Objective and Subjective Questions for University of Sargodha

Prologue to Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

Objective:
1. Who is called the Morning Star of English Poetry?
Geoffrey Chaucer has rightly been called the Evening star of the Medieval day
and the Morning star of the Renaissance. He represents both the old and the
new. His poetry appeals to us even today.
2. What is the actual name of Prioress?
The Prologue names the prioress as Madame Eglantine, and describes her
impeccable table manners and soft-hearted ways.
3. How did Prioress speak French?
Prioress spoke French full fair and after the scole of Stratford atte Bowe.
4. Who was as fresh as the month of May?
According to Geoffrey Chaucer, The Squire was as fresh as the month of May.
5. Who is referred as Saint Julian in his Contree?
Saint Julian was the patron of hospitality; so the Franklin, in the Prologue to The
Canterbury Tales is said to be "Saint Julian in his country," for his open house and
liberal cheer.
6. Whose name is Hubert?
Hubert is the name of the Friar. A sensual, licentious man who seduces young
girls and then arranges their marriages. He loves money and knows the taverns
better than the poor houses.
7. Which dialect did Chaucer use for the poetry?
Before Chaucer, English language was divided into a number of dialects. The
four of them vastly prominent than the others were: the Southern, the Midland,
the Northern, the Kentish. Chaucer used East Midland dialect for his poetry.
8. What reason is described in the opening passage of The Prologue?
The narrator opens the General Prologue with a description of the return of
spring. He describes the April rains, the burgeoning flowers and leaves, and the
chirping birds. Around this time of year, the narrator says, people begin to feel
the desire to go on a pilgrimage.

9. How many husbands has the Wife of the Bathe Had?

The Wife of Bath begins the Prologue to her tale by establishing herself as an
authority on marriage, due to her extensive personal experience with the
institution. Since her first marriage at the tender age of twelve, she has had five
husbands.
10.What does the word, The Clerk mean in the medieval times?
The word, The Clerk has various meanings in the Middle Ages: A churchman,
clergyman or ecclesiastic.
11.Describe the dress of the Squire.
The dress of the squire is colorful, embroidered with flowers, short with large
sleeves.
12.What was the plan of Canterbury Tales?
Chaucers original plan for The Canterbury Tales was for each character to tell
four tales, two on the way to Canterbury and two on the way back. But, instead
of 120 tales, the text ends after twenty-four tales, and the party is still on its way
to Canterbury.
13.What are some of the places where Knight fought?
The Knight has battled the Muslims in Egypt, Spain, and Turkey, and the Russian
Orthodox in Lithuania and Russia. He has also fought in formal duels.
14.Who is the ideal character in The Prologue to Canterbury Tales?
Parson is supposed to be the ideal character in The Prologue to Canterbury
Tales as he first acts himself and then advises people to do.
15.What song could the Pardoner sing?
The Pardoner sang the offeratory song best. He knew if he wanted to get as
many donations as possible, he had to sing for them.
16.What is the meaning of Amor Victor Omnia?
Amor Victor Omnia means Love conquers all.
17.How is a simile different from a metaphor?
Similes and metaphors are both used to make comparisons or elucidate
concepts. Metaphors simply state a comparison. Similes use the words like or
as to compare things. Because they both make comparisons, all similes are
metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.

