The Wife of Bath: A Character With Surprising Views

The Characters in Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’

Photograph of the mural in the North Reading Room and John Adams Library shows left half of the mural on the east wall. The figures are (left to right): The Merchant, with his Flemish beaver hat and forked beard; the Friar; the Monk; the Franklin; the Wife of Bath; the Parson and his brother the Ploughman, riding side by side." John Y. Cole. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Public Domain

One of the most recognized characters of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” the Wife of Bath, is known for her novel ideas on marriage and love. Chaucer created a character that inspired future writers of Western literature.

One of the 30 pilgrims featured in these 24 tales, the Wife of Bath represented the changing views about marriage and love in Medieval England.

An Independent Mindset

In “The Canterbury Tales,” characters from all walks of life travel together on a pilgrimage from London to Canterbury. To pass the time, the pilgrims tell each other tales, in a varied collection of literary genres. By using this clever framing device, Chaucer encapsulated English Medieval life and the social classes it harbored.