Canterbury Tales Sex Quotes

Thus is the proude millere wel ybete,
And hath ylost the gryndynge of the whete,
And payed for the soper everideel
Of Aleyn and of John, that bette hym weel.
His wyf is swyved, and his doghter als.
Low, swich it is a millere to be fals!
And therefore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,
"Hym thar nat wene wel that yvil dooth."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. The reckoning comes for the thieving miller who steals from his customers. His punishment includes a beating by John and Alan, his wife screwed and his daughter screwed. This is how it is when a miller is false, says the Reeve, still smarting at how The Miller’s Tale slandered carpenters.

And therfore this proverbe is seyd ful sooth,
"Hym thar nat wene wel that yvele dooth;"
A gylour shal hymself bigyled be.
Modern English:
And therefore this proverb is said very truly,
"One who does evil should not expect good."
A trickster shall himself be tricked.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Reeve’s Tale. The trickster being tricked is a story device that is used in many of the 24 Canterbury Tales. The miller set out to trick and thieve from John and Alan. He then became the target of deception and tricks by the student pair when they had sex with the miller’s wife and daughter.

Hir child cride, and she cride pitously.
But blisful Marie heelp hire right anon;
For with hir struglyng wel and myghtily
The theef fil over bord al sodeynly,
And in the see he dreynte for vengeance;
And thus hath Crist unwemmed kept Custance.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Man of Law’s Tale. When an amorous steward comes on board Constance’s ship and says he will be her lover whether she likes it or not, she and her child cry. The Virgin Mary comes to her aid and the would-be rapist falls overboard and is drowned as a punishment for his sin. Thus Christ keeps Constance undefiled.

Men may devyne and glosen, up and doun,
But wel I woot, expres, without lye,
God bad us for to wexe and multiplye,
That gentil text kan I wel understonde.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Alison the Wife of Bath is sometimes viewed as the voice of the independent, liberated woman of her time. She challenges the male view on women’s relationships and marriage. She disputes the interpretation of the Bible that she should marry only once, saying that men interpret religious texts to suit their own views. Defending marriage as a legitimate life choice, and her own five marriages, she quotes God’s commandment in the Bible: "Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28).

As wolde God it leveful were unto me
To be refresshed half so ofte as he!
Which yifte of God hadde he for alle his wyvys!
No man hath swich that in this world alyve is.
God woot, this noble kyng, as to my wit,
The firste nyght had many a myrie fit
With ech of hem, so wel was hym on lyve.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Solomon’s sex life becomes a hot topic for the Wife of Bath. Having multiple wives, she appears to almost envy the merrymaking he enjoyed on his wedding nights. If only God would permit her to be refreshed half as often as Solomon was, she says irreverently.
Yblessed be God, that I have wedded fyve - Wife of Bath

Yblessed be God, that I have wedded fyve;
Of whiche I have pyked out the beste,
Bothe of here nether purs and of here cheste.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Thanking God that she wedded five husbands and picked out the best, the Wife of Bath reveals what she looked for in each of them. Sexual potency ("nether purs" – scrotum) and wealth ("here cheste" – strongbox) were the two requirements. A husband had to provide her with sexual satisfaction and financial security.

Of fyve husbondes scoleiyng am I.
Welcome the sixte, whan that evere he shal.
For sothe, I wol nat kepe me chaast in al.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Setting out her education record, the Wife of Bath’s says that she has five husbands’ schooling! And she welcomes the sixth, whenever he may appear. Does that amount to a Doctorate in Marital Affairs? In the Wife’s world of sexual morality, keeping chase (abstaining from sex) is not an option for her.

Whan myn housbonde is fro the world ygon,
Som Cristen man shal wedde me anon.
For thanne th’ apostle seith that I am free
To wedde, a Goddes half, where it liketh me.
He seith that to be wedded is no synne;
Bet is to be wedded than to brynne.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. In her argument for the right to another Christian man when husband number five dies, the Wife of Bath cites the Bible and Saint Paul. In 1 Corinthians 7:9, he says: "Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." We don’t think Paul would agree with her interpretation of his views on sexual morality.