18.What is an allusion?
An Allusion is an expression designed to call something to mind without
mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.
19.Describe Alliteration.
Alliteration is a term that describes a literary stylistic device. Alliteration occurs
when a series of words in a row or close to a row have the same first consonant
sound. For example, She sells sea-shells down by the sea-shore or Peter Piper
Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers are both alliterative phrases.
20.What is Chaucers contribution to English Literature?
Chaucers contribution to the evolution of English poetry or literature is much
more significant than that of his contemporaries and predecessors, and to be
similarly rated is his introduction of so many novel features into it.
21.Why did the associated people stay at the Tabard Inn?
The Tabard Inn served as the beginning point for 29 pilgrims on their journey to
Canterbury to visit the relics of St. Thomas Becket. Harry Bailey owns the Tabard
Inn, and he agrees to guide the group to Canterbury with one provision: every
person must tell four tales, two on the way to the site and two on the return trip
to the tavern.
22.Why are the Pilgrims going to Canterbury?
The reason that all of the pilgrims are going to Canterbury is to pay their
respects to Saint Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Subjective:
1. Write a note on the element of modernity in Chaucers poetry.
Geoffrey Chaucer shares some prominent features of Modernism. To begin with,
he is an innovator who breaks some inviolable conventions of medieval literature
and creates highly original narrative poems. He does this in the fourteenth
century, a time when originality is rarely seen, when writers model their work on
source texts and do not consciously want to free themselves from tradition.
Chaucer, on the contrary, makes a great deal of poetic experiments and
achieves a very original adaptation of literary source-material.
One of Chaucers main claims to originality is the fact that his poems do not tend
to conform to a particular traditional genre very closely. All his major works offer
an unorthodox combination of literary forms, as well as variations in detail. His
poems apparently follow the dream-vision traditional form, but in fact they show

new ways of shaping this type of material that create a clear impression of
individuality.
The Canterbury Tales can be seen as another unorthodox literary experiment.
Here, Chaucer manipulates the medieval tradition of the frame-story in a very
original way. He juxtaposes many different styles, themes and literary forms.
Each story has an individual narrator with his own particular voice which
changes according to his social and moral position. Different tales deal with
diverse topics and use a different narrative genre. There is also a great stylistic
and thematic variety even within the individual tale. In addition the relationship
between stories is quite complex. As David Benson puts it, "No other story
collection has a frame that is so lively and dynamic."
The combination of different conventional genres in a single text, which abounds
in Chaucer's poetry, is also a defining feature of Modernism. Some texts of this
movement are made up of a juxtaposition of different pieces of text, each of
which is in a specific genre. This technique is often referred to as "collage",
something that can be clearly seen, for instance, in T. S. Eliot's The Waste Land.
Modernist poets not only rebelled against form, but also against an outmoded
diction. They wanted to create a new poetic language and experiment with new
structures and idioms, showing a tendency to use a colloquial tone in some of
their passages. Chaucer created a new literary language too. He chose to write
in the East Midland dialect of English that was spoken in London, whereas most
writers used French or Latin. There was no accomplished literary language that
he could use because the native tradition was not yet fully developed, so he had
to invent what James Reeves calls "a viable English poetic style". And as
happened with the Modernists, Chaucer's language often has the colloquial
fluency of an essentially oral idiom which was then in the making.
Another similarity between the modernists and Chaucer is the use of a stylistic
device for the purposes of composition. Modernist poets, like Pound, Yeats and
Eliot, tend to use the dramatic monologue technique, that is to say, in their
poems there is one imaginary speaker addressing an imaginary audience.
Chaucer does something very similar in his major poetry; here there is also a
speaker addressing an audience, but this time it is not imaginary, but real. As
was the custom, Chaucer used to read his poems aloud to assembled audiences
at court; therefore we have a living speaker addressing and interacting with a
living audience in a specific situation.
Anyway, all the similarities discussed above make us understand why Chaucer is
still read and praised in our day. Modern readers fell very close to his work
because they find there a voice which speaks to them in a familiar tone. The
modernity of Chaucers poetry has a lot to do with all those features that he
shares with 20th-century writers, such as his withdrawal from conventions, his

