The Wife of Bath- Theme Notes and Quotes

This detailed 60 page document has been designed to assist students and teachers in their thematic understanding of Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale”.

For each theme, detailed interpretations of the text are provided, along with accompanying quotations and line references to assist in a student’s exploration of that theme in an essay. This has proven beneficial for my A-Level students, by having them directly engage with Chaucer’s language and methods to help achieve AO2.

Due to the repetitive nature of the Wife’s narrative, there will inevitably be some overlap with some of the themes. However, my students have found this beneficial as it has made some of the ideas easier to learn.

Themes that are explored:
Marriage
Authority / Power
Gender / Gender Roles
Gentillesse / Social Class
Male / Female Relationships
The Wife’s Narrative Style
Sexual Relationships
The Church
The Wife as a Character
Struggle for Power / Maistre