lisoun, by any of the other pilgrims throughout the story. Her whole plot line was about her as a wife, and widow, and how she looks upon those who overvalued virginity with disdain. The Wife of Bath said of herself “I’ll persevere; I’m not pernickety./ In wifehood I will use my instrument/ As freely as my maker me it sent.” Her declaration is viewed as an act of rebellion, or even blasphemy, by the other pilgrims; however, when the men make the same confessions to enjoy extracurricular activities similar to Alisoun’s, it is regarded as unimportant.
Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is definitely meant scrutinize and condemn the inequalities that were prevalent under feudalism in the Middle Ages. Chaucer speaks out against this inequality through the Wife of Bath, who herself detested the double standards and unfairness that followed as a result. He uses characters like the Monk, the Pardoner, and the Nun to further elaborate the point that the most privileged people under feudalism were those that had sworn to live lives without any luxuries. The Canterbury Tales is an effective estates satire because it examines the inequalities of society without overtly categorizing complex characters as either “good” or bad.” Through this work, readers are able to understand the inherent inequality that comes in social caste systems and that those inequalities are often facilitated by those of the highest social standing.
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