topical subjects, his realism, his sense of character, his use of colloquial idioms
or his love for the classical myth. All these are elements which make us consider
Chaucer a modern medieval poet.
2. Chaucer often reveals characters by describing physical features.
Discuss./ Chaucers technique of characterization differs from the
character
to
character
in
The
Prologue.
(Chaucers
Characterization)/ There is a breakdown of Pattern in the characters
of The Prologue. Discuss./ The Prologue is the mirror of the
Fourteenth century. Discuss.
Chaucer outlines his thirty pilgrims in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.
He is the first great painter of characters in English Literature. He has painted
the whole of English nation during the fourteen the century, ranging from
knightly class to the order of Clergymen. The Character sketches are brief, yet
lucid and comprehensive. Both the in and out of the characters are depicted in
such a superb way that the entire personality seems moving before the readers
eyes. It is infect Chaucers unique rich and original art of characterization that
has enabled him to delineate memorable portraits. For the purpose he employs
several techniques of characterization, some of whom were popular among the
contemporaries, while the others are purely his own.
One of the major techniques of characterization which was current in the
medieval authors was the theory of humor. This theory divided personalities
according to the pre-dominance of one of the elements-fire, water, air and earth.
For example, his character was dominated by humor of blood, which on its turn
was understood to produce a large appetite and pleasure in physical satisfaction.
Thus, the entire portrait of the Franklin, is just an elaboration of single phrase
Sanguine.
Similarly, the medieval poets usually described their character through their
physiognomy, to expose their inner spiritual health. Chaucer has successfully
employed this technique in the case of the Summoner. His Fire red cherubim
face, Pimples, Narrow eyes and scabby black brows reflect his inner
spiritual corruption. Description through physical features is also employed in the
case of The Wife of the Bath and The Prioress. Closely connected with this is
Chaucers technique of character portrait through dress. It also helps the
audience in understanding, recognizing and differentiating the pilgrims. The
Prioress and the Wife of Baths fashionable dresses reveal their materialism and
amorous nature. Admittedly, Chaucer varies his presentation from the full length
portraits to the thumb nail sketch.
Chaucers most superb technique is his presentation of Characters as individuals
and types. The Characters are not only representatives of their respective
classes and professions but also at the same time they possess individual traits.

For example, the Friar is a typical representative of his class in the 14th century;
he is corrupt, hypocritical, greedy and callous. But his good voice, his twinkling
eyes, his white neck and above all his name Brother Hubert all have
individualistic touches. The Old Knight, stands for heroism and manliness that
good knight would always show on the battlefield. But he has been individualized
by his prudence and his weakness of behavior. The Prioress is the type of a
woman who is an epicure but she is portrayed as an individual, with her
meticulous care in eating and her courtly manners as well as her tenderness of
heart. The Monk is the type of Monks of those-times interested not in religion
and the study of holy books, but in hunting. But Chaucers Monk is an individual
with bald head and rolling eyes, glowing like the fire under a cauldron. The
Oxford Church is the type of good scholars, not interested in worldly glory, but in
the advancement of knowledge and learning. But Chaucers Oxford Clerk comes
as a figure of individual, by his learning, his hollow-cheeks, grave look and his
threadbare cloak. In short Chaucers characters are types as well as individuals.
Chaucers characters are real and universal because no one is like them, and
they are real and universal because they are so like us. His people are always on
move. Never do they become shadowy or lifeless. They shout and swear, laugh
and weep, interrupt the story teller, pass compliments and in general behave
themselves, as we might expect them to be.
Another portrait delineations technique which Chaucer uses is to define the
characters to a great or lesser extent by the job or profession, they do. The
deferent pilgrims represent different professions. The War-like Elements is
represented by the Knight, The Squire, and Yeoman. The Ploughman, The Miller,
the Reeve, and The Franklin typify agriculture. The Sargent of Law, the Doctor,
and The Oxford Clerk represent liberal professions. The Wife of Bath, The
weaver, The Dyer and The Tapicer, embody industry and trade, the Merchant and
the Shipman personate commerce. The poor Village person and the Summoner
represent the secular clergy, while the monastic order are represented by the
Monk, The Prioress and the Pardoner.
Chaucer also presents a vivid picture of his characters by their vices and
presents the fourteenth century in The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales,
Firstly, the prevalent corruption of the Church is mirrored in most of his
ecclesiastical figures, like The Friar, The Monk, The Pardoner. Secondly, the greed
of doctors is typified in his Doctor of Physic, who loves gold. Thirdly his Sargeant
of Law is as shrewd hard-boiled as other members of his profession. Fourthly, the
dishonesty of the Reeve and the Miller is also typical. Finally, their traditional
enmity is reflected between the Reeve and the Miller. This technique enriches his
art of characterization
Irony and Satire are undoubtedly Chaucers most prominent techniques of
characterization. Chaucer treats noble fellows with sympathy and love but his

treatment of knaves, rogues and rascals either humorous or ironical or satirical.

