In the Wife of Bath’s Tale, Chaucer tells a traditional story of a knight sent on a quest for a year and a day to find what women desire the most in the world. However, there are several segments in this tale that differ drastically from the literary norms of the time. What are they? How do these differences in traditional storytelling affect the story’s message?

What is the significance of the Wife of Bath using scripture to defend her scandalous views and actions to her fellow travelers? How accurate is the evidence she uses as her defense, and what do you think that says about what her character represents?