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Sierra Poole
Clint Tawes
Honors British Literature
04 March 2015
Misogyny in Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales
Misogyny, the hatred, dislike, or mistrust of women, or prejudice against women
(Misogyny), is commonly thought to be absent in our present day society. It is, unfortunately,
very evident in many pieces of literature that are looked upon and studied today, thus making it
that much harder to rid our society of misogyny completely. One piece of literature that is
regularly referred to in education is The Canterbury Tales, a poem that consists of over twenty
stories or tales told by many people in order to entertain each other. Geoffrey Chaucer's
portrayal of women throughout The Canterbury Tales reflects the misogynistic views of Medieval
Europe, depicting women as domestic slaves or troublemakers.
Misogyny is evident very early in the poem, as early as the general introduction, in which
Chaucer writes, [The Wife of Bath] claims to have taken advantage of her five husbands.
(Chaucer, XV). This automatically implies that she is manipulative and evil enough to ruin
multiple relationships. Could the failure of these relationships not have something to do with the
men as well? Chaucer continues with the examples of three main tales relative to the subject,
two of which, even just in the description, portray the women as either a domestic slave or a
troublemaker. In the Clerks Tale the wife is completely subservient, meaning someone that
obeys every command or is excessively submissive, and in the Merchants Tale, the husband
thinks he is in control but is being duped. The Merchants Tale brings in a double standard due
to the fact that if the man is getting his way then that is normal but if the woman is getting what
she wants then she must be manipulating or duping the man. The third tale mentioned is the
Franklins Tale, speaking of a marriage of such successful mutuality that it seems capable of
surviving a betrayal. This tale is conveniently placed after the other two, leading some to

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believe that the extremes must be examined before the plot of the Tales as a whole can move
to a fitting conclusion. (Chaucer, XVI). Why must the women of these tales be seen in such
negative light in order for the Tales to move into a fitting conclusion? Other situations could have
been used to avoid putting, and showing, the women in these extreme cases.
The Wife of Baths Tale begins with the wife of Bath admitting, in the prologue of her tale,
that she has had multiple marriages, all of which were with a man of standing (150), she is not,
however, an unintelligent woman. The Wife of Bath provides all those that talk of her and/ or her
situation as a disgrace, with very factual statements on the matter, saying that she has ...
never heard as yet/ Of any given number or limit. She continues with, ... God has plainly/
Bidden us to increase and multiply-/ A noble text, and one i understand!. There have been men
in the same shoes as she, King Solomon had multiple marriages, as well as Abraham and
Jacob, two holy men, and no one would dare speak sorely on any of the three.
Later, the wife talks of an example of men giving excuses and opposition to every
situation by saying,
... Just think of the expense-/ To marry a poor woman, so you tell me./ And if she's rich,
and comes of good family,/ It's hell, you say, to put up with her pride,/ And her black
moods and fancies. Then, you swine,/ Should she be beautiful, you change your line,/
And say that every rakehell wants to have her,/ That in no time she's bound to lose her
honour,/ Because it is assailed on every side (156).
In every situation the man thinks of some negativity that might occur making it impossible for
him to ever be truly satisfied. So may a woman never look smart, as the wife says, for the men
could fear that the womens chastities may be put at risk? A woman should have the ability to do
and look as she pleases without having to worry about the extra criticism. Men walk the streets
in whatever way pleases them, so why the exception to women?
The Wife of Baths Tale, the Clerks Tale, and the Merchants Tale are not the only of
Chaucers tales that show the misogynistic ways and views of medieval Europe. Misogyny is

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also very evident in The Millers Tale. The Millers Tale focuses mainly on Alison, a young, lovely
girl who was best described by Chaucer when he wrote, Sweeter was she by far to look upon/
Than is a pear-tree in its early bloom;/ And softer than the wool upon a wether. (84). Alison is
married to A rich old gaffer, carpenter by trade (83) who kept a tight leash on his beautiful
young wife. There doesnt seem to be much behind their marriage. The old man loves Alison,
mostly due to her physical appearance. Alison, however, does not seem to show any true
affection for the old man. Due to the times, Alison does not seem to have any choice in her
relationship. The women then were to simply do as they were told, which kept them mainly in
the house or on a mans arm. Throughout the tale Alison is perceived as the bad Guy because
she is not faithful to her husband. Many would also say that she is seen as a possession, as
many women were then, rather than a person. The three men of the tale, Nicholas, Absolon,
and the old man, all fight to have Alison as theirs. The whole tale Alison is nothing but property
to be had by the men.
Though our society has changed drastically since the time of these tales, misogyny is
still evident throughout our literature due to the fact that many of the primary pieces that are so
often read and reviewed are written in, or with the same mindset as, medieval Europe. Geoffrey
Chaucer depicts women as domestic slaves or troublemakers throughout The Canterbury Tales,
thus reflecting the misogynistic views that was so prominent during that time.

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Works Cited
Chaucer, Geoffrey, and David Wright. The Canterbury Tales. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1985. Print.
"Misogyny." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015.