For example, Chaucer calls the Wife of Bath worthy woman and then in the
very next line ironically qualifies the word worthy by commenting
She was worthy woman all her lyve
Husbands at church door she had five
But it remains to be noted that though he depicts most of his characters
ironically and humorously yet tolerance and sympathy never lose Chaucers
attention. The characters that he detests and censures are the two corrupts
church offices, the Summoner and The Pardoner. It is in case o these two
characters that Chaucer employs satire as a technique of characterization. The
goodness of the Gentle rascal becomes clear when Chaucer comments that
just for a quart of wine he would allow a sinner to keep on committing sins.
Chaucer utilizes the technique of contrast in drawing the portraits of the
pilgrims. The good and the bad rub shoulders together. We have paragon of
virtue in the characters of the Parson and The Ploughman; we have monsters of
vice in the characters of the Reeve, The Miller and the Summoner. The knight, is
foil to his son, the lusty Squire; the Oxford Clerk, is the very opposite of the
merrymaking Monk. In this way Chaucer distinguishes the characters through
the exhibition of dissimilar qualities.
Chaucers art of characterization is free from personal bias. He portrays his
characters, objectively, impartially and disinterestedly. He depicts what he sees
personally. He has the seeing eye, the memory, the judgment to select and the
capacity to expound.
Lastly, two conclusions may be drawn from the above discussion of Chaucers art
of Characterization. His world of man is varied and wide. In the words of Dryden,
There is Gods plenty and secondly, it is through the depiction of his
characters, Chaucer has managed to give an expression to his vision of life
which is both joyous and realistic.
3. What is the theme of The Prologue? Give a detailed view.
Without the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales," none of the other stories which
comprise Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales would make as much sense
or, frankly, have as much purpose. The "Prologue" provides the context for
understanding the Tales. The purpose of the Prologue is twofold: to introduce the
characters who are making this pilgrimage and to set the framework for the
stories to follow.
We learn that these characters are all making a holy pilgrimage to the church at
Canterbury, a popular religious destination after Thomas Beckett, a priest, was
murdered and proclaimed a saint. After we meet them all, we are privy to a

proposition made to the pilgrims by the innkeeper at the inn where they are
staying for the night. Each of them will tell two stories on the way to Canterbury
and two stories on the way back; whoever tells the story will receive a free meal
at the end of the journey, paid for by the rest of the travelers. This is the reason
for the tales they all tell, The Canterbury Tales. Each of them is competing to tell
the best tale defined, of course, by their own standards in order to win the prize.
That is the premise behind all the storytelling.
Chaucer introduces us to the pilgrims, and they are indeed an interesting lot.
They range from the noble and humble knight to the despicable Pardoner who
dupes poor, godly parsons into buying bones which he falsely claims are holy
relics. Many of the worst moral offenders are the clerics and nuns, concerned
more about their own pleasures than about either God or His people.
Despite their flaws, Chaucer introduces them to us more as sinful scoundrels
than as people to be despised. As we meet them, we are appalled at their
outrageousness but not overly incensed by their excessive displays of humanity.
Unlike the famous tales that follow it, the "Prologue" does not attempt to deliver
a particular moral message or statement. Instead, the colorful list of characters
reminds us of the propensity of men and women to sin--and enjoy it. He does
show us virtuous characters, perhaps as a foil to the more sinful ones. For
example, in contrast to the Prioress, who tries to emulate the manners of the
worldly women at court, is the Parson, a humble man who will even pay his
parishioners' tithes out of his own pocket if they are unable to do so.
This cast of characters is representative of English society in the fourteenth
century, both in its profound goodness and its extreme self-centeredness. If we
think of "theme" as being a kind of moral, we have to read The Canterbury Tales
to get that; in the "Prologue" we get another kind of theme: the subject matter of
things to come.
4. Illustrate from the Canterbury Tales, Chaucers gift of many sided
humour.
Humour means that quality of action, speech, and writing which creates
amusement. The true form of humour is that which makes one laugh only for
the sake of pleasure and enjoyment. It does not hurt ones feelings nor it pinches
or agonizes. Chaucer is a great humorist because he loves mankind in spite of its
or follies and weaknesses. Even while he gently unmasks the roguery of the
knaves, he fees grateful to them as they give him pleasure. There is no malice,
spite or animosity in his attitude. His attitude is that of benevolence and
tolerance. Even his satire is in the form of tender shafts of irony, which neither
hurt nor destroys.

