The Wife of Bath, this is another wonderful tale from The Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer. This narrated the autobiography of a woman named Allison, who had remarried five times in other to acquire power and money from men. This tale somehow had a connection with the Shipman Tale's merchant's wife. Just like his wife manipulated men around her, The wife of Bath's woman used them too. Both tales described the necessity of two women for power. They abused of their position. they both used sex as an “instrument” to control their husbands. "She was a worthy womman al hir lyve"/ "Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve"( The Wife of Bath, line.459-60). Just like the merchant's wife, the Wife of Bath's woman used verbal and sexual power to bring her husbands to total submission. she would tease her husbands in bed, refusing to give them full satisfaction until they promised her money. "You shall my jolly body have to wed;/By God, I will not pay you but a-bed!/Forgive it me, mine own. spouse so dear."(Shipman Tale's line 1613-14).
“How the Goodwife Taught her Daughter” by George Shuffelton 104-110, in this tale, a mother teaches her daughter to understand how to act in the merchant class, to understand different responsibilities depending on the class's level. This tale described that when a family is considered to be wealthy,and if daughters and wives are seen selling goods in the market, it can put in trial their status. In the other hand, lower class merchant families might encourage the females to go out to market. It also describes when the mother told her daughter, that men will not offer favors for free and that women should look out for this. Women were taught that favors from men were seemed as actions that can brought bad consequences for the women. “Also, for covetousness gifts beware to take;/ unless thou know why else, quickly them forsake;/ For with gifts May men soon women overcome;/ Though they were as true as steel or as stone. /Bound forsooth is she that if any man takes fee,” (“How the Goodwife Taught her Daughter” by George Shuffelton 104-110). In this tale, mother tells her daughter that men will not offer favors for free and that women should look out for this A perfect example could be the wife from the Shipman’s tale. When the monk delightedly promised to bring her the money when she asked, "Lend me this sum, or els. must I die! Daun John, I say, lend me these hundred franks!,” Canterbury Tale, Line 196-03. She freely offered sexual favors in exchange, “If that you list to do what I you pray;/for at a certain day I will you pay./And do to you what pleasance and service,” (Canterbury Tale, Line 204-10. ) .“That for thise hundred frankes he sholde al nyght/Have hire in his armes bolt upright;/ And this accord parfourned was in dede,” (Canterbury Tale, Line 315-17). In this case, women are truly portrayed as an object of lust, without value and self-esteem. The mother wanted to prevent her daughter from acting like the Shipman’s tale wife.
Margaret Paston story changed the whole perception we had about husbands-wives during the Middle Ages. Margaret Paston as an eighteen years old, young, inexperience wife of a landed man,who had the capacity to serve as the manager of the estate as well as the woman of the house as a mother. She exceeded expectations. She could handle and protected her husband’s business and could represent him as he was expecting. What made her sad was the idea that she was going to deal with men all the time, and for a woman from that period of time, they were very conservative and shame of having to deal with outside men beside their husbands ,"In a letter to her husband in December of fourteen forty one she writes: Jon of Dam was here, and my modyr dyskevwyrd [discovered or revealed] me to hym, and he seyde be hys trovth flat he was not gladder of no thyng flat he harde thys towlmonyth flan he was per of. I may no lenger leve be my crafte, i am dysscevwyrd of alle men flat se me. (Letter 125)." This was an unusual way of living for Margaret, she had to be a household wife and at the same time a businesswoman to help her husband. This is very interesting because she is changing the idea about women from that period of time. She is acting like a woman from this time. Unlike, Griselda in the Clerk Tales, Margaret was lucky enough to receive her husband's business and be part of it. Margaret did have to suffer and be part of a abusive relationship like Griselda did.
Shipman's tale is another master piece by Geoffrey Chaucer. The Shipman tells a story about a merchant, his wife and a frequently visiting monk called Dan John, who pretends to be the merchant's cousin. The wife secretly asks the monk to lend her money. She even told the monk how she was doing with her husband, "Mine husband is to me the worst. man, That ever was since that the world began,"Canterbury Tale, Line 1352-55. The monk gladly promises to bring her the money she asks. "Lend me this sum, or els. must I die! Daun John, I say, lend me these hundred franks!,"Canterbury Tale, Line 1375-79. The interchangeability and exchangeability of sex and money are emphatically elaborated in the Shipman's Tale. "That for these hundred franks he should all night Have her in his arm.s bolt upright." Canterbury Tale, Line 1505-07.The monk breaks his vows with God and he shows himself as a manipulator by falsely claiming that he is related to the merchant. Not content with taking advantage of the wife's desperate position regarding money, he betrays her confidence and his actions risk her unfaithfulness being revealed. He seems to profit from his relationship with the merchant and his wife and the joke is on them.This story demonstrates that the vision of life as a purely mercantile arrangement sterilizes those who hold it so that all human values disappear, including that of human awareness. No-one in the story perceived any significance in their actions beyond the immediate financial loss or gain that was incurred.
