The Wife’s tale comes to an end as the old lady magically transforms into a fair maiden and the rapey knight’s wish comes true. In this arrangement as the hag puts it, “thannee have I gete of yow maistre,” (1237), reinforcing both the prologue and tale’s message of female authority. How do you interpret Chaucer’s use of the untraditional women as a protagonist? How would these values be received by both the clergy and state?

In the prologue of the Wife’s tale, our narrator tells of her experiences in multiple marriages. While she complains of her past husbands’ tendency to be possessive what trait of her fifth husband changes her traditional role as spouse? What impression do you take from her ensuing behavior (i.e reliability as a narrator, moral compass) as she describes her final husband? How does Chaucer offer an opportunity to scrutinize the institution of marriage by telling this story from the wife’s point of view?