Chaucer may be regarded as the first great English humorist because no English
literary work before his, reveals humour in the modern sense. His humour does
not simply raise a smile but also relieve us from seriousness and gloom. He is a
great master of humour and all his writing abound with its rich variety. Masefield
Calls him:
A great Renaissance gentleman mocking the Middle Ages
Chaucer possesses all the characteristics of a great humorist. Firstly, he has
catholicity and tolerance of spirit which save it from slipping into satire.
Secondly, Chaucer has the faculty of humour which is fed by keen and
penetrating observation Finally, Chaucer has a healthy interest in this world an in
life.
Chaucers is an essentially English humour, as we see his qualities in the works
of great English humorists like Shakespeare and Fielding. It is not the wit of the
Frenchman. His humour is chiefly concerned with the people and happenings of
everyday life as we see in The Canterbury Tales. Some of the facts are quite
trivial in themselves but become amusing because of the way in which they are
told e.g. the Squires locks which as if they were laid in press:
With lokkes cruller, as they were leyed in presse
Similarly, the hat of the Wife of the Bath weighing 10 lbs.
Hir coverchief ful fine weren ground
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pounds
The Reeves thin legs, the Franklins weakness for sharp sauce etc. In these and
other instances, we see the comic quality of amused observation.
Chaucers humour is without any sting, he is always sympathetic, except in his
handling the Monk and the Friar. He makes us appreciate a character even when
laughing at it. His humour is not of satirical kind. As compared to the Langland,
who attacks the Church with keen and telling thrust, Chaucer exposes the
corruption of the Church with good humoured laugh. Moreover, Chaucer makes
fun more of the individual than of the institution. The genial sympathy saves the
Chaucer not only from bitterness, but also from bias. Satire is born of
indignation.
Langlands picture of evil does not reflect the real state of affairs, while on the
other hand, it is faithfully mirrored in Chaucer. Therefore, he is an objective
humourist, a better realist than an indignant satirist.
Chaucer is essentially the poet of man and is intensely interested in his affairs.
Chaucer humour leads him to be the poet of man and humanity. He has large

humanity and good-humoured tolerance for man. He has no disdain for fools
and no disgust for rascals. While gently unmasking the roguery of rogues, he is
grateful to them for the pleasure they give. He loves to dwell on their funny
traits, looks at their pranks and tricks with amused delight all these make him a
great humourist.
Chaucers humour is many sided. Humour can be used in a broad as well as
limited sense. In the narrow sense, it means a gentle mirth. In the broader
sense, it stands for boisterous humour, intellectual humour (wit) and bitter
humour (satire). Chaucer works reflect all these different types of humour. E.
Alber beautifully expresses the many-sided humour of Chaucer: In the literature
of his time, when so few poets seem to have any perception of the fun in life, the
humour of Chaucer is invigorating and delightful For example, his humour is
kind as in the case of the Clerk of Oxford, broad and semi-farcical as in the Wife
of the Bath, pointedly satirical as in the Pardoner and the Summoner.
Chaucers humour is natural and spontaneous. If is because of his peculiar way
of looking at things, as the bent of his mind is essentially humorous. His humour
is not the result of deliberate, calculated effort, but it is spontaneous expression
of his inner self. Therefore, it has unmistakable marks of ease, spontaneity,
naturalness and effortlessness. In the words of Walter Raleigh His joy is chronic
and irrepressible. The Canterbury Tales radiates with the natural joy that
Chaucer felt in writing it.
In the whole company of the prologue to the canter bury tales there are those
that are good and those others that are bad, the later more in number than
former. But Chaucers attitude to them is neither that of unruffled and quiet
objectivity nor of partnership. Guided by his sense of humour, Chaucer observes
everything and records each detail with smiling eyes, slightly emphasizing one
aspect here or another there, in order to evoke in the reader that psychological
state which makes him laugh without any malice. To quote Legouis : He is
entirely patient with, ney he accepts with a smile the imperfection of humanity.
Tolerance, indulgence and capacity for enjoying life are the mainsprings of
Chaucers humour. The result is that the portraits he draws become true to life,
interesting and enjoyable as life always is, to those whose hearts have not been
dried up by the apparently dull and boring routine of life.
Humour for the sake of humour; humour is the medium of Chaucer artistic
expressions. Chaucer is never a serious satirist. His aim is primarily to entertain
his readers. His aim is never to be a moralist or a preacher. He observes his age
sympathetically and humorously. Chaucer does not specifically and directly
criticize any institution of his age. He is a poet who explores the theme of the
individuals relation to society.

