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Students pick their most favorite passage  in Chaucer's Wife of Bath's Prologue:

Elise Cook
 

Lines 414-420

Ther wolde I chide and do hem no plesaunce;
I wolde no longer in the bed abide
If that I felte his arm over my side,
Til he hadde maad his raunson unto me;
Thanne wolde I suffre him do his nicetee.
And therefore every man this tale I tell:
Winne whoso may, for al is for to sell;

This selection is indicative both of the Wife's philosophy on males and on
sex.  Essentially, the Wife says here that she withheld sex from her
husband so that she could get what she wanted.  The wife says that she
used this method because, more or less, everything in life is for sale;
since she has such tools for manipulation, she figures that she may as
well use them.

I chose this passage as one of my favorites because I thought it was
particularly sad.  On the same page, 453-454, the Wife says that she
considers her sexuality to be a burden rather than a gift.  Since she has
her sexuality, the Wife feels that she may as well use it as a tool for
bargaining.  She doesn't seem to have wealth or education to fall back on,
so she is forced to use her sexuality for her own survival.  The last part
of the last line of the aforementioned selection ("for al is for to sell")
shows the reality of the Wife's lot in life; she prostitute herself to
ensure her own survival.  I think that this is a passage that Chaucer
manipulated in order to create more sympathy for the character.  After
reading this passage, I know that, as a reader, I felt more sympathetic
towards the Wife of Bath.
 
 

Jenn Rohalla

Now herkneth how I bar me proprely:
Ye wise wives, that conne understonde,
Thus sholde ye speke and bere him wrong on honde--
For half so boldely can ther no man
Swere and lie as a woman can.
I saye nat this by wives that been wise,
But if it be whan they hem misavise.
A wis wif, if that she can hir good,
Shal bere him on hande the cow is wood,
And take witnesse of hir owene maide
Of hir assent. (pgs. 258-259)

I chose this passage because it shows the courage, strength, confidence, and power the
Wife of Bath had to go against the norms of society.  In that period of time, it was uncommon
for women to be in control--the husband was usually "in charge" and the wife had to obey his
every command.  This passage overrules the norm of this time period of husband over wife.
In this passage, the Wife of Bath explains to the group of men how she gains control over her
husbands.  She tells of her technique as putting them in the wrong, and always proving they are
at fault.  Basically, she accuses them falsely and knows it.  She uses the example of her
husband hearing a story told to him by a bird: If she knows what's good for her, she'll
prove the bird is crazy and will get her maid to back her up and agree with her.
 

Hillary LaMontagne
 

from page 274 of Wife of Bath's Tale:

"Some saiden wommen loven best richesse;
Some saide honour, some saide jolinesse;
Some riche array, some saiden lust abedde,
And ofte time to be widwe and wedde.
Some saide that oure herte is most esed
Whan that we been yflatered and yplesed--
He gooth ful neigh the soothe, I wol not lie:
A man shal winne us best with flaterye,
And with attendance and with bisinesse
Been we ylimed, both more and lesse."

The above lines were my most favorite from the Wife of Bath.  Although
written hundreds of years ago, women basically desire the same things.
The most important thing a man can do is to lavish his lover with
attention and compliments.  All women want to feel that they are the apple
of their husband's eye and need to be verbally reassured of this
frequently.
 

Paul Blankenheim

This was one of my favorite passages and one that I thought summed up the
wife of bath well.

Blessed be God that I have wedded five,
Of whiche I have piked out the beste,
Bothe of hir nerther purs and of hir cheste.
diverse scoles maken parfit clerkes,
And diverse practikes in sondry werkes
Maken the werkman parfit sikerly:
Of five housbandes scolying am I.
Welcome the sixte whan that evere he shal!

In this passage hte wife is happy that she has had five husbands and has
been through that many.  She thinks husbands are expendable and is even
looking for the next one to come along, who she will gladly welcome.  This
sums up her attitude to me and tells what kind of a person she is.
 

Marc Sands

(lines 217-220)

"But sith I hadde hem hooly in myn hand,
And sith that they had yiven me al hir land,
What sholde I take keep hem for to plese,
But it were for my profit and myn ese?"

PARAPHRASE:

"Since I had them wrapped around my finger,
And since they gave me everything over which they did linger,
Why should I care for them or give them pleasure,
Unless it would give me profit or make me better?"

These are my favorite lines in "The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale"
because they quickly summarize her perspective on men and all human
relations.  She would use people to better herself and when she could not
have any more possesions or pleasure with one, she would move onto the
next.  Chaucer seems to support her with his diction.  However, his
connotation is very negative.  The Wife of Bath is a villian not an
activist for the feminist movement as it Chaucer had intended us to
beleive.
 

Sandy Roth

Lines 797-811

"Out of his book right as he redde, and eke
I with my fist so took him on the cheeke
That in oure fir he fil bakward adown.
And up he sterte as dooth a wood leoun,
And with his fist he smoot me on the heed
That in the floor I lay as I were deed.
And whan he sawgh how stille that I lay,
He was agast, and wolde have fled his way,
Til atte laste out of my swough I braide:
'O hastou slain me, false thief?' I saide,
'And for my land thus hastou mordred me?
Er I be deed yit wol I kisse thee.'
And neer he cam and kneeled faire adown,
And said, "Dere suster Alisoun,
As help me God, I shal thee nevere smite.

This is an exchange between the Wife of Bath and one of her husbands.
Basically the Wife of Bath wanted her husband to stop looking at this
book, but her wouldn't.  So she took the book away and hit him knowing
that there could be possible physical ramifications.  Her husband hit her
and she fell to the ground, but then he said her was sorry.

I like this passage bacause it shows the strength of the Wife of Bath.
She does what she has to do even if she knows that it may result
unfavorably.

