The Wife of Bath is a strong character who stands apart from many traditional notions. As an independently traveling woman who has not only her own means but also her own outspoken opinions, the Wife of Bath represents a creature that many assume was quite rare in the 14th and 15th centuries. With her unusual social views and her long and questionable marital history, the Wife of Bath shamelessly opposes many centuries of well-entrenched ideologies and in the same way as some of the other Pilgrims. Over the course of the Canterbury Tales the reader discovers new aspects about the Wife of Bath and, although she is certainly not a villain, Chaucer certainly does not make her a very sympathetic character. At the time the women of Canterbury Tales were experiencing an era of remarkable development. position in society. Many women owned property, public offices and businesses. They also controlled land and in many cases held public office (The White Oak Society). The Wife of Bath is a product of this period of increased women's rights, or in modern terms it could be called feminism. The Wife of Bath, however, would not be considered a feminist. Feminism by definition seeks “women's rights equal to those of men” (“feminism”). For the Wife of Bath this is too superficial a goal. Does not try to be on a par with the opposite sex. The Wife of Bath wants to control and subjugate men, this can be seen in both her words and her actions. He even flaunts his superior position in three of his marriages compared to a larger number of women. A wise woman will continually strive to be loved, when she is not, you see. But since I had them entirely in my hands, and since to me they would not be given all their land, why should I be careful, then, to please, unless it be...... middle of paper... ...regarding marriage and the roles of wives and husbands, it is not believable that he was trying to make the character of the Wife of Bath a warning against women who might want too much control over their lives or the idea of ​​feminism as a whole. Instead Chaucer simply created a dynamic, controversial, and unique character to both refute the other characters' opinions and keep his tales sharp and interesting. Chaucer References. "The Knight's Tale." The Canterbury Tales. Librarian. Network. February 11, 2014. "feminism". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. February 13, 2014. “Women in the Fifteenth Century.” The White Oak Society. Np, nd Web. 15 February. 2014. .