Alisoun Takes Exception:

Abstract

If, as Marlowe wrote in Doctor Faustus, Helen of Troy bore the “face that launched a thousand ships,” then surely the Wife of Bath's gap-toothed countenance is the mug that has launched a thousand critics.1 Commentators have looked at various aspects of Alisoun's character, from her antecedents to her exegetical skills, her clothing, and her physical appearance and beyond.2 The output of research on Alisoun's prologue, tale, and personal description is as relentless today as ever, as scholars continue to attempt to understand Chaucer's intentions regarding this character and her presentation.The Wife's link to medieval law is one topic that has yet to exhaust its potential for fresh insight on this literary creation. Scholarship to date has generally focused on the correlation between the Wife's life experiences and various medieval legal codes. C. S. Margulies first explained the legal significance of the dower presented at Alisoun's church-door wedding ceremonies, arguing that this endowment rather than her business acumen is the source of her wealth.3 Thomas Reisner adds that the Wife bargained for her dower amounts prior to the marriages.4 D. W. Robertson Jr. cites certain terminology as indicative of Alisoun's unfree personal status, contending that it would be awkward for her to secure property by legal means if she were a free woman.5 Mary Carruthers investigates the nature and legal standing of Alisoun's assets.6 John Mahoney and Donald Howard both demonstrate that Alisoun's defense of successive marriages does not violate canon law, although Howard asserts that the Wife exhibits defensiveness about her failure to preserve her virginity or remain a widow.7 Finally, Robert Blanch and Corrine Saunders have examined legal aspects of Alisoun's tale, especially with respect to the issue of rape.8 Blanch contends that Alisoun manipulates legal conventions in her tale, but he does not scrutinize her prologue for similar activities.Virtually no essays that link the Wife to medieval law consider whether legal pleading practices influence the composition of Alisoun's debate with clerical authorities in her prologue. The notable exception is Susanne Sara Thomas, who argues that Alisoun delivers a mock legal case shaped by the deceptive pleading technique of “colour.”9 For Thomas, Alisoun chooses which “facts” to include in her case, thus obfuscating the reality of the situation. Thomas concludes that Chaucer uses Alisoun to critique contemporary legal practices.The personal circumstances created for the character, as well as Chaucer's demonstrated belief that the fundamental capacity of law was to provide justice, invite further deliberation on the possible influence of oral pleading techniques upon Alisoun's words. Though court appearances are never explicitly mentioned, Alisoun's business ventures and numerous dowers identify her with legal activities and evoke the prospect that she has witnessed the pleading procedure. She demonstrably refers to courtroom procedures and terminology in her tale, raising the question of whether more references are apparent in her prologue. Her association with the legal system would not be extraordinary since Chaucer advocates the efficacy of law in other parts of the Canterbury Tales. The Manciple's portrait idealizes the power for social good held by the lawyers, suggesting that the Manciple undermines his employers' efforts to realize this potential.10 The Tale of Melibee highlights the idea that a legal system based upon reason and natural law provides true justice.11This essay proposes that the Wife of Bath employs the courtroom pleading techniques of excepcion and confession and avoidance to challenge the misogynist teachings of clerical authority. Alisoun's background provides access to this masculine language system, which gives her voice an authority not otherwise possible. Initially, she objects to inaccuracies in her opponent's presentation. As Warren Smith has persuasively argued, Alisoun repeatedly defends the “plain sense” of the Bible.12 Her objections contest clerical authority by questioning whether their scriptural glosses truly represent God's will for his people. Later, when her personal behavior appears to confirm clerical stereotypes of women, she acknowledges her actions but introduces new information to “avoid” the responsibility for those deeds.13 Alisoun contends she acted in this manner because her husbands abused their marital authority.Chaucer initially uses the Wife's legal debate with a Church Father about specific misogynist glosses to critique a more serious issue: in the words of Lawrence Besserman, “the scandal of rampant, self-serving biblical interpretation by friars, reformers, and orthodox ecclesiastical clergy.”14 Alisoun's excepcion contrasts the basis of glossing with that of the foundations of law, and she suggests that reason should be an integral part of biblical interpretation. Later, in her confession and avoidance, Chaucer explores the consequences of scriptural abuse. Creating images of discordant marriages, he offers that such a misuse of authority engenders which to more if the Church does not attempt to in the scriptural to legal because he that glosses are not but rather true of God's the law, glossing was on the that from this for law was on the belief that was God's for the of and that law should with the of As is created in God's and a with reason and reason natural law, in The of the is to God's for from scriptural should be to be by the as in a legal case, Chaucer for that glosses not violate God's since the responsibility of The Alisoun to her that the glosses the of have that the Wife's in to reason since she the of reason to with her behavior and for in Alisoun's of is to the nature of her legal She acknowledges that her legal and she with by further their an of clerical stereotypes of to the of the Alisoun's legal for since the of her is about a of not a question of Alisoun in the of reason by that reason is the issue She whether of be by in God's words or Her behavior her whether certain glosses are in God's natural since this is to the She to the on her behavior by arguing a correlation between her behavior and her legal challenge does not the for scriptural its the of Alisoun's Chaucer his of the Church as he in the this character, Chaucer to the potential to when or their first of the Wife's that Alisoun the as to a legal were to legal and the specific and were to the in or from the of a be for a of a case, and medieval that their of a case to the in were as of God's for the of the which were in the and which is to Alisoun's of the as a