Chaucers humour is the outcome of a generous sympathy and broadmindedness. These excellences are imitated by the greatest English humorist
like Shakespeare and Fielding. Critics may be divided in opinion as to Chaucers
right to be called the father of English poetry, but there can be no question that
he is first great English humorist.
5. Write a comprehensive note on the character of Wife of Bathe.
In Chaucers Prologue the Wife of Bath is intentionally described in an explicit
way to provoke a shocking response. Her clothes, physical features and
references to her past are purposely discussed by Chaucer causing the reader to
wonder how well she fits the rules imposed by Christian authorities regarding
womanly behavior. Women were categorized as saints or sinners by their actions
according to Christian tradition. There were two women who represented the
sinner or the saint. Eve caused the downfall of all men supposedly whereas
the Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ, symbolized purity. The Wife of Bath is a
headstrong bold woman of her time. She shows off her Sunday clothes with
evident pride, wearing ten pounds of cloth, woven by herself under her hat. Her
clothing symbolizes to the reader that she is not timid or shy and also shows off
her expertise as a weaver.
Chaucer discusses his words to describe the Wife quite distinctly. His descriptions
of her facial and bodily features are sexually suggestive. In the Prologue,
Chaucer's description involves her physical appearance describing her clothes,
legs, feet, hips, and most importantly her gap-tooth, which during that time,
symbolized sensuality and lust. He discusses how she is a talented weaver and
devoted Christian who goes on pilgrimages often. This may make the reader
believe that she is a religious woman, but the reader later sees that the Wife's
reason to go on these pilgrimages is not due to religion. She feels that every
place should be seen; this has nothing to do with religion. She may also be
dedicated traveller, a medieval tourist who likes to sight see. She is a very selfconfident woman who thinks highly of herself and her skills as a cloth maker. The
ironic part is when Chaucer adds that she has a gap between her teeth. During
the fourteenth century, having a gap between the teeth was symbolic of a
sensual nature. She is more interested in love than anything that has to do with
homemaking. He also emphasizes that she had Housbondes at chirche dore she
hadde five (Norton 92), which meant that she has been married five times. She
is also described as knowing all the " remedies of love" (Norton 92), since she is
so experienced with men. One other important element in the portrayal of the
Wife is that she is deaf in one ear.
The Wife of Bath believes that experience is the greatest authority, and since
she has been married five times, she certainly considers herself an authority on
the. It is ironic to see the even though is not religious but, she uses the Bible as
justification to pardon her behavior. The Wife discusses her lives with her five

