Event Title
Faculty Mentor
Robert Jungman; Dorothy Robbins
Location
Farrar Hall, Room 132
Session
Session 2
Start Date
20-4-2012 9:30 AM
End Date
20-4-2012 10:30 AM
Description
Alisoun of Bath has long been considered one of Chaucer’s most memorable characters, both for her candid vivacity and her spoken dedication to the concept of female "sovereynetee." However, it is impossible not to detect the inconsistencies between what she avows and how she actually behaves. Through this interpretation, Alisoun’s Prologue and Tale can be seen as a tragic caricature of women in that she at once dismisses and embodies the misogynistic medieval stereotype, while also adhering to the suppressive ideals of the patriarchal power continuum she verbally abandons. This paper is a reexamination of Chaucer’s purportedly feminist masterpiece.
The Wife of Bath: a Tragic Caricature of Women
Farrar Hall, Room 132
Alisoun of Bath has long been considered one of Chaucer’s most memorable characters, both for her candid vivacity and her spoken dedication to the concept of female "sovereynetee." However, it is impossible not to detect the inconsistencies between what she avows and how she actually behaves. Through this interpretation, Alisoun’s Prologue and Tale can be seen as a tragic caricature of women in that she at once dismisses and embodies the misogynistic medieval stereotype, while also adhering to the suppressive ideals of the patriarchal power continuum she verbally abandons. This paper is a reexamination of Chaucer’s purportedly feminist masterpiece.