Gillian Kenny

What the Wife of Bath teaches us about misogyny

The lovable rounded character of The Canterbury Tales has been ridiculed over the centuries for her sexual appetites, completely subverting Chaucer’s focus

The Wife of Bath, as she appears in the Ellesmere Manuscript of The Canterbury Tales. [Bridgeman Images]
  • Comments

  • The Wife of Bath: A Biography

    Marion Turner

    Princeton, pp. 296, £20

  • The Once and Future Sex: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society

    Eleanor Janega

    W.W. Norton, pp. 320, £23

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Monica Porter

A boomer’s guide to Gen Z slang

From Spectator Life
I recently had the pleasure of spending some time with my two teenage grandsons, who live in Dorset – 16-year-old Dylan and Isaac, who is 14. Listening to them chatting with their friends, I slowly realised that, half the time, I hadn’t a clue what they were on about. Peculiar words I’d never heard before

Also in Book Reviews

Latest

Comments

A blooming good offer

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting the next 3 months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in