her of its an of the of and by the legal her is not a interpretation from God's Her excepcion argues that misogynist glosses from or of by the of his the Wife that her will represent a legal in both and at the of her prologue. She asserts that she about because her marriages, since she was of have have generally Alisoun's references to legal conventions of medieval as the of her the of her by the that Alisoun employs for a further in her legal Her about have by that she is to John that the of a to a medieval that a more of a is Chaucer's of would have that the Wife uses an legal that to in the of the courtroom as a means to her to about the of the in legal life were for the and legal such as in their of a For in a case regarding the of the are of the of and and and the of from is no the the of the have at their by the of the and as it was well for to The circumstances to the legal basis for his of the Alisoun's of legal of medieval her legal to about and suggests that the will in a similar as a legal of Alisoun's words a legal The at of medieval law to the it that by canon law she is not an marriages a as that to that the of a intentions to the and with no this Alisoun that the Church has her the experiences of her the to upon further an legal by of its significance as a in the of the of The of a of her upon of the at the in his the and of that and were by marriages in dower was are for with respect to will never to provide dower for and it be and with a at the is no at is no dower it appears that is a is dower which is true if the is at the of the a dower was for reason and a was to legal to the to to the court the who was the of C. that her of the part of with the in such a for this because the C. her her at the when he who and if he is to this that will be and if not she has or her a legal and the for this when with the to include the words “the he to an to is in one that the of her at the of a to her this would about the of a and the of to an Wife chooses to her debate the that offers her voice the She her legal that this to their by it in a similar to her challenge to clerical the at she her marriages the legal system, the of from those as well as the authority to the of based on Chaucer's would the and law of her since and dower were fundamental with medieval Her of her circumstances legal that she the for and in an she her to the Wife with her in which she the of between clerical glosses and the of the first excepcion to clerical glosses She the basis of clerical that at one wedding or his to the God's will that Alisoun will not to that the is not the since she such an interpretation would be For no for no specific are in the which her to she have in Her for that clerical for marriages to is in God's the of Alisoun that her excepcion has and she does in She first to other of the has actions to she has never this she does that has to and and to and and to She that in or of Alisoun that since has specific regarding a of a specific he has no issue with Wife this of by a or of of Though are not the of to on of a the Wife uses the of the of and to her God's on is Alisoun that and were both with marriages it for to be a she would upon her as Wife her of by of clerical glossing a of legal Though she the to her Alisoun is questioning clerical authority when she to her and when has fundamental terminology of courtroom the for in legal For the in a case an that the should not be to his by but by The in their that since the to the correlation between the of and the of to the his in to the of as a basis for his to The that the an excepcion to circumstances similar to his in the be as a a from a that the should be because the were and not be by but by As in the Alisoun the legal for to for that has explicitly in his words in the this for with a of the legal for when she of law for a or an to their presentation. For a their for the of John he is a and a and the a the to to his with the of the the legal of a of and further to be by the his to be by the is apparent from that a was never but it the to an or an this be as it is in of her prologue, Alisoun employs it in a legal manner to a The for that her are not but rather that for that certain clerical glosses be as of God's Though the are not to the does have an of clerical to in their excepcion glosses that the of She he as her since he for the of Alisoun's of teachings the which was a to the to court the to Alisoun's of the the idea that she the as a legal and that no to the of virginity or the legal of the when she further that he to the specific medieval legal in law, this “the of the have for the of the of has not it is not law, and thus to consider it an for the Wife that the of God's specific on this has the of of which his of clerical glossing for the basis of Chaucer to the of reason in the of The Wife argues that if he with the was to or to to The legal that in when he with for The Wife's the legal of because is not an but a physical the of a legal such as a or For God's are in the physical of the She more would from if such a in the to her that God's natural would the to by that to her by of that to a he it no if that excepcion of is part of a and that one to in an otherwise or The in this is with since both or of the that is to the that such and the Wife uses this with respect to of the of to the first in the in this a or is apparent in a case an to that an of a by of the The the that the for this of as more in the because Alisoun contends that she excepcion of excepcion the of and that numerous to to attempt to a of or the law the circumstances of the the is in court when it is of a excepcion exception was not to Alisoun's the excepcion the system of by that are no or to advocates reason in Alisoun's glosses regarding the of virginity she it an for her or for and she the that are for and The of this interpretation. Alisoun by a the if he his Wife this of her excepcion that not are for but that it is her legal to her Alisoun not be and have his his that his have the power his and thus the it for to this Alisoun's failure in this to the similar to her is by as indicative of her for in as Smith her in no violate canon law, a for a for the in ecclesiastical court if access to it for an is no for her to She has the and her at to the suggests that she her with the The Wife has her to her of the and she legal terminology as in a case of a will secure the that has to her the of this the and to words in and thus be that Alisoun is a legal is in the of her upon his was of the or power of to an and legal of arguing that their such the of the to to as his in power in Alisoun argues that in the provides her this Wife's is the of