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).
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