husbands. She also discusses about how she had control over four of her
husbands. She claims that she is doing this for a God. She is a woman in thirst of
attention, not only sexually, but as a person as well. It upsets her when her fifth
husband, a clerk, is more interested in books than he was in her.
She is not a woman who cares about changing the world for the benefit of other
women who are subordinate to men. She is not a feminist fighting for the rights
of all women. She claims to know what pleasures men because she is
experienced. She believes in giving men what they desire, which is sexual
pleasure from her. This proves that she is not fighting for liberation of women.
This is definitely a non-feministic view. She is using sex to manipulate men just
as men do to women because she openly is saying that she will give herself to
the man. She definitely stands for sexual freedom. Giving in to the man's desire
goes against feministic beliefs. Alison has a choice of not giving in to the man,
but she decides to let the man attain his sexual pleasure for his desire not hers
because she has experienced sex before and she knows how much men enjoy it.
This quotation obviously goes against feminist beliefs, confusing the reader. At
first the reader might think that she is trying to win women freedom and
liberation. She herself says that women are the cause of men's suffering. Her
reasons are selfish filled with greed of sex and control on all men. I cannot in any
sense relate to a person like her because she is an extremely selfish, powerhungry, and immoral woman. Her whole character focuses on her craving for sex
and her urge to give men pleasures through sex. Even in a modern society
today, no person will feel her actions are justified.
6. Write a note on the female characters presented in The Prologue.
The female characters in Canterbury Tales are not quite typical of their class and
status. The Prioress's grace, elegance, affectation of speech and manners, as
well as Wife of Bath's five marriages, apparently do not fit into mediaeval
stereotypes. As we see, Chaucer does not portray two typical women, but rather
the opposite poles of woman's nature. He depicts a prioress in terms and traits
borrowed from the medieval romance, whereas an artisan woman from beside
Bath city resembles a matriarchal goddess aspiring to be the Molly Bloom of the
fourteenth century.
Chaucer contrasts feelings embodied in the Prioress with senses of the Wife of
Bath. While the Prioress embodies fastidious sensibility, the Wife of Bath is the
pole of elemental vitality. We see the Prioress as a woman who submitted to the
institution of the Church, trying to fit her temperament into it. She is "simple and
coy" and she never curses. However, she subtly violates the laws of her order by
keeping pets, overdressing and taking on to a pilgrimage. The Prioress's
behaviour and appearance generated numerous arguments among critics, as it
is shown in Florence H. Ridley's The Prioress and the Critics.

Opposed to Eglentine's passiveness and subtlety are the Wife of Bath's

outspokenness, aggressive demonstration of her instincts, appetites and will
power. The Wife of Bath makes the institutions of church, pilgrimage and
marriage serve to her temperament. Her main trait is an uninhibited appetite for
physical love and travel. Chaucer developed two basic traits of her. The first one
is experience; it is the first word in her prologue. The second basic trait is her
desire for mastery: her doctrine of marriage is based on female supremacy. Such
an outlook is a reaction to the traditional view of marriage which is imposed by
the church fathers and common law.
It is interesting to note the way Chaucer manipulates with the mode of medieval
romance in characterization of his heroines: while the Prioress physically
resembles a romance heroine, the Wife of Bath uses a romantic setting in her
story of the magical hag and the rapist. Both ways of using romance are tinged
with irony. A prioress is not expected to look romantic, whereas the Wife of Bath
uses the romantic setting in order to disguise the idea of female supremacy. Her
prologue and her tale are two versions of one story: both Jankyn and the rapist
knight treat women with violence, and both are taught to do better than that;
they win the woman's kindness and affection once they come round to her way
of thinking.
While the Wife of Bath is excessively sex-appealing, the Prioress is "ultrafeminine", generally an embodiment of the feelings. Her suppressed maternal
instincts turn to the nearest object upon which she can lavish her natural
affection - to pets. Chaucer vividly describes her appearance, her habits, likes
and dislikes, but we learn practically nothing of her background. What we get are
just traits and habits, but no facts! Does this lack of biographical facts suggest
that the Prioress is a lifeless, unreal being? And, since we have a Molly-Bloomlike story of husbands and marriages, could we make another opposition, and
say that Prioress symbolizes an ideal versus the real woman, deliberately called
Wife of Bath?
By contrasting abstract issues, Chaucer manages to create vivid women with
many conventional and individual traits. Playing with traits, habits and facts, the
writer builds characters which are in a way self-sufficient. They do not act, they
only exist, appear and tell their tales as if telling the stories of their lives.