her law especially those are with the his or her to a in of has Chaucer's of the which was a from a of one to to this in the of the Wife's prologue asserts that Alisoun a of that the to a but he does not that she refers to the legal of a with the because a specific legal is not initially apparent in the Wife's of the legal that the this is as the The his was a legal indicative of legal of both and by a and no not and a his a be for a in his The of a dower case that be to his but if he in his he will be to and his a a that a to the court his an The idea of property is when the is in the as Alisoun she the by the one by law to to her Alisoun a belief that has power to her her in the of the will his with no other than that of the that he teachings to be a that she in this be not to the of or but more as a or or by one in an for the of that an of for and was not by law, for the to the should the to a Alisoun based on the because it is She does not in in but she and she is of teachings to her excepcion that Alisoun the of is a legal and that certain clerical glosses the with the of that Though Chaucer uses the to to a a in or or social Alisoun with the social of She will the to legal actions to in to to the legal and to her when her to God's provides her the to with her not as she but as she to in the of is not that she such a were The or of references both the of God's will and the physical of the Alisoun her to in her of clerical glosses by be in the were by one who the of upon if Alisoun a legal to that her will have her when he to his Wife's with clerical glossing has that reason should a in scriptural to this the to the on Alisoun's personal for her the Wife her legal defense to the pleading technique as the confession and Her both an to and an of new that she her and have that in this Chaucer the as a for social Alisoun's of misogynist about her and of question their as of authority. husbands are presented as of the by Church reformers, and the of the one voice the issue as a rather than argues that Chaucer the of his challenge with Alisoun's to but her confession and avoidance that Chaucer does not to his The he is one of social by apparent in the correlation between scriptural misuse as an of authority and as a of is in Alisoun's to when she asserts that her first husbands their marital authority. The marital and of she be from of in ecclesiastical court Her in their not the by abused to the Church court that their was Alisoun uses her and as a of to her as in her one that her of its as well as to her from of authority is in the that Alisoun's to on to their is by that personal and in She husbands of with the or the the is a since he his for to a The first appears to represent a of suggesting that Alisoun has such a her of stereotypes about the of is by the more personal yet of a She that she would not with were her to the to in her marriages but asserts that this is because her marriages have a her to her husbands for The from her to “the which that were her Though as a he of his Alisoun in to a and will his his her husbands thus and about her potential is when Alisoun to and suggests that in the of are when Alisoun that has her Finally, her to by she for her suggests that her husbands have this her since she for her of access to the marital Alisoun her that she that her was and that to by her legal with words. it was to a Alisoun that her and to her actions were since she not abused their marital she would not have of and from her husbands to her for it of a her legal it is a for a Alisoun's access to the was a on which an in ecclesiastical court for access or The was but it was an based on its in of for Alisoun will not her husbands but from her as a of for but it is rather an of the legal of in of The Wife will because the means of is of She would the but she will not a from her The of with the was a legal in both the and court that the Wife would have with the as a if she of her business indicative of Chaucer's to social as a of scriptural is the with which Alisoun her confession and the character as would the between and social by the Wife as a Alisoun her by the clerical authority women, her to her actions as the of their marital She that her and are to her by and that she has to The Wife's is in its that she be serious if she were the Donald has her to The of her legal this and her the to her husbands as have to the power of their Chaucer the that if those in authority their it will those is especially true in because husbands are with and as of the the the Wife's to Chaucer the of husbands marital to that the Church scriptural that social never to a more serious than for efforts to Alisoun's the are especially because she has her by of the property from her she was not to She have this were it not for his from his of she that he will never she and from the For this her to the her in one association with scriptural is apparent in his teachings are as for personal as for his suggests that in this clerical appears as a between a Alisoun's that she is the of and her actions a that clerical for the of Her for thus both a legal that authorities would a for her and an of a the of the by their in of has demonstrated his with of the of biblical Chaucer in his an that a of the Church a of authority if it were to be for Alisoun's Chaucer to this the abused by from this Alisoun the scriptural as well as the authority he Her the the of authority. this of Chaucer that have to interpretation from of and this of the for to a when are in this to Alisoun this that the of a more of ecclesiastical authority. Alisoun by as she on the The in the issue of clerical is in attempt to Alisoun for his of her is to would be in the medieval marital for at his Though he in a court case, the because he his the Church has clerical to with no to as who to the ecclesiastical of such The apparent to the for its will the to be to similar to the Alisoun from has that Alisoun's her of authority and from a legal the that it is Church who have and if the Church to this authority will be will from the Church because will no that is does not that the of the Church is of the that the Church by to its its of and scriptural Chaucer exhibits similar in the by Alisoun and a legal is to that social and are if the for and in natural law by means of As to the of his marital by his and the Church to the of its to to the people. will an of scriptural or Chaucer suggests the of such an for the as Alisoun and their with and of is a as by to Alisoun of the and that she to of marital and Alisoun as true a as in the when the Church clerical scriptural glossing by

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