21/02/23

Advice to Married Women: 224-256

“For half so boldly can there no man swear or lie, as a women can.”

 Agree: Men are more susceptible to believing lies, because of their egos.
Women are stereotypically shown as honest, loyal, kind, etc. that nobody would expect them to be
deceitful.
 Disagree: it is a generalisation.

Why has Chaucer said this?

 Male audience might see it as Chaucer mocking women, calling them liars/adulterers.
 Original sin: women (Eve) is to blame.

 Take advantage of your husband: take as much money as you can get.
 Use your gender/femininity to your advantage.
 If they don’t fulfil their ‘debts’ then adultery would be acceptable.

Lines 224-234:
She says that men do not lie or tell the truth as well as a woman could, so they should wrongfully accuse them.
This only applies to misadvised women. Wise women would deny accusations by making the husband think he
is mad. Her maid would be her witness- early sign of female solidarity.

Lines 235-247:
This is what she says to her husband: She asks why the neighbour is so happy- the neighbour’s husband gives
her “thrifty cloth” whereas the WOB has nothing. She accuses him of cheating on her with the neighbour, which
is hypocritical of him, because when she visits the male neighbour, the husband comes home drunk and
complains that she is sinning- double standards. She prevents this by being the first to accuse him. She also
accuses him of cheating with the maid as she saw them whispering.

Advice does the WOB provide for married women- they should accuse their husbands of adultery/infidelity
before their husbands can accuse them, using their feminine wiles. She uses the analogy of the mad chough, a
story in which a bird witnesses a wife being unfaithful and tells the husband, so the wife makes the bird mad, so
he isn’t reliable. Why? Satirical- mocking/entertaining. Appeals to male audience, that women are (more) evil
than men.

Lines 248-256:
They (men) say it is unfortunate for men who marry poor women because of the costs, rich women because they
have too much pride (haughty) and overly emotional, and pretty women because they will not be loyal, and will
sleep with other men, as she cannot stay in “chastity.” The women will inevitably succumb to the men who
“assailed upon each side.”

Link: The words of men about women is her justification for creating allegations against them.