housbondes at chirche dore I have had fyve” which shows that she is rebellious and does not possess the virtues such as purity and chastity. Her brightly coloured clothing described to be "gay scarlet gytes” which she says were “used weel” reveals that she is adventurous and she is not like the typical woman who is expected to stay at home. These characteristics of the wife show that she is seen to be ‘behaving badly’ in the eyes of her society.

The double standard evident in the Victorian Era has also influence the way women have been represented as ‘behaving badly.’ Victorian society held a double standard for men and women. Women were judged more harshly than men and this has led to Tess being viewed as ‘behaving badly.’ An indication of this was when Angel confessed to Tess about how he “plunged into eight-and-forty hours’ dissipation with a stranger” and Tess readily forgave him. Pathetic fallacy was used by Hardy to reveal Angel’s reaction “The fire in the grate looked impish, The fender grinned idly, All material objects around announced their irresponsibility with terrible iteration.” However, when Tess confessed, he does not forgive her, even though it was Alec who took advantage of her naiveté. This shows that society held women to higher standards than men and it explains why Angel does not forgive Tess for her past even when she forgave him. Tess was the one who was judged, and not the violator of her body which was often the case in that period of time. The double standard in Victorian society led to the portrayal of Tess ‘behaving badly.’

Similarly, this concept of double standard was also evident in the 14th century. Medieval marriages were mainly for economic benefit rather than for sentimental reasons. Therefore, there was a fairly high level of violence within the marriage and it seemed as if wife-beating was allowed as long as she was not maimed or killed as it was a patriarchal society. However, in The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, Alisoun was the one who has the power and control in her marriages and this is shown through the juxtaposition used when she accuses her husband of sleeping around even when he was sick, “Of wenches wolde I beren hem on honde, Whan that for syk they myghte unnethe stonde.” The double standard does not apply to her as she disregards it and continuously manages to take “soveraynetee” of her marriages. Her subversion and complete disregard for the double standard evident in the patriarchal society of 14th century shows that she is a woman ‘behaving badly.’

In Hardy’s, Tess of D’Urbervilles and Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Prologue, Tess and Alisoun have both been represented as women ‘behaving badly.’ These portrayals differ greatly as they are set in the contexts of their composers which have different values and attitudes and these influence the representation of women ‘behaving badly.’ It is through the composers’ use of strong characterisation and literary techniques that enable the responders to gain an understanding of the link between the context and the way the women are portrayed as ‘women behaving badly.’