Sarah Ciampi

Wife of Bath Prologue favorite lines...

lines 284-290

"Thou saist that dropping house and eek smoke
And chiding wives maken men to flee
Out of hir owene hous: a, benedicite,
What aileth swich an old man for to chide?
Thou saist we wives wil oure vices hide
Til we be fast, and thanne we wol hem shewe-
Wel may that be a proverbe of a shrewe!

Paraphrase:
You say that leaking houses and smoke (corrupt houses)
And argumentative wives make men flee
Out of his own home, oh bless me!
What ails an old man to scold?
You say that all wives hide our vices
Till we are married, then we let them show well
This is a rascal's proverb!

I chose this section because I found it to be one of the
hysterical, but very true remarks made by the Wife of
Bath.  She claims in these words that men think women
hold out on them, and once they are in marriage are
totally different people.  I think that when men enter
relationships, they still believe this very fact, so I
love that the Wife of Bath illustrates the absurdity of
the statement, with her expressions such as "benedicite"
(bless me!) and "proverbe of a shrewe!" (rascal, or very
foolish.)  Indeed, this section highlights the feminist
belief that men are foolish, and I agree!

Morgan Younger

lines 65-78

"Where can ye saye in any manere age
That hye God defended mariage
By expres word?  I praye you, telleth me.
Or where comanded he virginitee?
I woot as wel as ye, it is no drede,
Th'Apostle, whan he speketh of maidenhede,
He saide that precept therof hadde he noon:
Men may conseile a womman to be oon,
But conseiling nis no comandement.
He putte it in our owene juggement.
For hadde God comanded maidenhede,
Thanne hadde he dampned wedding with the deede;
And certes, if there were no seed ysowe,
Virginitee, thanne wherof sholde it growe?
 

This may be a few lines longer than we were supposed to use, but the point
is made very well.  The Wife of Bath tells the travellers that God did not
condemn marriage anywhere.  Men on Earth may condemn it but unless God made
it a commandment, women are at no obligation to listen.  She backs up this
argument by saying that, if God had condemned virginity, then He would also
condemn marriage.  Part of the reason for marriage was to have children, or
sow seeds, as the Wife says.  And how can a woman do this if she remains a
virgin?  The Wife of Bath is not just trying to defend herself to the
travelers.  She is trying to explain to them that women can make choices and
they should not be based on the rules that men make, but on the rules of the
Bible.  She subtly puts men back in their place and explains that they
shouldn't have as much control over women as they do.  She's asserting her
independence as a woman and showing the others that she is intelligent and
can make her own decisions based on the Bible and on what is good for
herself instead of the men in her life.
 

Geneva Stockwell

The Wife of Baths'Prologue favorite lines

253

"...But Crist, that of perfeccion is welle,
Bad nat every wight he sholde go selle Al that he hadde
and yive it to the poore, And in swich wise folwe him
and his fore:..."

I like this line because it demonstrates the fact
that God willing gave up everything he had for the love
and fellowship of his followers. This relates to the
Wife of Baths' because she willing sacrificed her own
lifestyle and ways to live with and to love her
husbands.

2)pg. 259 "...Thou saist som folk desiren us for
richese, Som for oure shap,......And saist itt is an
hard thing for to weelde..."

    This line is remarking on the shallowness of mind
and character that many men possess. It states that men
look for the superficial characteristics in a wife, such
as looks and money, instead of the important
characteristics of personality and intelligence.  Their
goal is to win a trophy for display, which places a
dominant pressure for vanity upon females.  The Wife of
Baths' is an example of the character and frame of mind
that the women needed to have inorder to become married
and considered a member of society.

265 "We wommen han, if that I shal nat lie, In
this matere a quainte fantasye:Waitewhat thing we may
nat lightly have, Therafter wol we crye al day and
crave; Forbede us thing, and that desiren we;Presse on
us faste, and thanne wol we flee."

I like this line because I feel it is an honest
statement that still stands for most of mankind. It
states that we always desire to possess those things and
objects which we can not have. It also states that
whenever we feel pressured we often flee or step away
from the situation. This line demonstrates the Wife of
Baths' attitude toward life also. She wanted a perfect
husband who would take care of her and love her until
her death. Unfortunately, like life, you don't get
everything that you want.

Nikkii McIntyre

"Than all the merk of Adam may redresse
The children of Mercurye and Venus
Been in hir werking ful contrarious
Mercurye loveth wisdom and science
And Venus loveth riot and dispence
And for hir diverse disposicioun
Each falleth in others exaltation
And thus, God woot, Mercurye is desolat
In Pisces wher Venus is exaltat."
 

Jackie Harris
Lines 61-68

"I woot wel Abraham was an holy man,
And Jacob eek, as fer as evere I can,
And eech of hem hadde wives mo than two,
And many another holy man also.
        Where can ye say in any manere age
That hye God Defended marriage
By expres word?  I praye you, telleth me
Or where commanded he virginitee?"

Paraphrase:
"I know well that Abraham was a holy man,
And Jacob too, as far as I know,
And each of them had more than two wives
Along with many other holy men.
Where can you say in any marriage
That God defends
What is this idea of virginity that he commands?"

In this passage the Wife of Bath is challenging men and
God about the ideas of virtue and virginity.  By doing
this she says that she is justified in having five
husbands and still be virtuous because Abraham and Jacob
were holy men and they had more than two wives.
Therefore there were not entirely pure for their second
marriage, so why should she.  I like this passage
because I think that it represents the character of the
Wife of Bath well.  It shows that she is a proud woman
and will defend and stand up for herself against anyone.
She is a strong-minded woman that wants to challenge
anyone that steps in her way.