Unveiling Gender Dynamics

Abstract

This article scrutinises femininity and gender in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale.” Alyson, the Wife of Bath, is the central female character in the story, and through her, Chaucer depicts the life of a medieval woman, both typical in some ways and unexpected in others. She grapples with complex relationships with men, who consistently oppose her proto-feminist identity. Consequently, Alyson’s existence is marked by the challenges of a woman’s reality in a patriarchal society, subject to numerous forms of dominance. Her daily life is thus a continual battle against these societal forces. This study delves into this ongoing struggle and explores the dynamic between society and women as portrayed in this “Prologue” and “Tale.” This article employs a feminist framework as set out in Hélène Cixous’s essay “The Laugh of the Medusa” to examine gender representation and language. Cixous encourages women to express themselves through writing or speaking in order to gain a deeper awareness of the world of women.

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