Fragment 3, lines 857–1264
Summary: The Wife of Bath’s Tale
In the days of King Arthur, the Wife of Bath begins, the
isle of Britain was full of fairies and elves. Now, those creatures
are gone because their spots have been taken by the friars and other
mendicants that seem to fill every nook and cranny of the isle.
And though the friars rape women, just as the incubi did in the
days of the fairies, the friars only cause women dishonor—the incubi
always got them pregnant.
In Arthur’s court, however, a young, lusty knight comes
across a beautiful young maiden one day. Overcome by lust and his
sense of his own power, he rapes her. The court is scandalized by
the crime and decrees that the knight should be put to death by
decapitation. However, Arthur’s queen and other ladies of the court
intercede on his behalf and ask the king to give him one chance
to save his own life. Arthur, wisely obedient to wifely counsel,
grants their request. The queen presents the knight with the following
challenge: if, within one year, he can discover what women want
most in the world and report his findings back to the court, he
will keep his life. If he cannot find the answer to the queen’s
question, or if his answer is wrong, he will lose his head.
The knight sets forth in sorrow. He roams throughout the
country, posing the question to every woman he meets. To the knight’s dismay,
nearly every one of them answers differently. Some claim that women love
money best, some honor, some jolliness, some looks, some sex, some
remarriage, some flattery, and some say that women most want to
be free to do as they wish. Finally, says the Wife, some say that
women most want to be considered discreet and secretive, although
she argues that such an answer is clearly untrue, since no woman
can keep a secret. As proof, she retells Ovid’s story of Midas.
Midas had two ass’s ears growing under his hair, which he concealed
from everybody except his wife, whom he begged not to disclose his
secret. She swore she would not, but the secret burned so much inside
her that she ran down to a marsh and whispered her husband’s secret
to the water. The Wife then says that if her listeners would like
to hear how the tale ends, they should read Ovid.
She returns to her story of the knight. When his day of
judgment draws near, the knight sorrowfully heads for home. As he
rides near a forest, he sees a large group of women dancing and
decides to approach them to ask his question. But as he approaches,
the group vanishes, and all he can see is an ugly old woman. The
woman asks if she can be of help, and the knight explains his predicament
and promises to reward her if she can help him. The woman tells
the knight that he must pledge himself to her in return for her
help, and the knight, having no options left, gladly consents. She
then guarantees that his life will be saved.
The knight and the old woman travel together to the court, where,
in front of a large audience, the knight tells the queen the answer
with which the old woman supplied him: what women most desire is
to be in charge of their husbands and lovers. The women agree resoundingly
that this is the answer, and the queen spares the knight’s life.
The old hag comes forth and publicly asks the knight to marry her.
The knight cries out in horror. He begs her to take his material
possessions rather than his body, but she refuses to yield, and
in the end he is forced to consent. The two are married in a small,
private wedding and go to bed together the same night. Throughout
the entire ordeal, the knight remains miserable.
While in bed, the loathsome hag asks the knight why he
is so sad. He replies that he could hardly bear the shame of having
such an ugly, lowborn wife. She does not take offense at the insult,
but calmly asks him whether real “gentillesse,” or noble character,
can be hereditary (1109). There have been
sons of noble fathers, she argues, who were shameful and villainous,
though they shared the same blood. Her family may be poor, but real
poverty lies in covetousness, and real riches lie in having little
and wanting nothing. She offers the knight a choice: either he can
have her be ugly but loyal and good, or he can have her young and
fair but also coquettish and unfaithful. The knight ponders in silence.
Finally, he replies that he would rather trust her judgment, and
he asks her to choose whatever she thinks best. Because the knight’s
answer gave the woman what she most desired, the authority to choose
for herself, she becomes both beautiful and good.
The two have a long, happy marriage, and the woman becomes completely
obedient to her husband. The Wife of Bath concludes with a plea
that Jesus Christ send all women husbands who are young, meek, and
fresh in bed, and the grace to outlive their husbands.