For hadde God comanded maydenhede,
Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede.
And certes, if ther were no seed ysowe,
Virginitee, thanne wherof sholde it growe?

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. A strong argument against virginity is put forward by the Wife of Bath. If God had condemned marriage along with the act of procreation, where would virginity come from, she asks? What she is saying is that if everyone was chase there would be virgins because there would be no people.

I woot wel that th’ apostel was a mayde;
But nathelees, thogh that he wroot and sayde
He wolde that every wight were swich as he,
Al nys but conseil to virginitee.
And for to been a wyf he yaf me leve
Of indulgence; so nys it no repreve
To wedde me, if that my make dye,
Withouten excepcion of bigamye.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. In her home-spun theology and interpretation of the Bible, Wife of Bath Alison says she knows that the apostle Paul was a virgin and wished that everyone were as he. But that was just advice, and Paul gave her explicit permission to be wed again, if her husband should die, without objection on grounds of bigamy.

For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold,
He nath nat every vessel al of gold;
Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. This passage references what St. Paul said in his second letter to Timothy: "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." St. Jerome interprets this as meaning that marriage is good but virginity is better. But the Wife of Bath sees this as meaning something different, that she is one of the wooden utensils, maybe not as perfect as the gold vessel of virginity, but still very useful.

So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe,
I sey this: that they maked ben for bothe;
That is to seye, for office and for ese
Of engendrure, ther we nat God displese.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Refuting the clerics’ argument that the genitalia are only there for urinating and identifying one’s sex, the Wife of Bath says that they are there for another more pleasurable purpose. They were also made for the sexual act of procreation when we don’t displease God.

I nyl envye no virginitee.
Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed,
And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed.
And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle kan,
Our Lord Jesus refreshed many a man.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. It is Alison’s strong belief that her sexuality is a gift from God and she will use it as often as she can. Virginity represents perfection, let the virgins be bread of pure wheat-seed, the Wife of Bath says using a metaphor. But she does not envy virginity and is happy for wives like her to be called barley bread, another metaphor. Jesus refreshed many a man with the cheaper, simpler barley bread, likely a reference to the miracle of the loaves and fishes.

Myn housbonde shal it have bothe eve and morwe,
Whan that hym list come forth and paye his dette.
An housbonde I wol have – I wol nat lette –
Which shal be bothe my dettour and my thral,
And have his tribulacion withal
Upon his flessh, whil that I am his wyf.
I have the power durynge al my lyf
Upon his propre body, and noght he.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. At a time when men held superiority over women and the latter were dependent on men, the Wife of Bath has reversed those roles. Her husband can have sex evenings and mornings – when it pleases him to pay his debt! But sex to the Wife is a debt that a husband owes to her in marriage. It is also a way of exercising power over her husband, who is her debtor and her slave. She has the power over his body, and not he.

I have the power durynge al my lyf
Upon his propre body, and noght he.
Right thus the Apostel tolde it unto me,
And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel.
Al this sentence me liketh every deel.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Husbands are commanded to love their wives well, the Wife of Bath says quoting the Apostle Paul. By love she obviously means sexual lovemaking, as she is talking about having power over her husband’s body. Paul certainly did say in Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives." But he also commanded that wives must respect her husbands – and this Wife of Bath certainly doesn’t!

Sire olde kaynard, is this thyn array?
Why is my neighebores wyf so gay?
She is honoured overal ther she gooth;
I sitte at hoom; I have no thrifty clooth.
What dostow at my neighebores hous?
Is she so fair? Artow so amorous?
What rowne ye with oure mayde? Benedicite!
Sire olde lecchour, lat thy japes be!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue.
In her battle of the sexes, the Wife of Bath replays how she exercised control of her three old husbands. She harangues her husband, showing contempt for him and challenging his male authority. She complains that one neighbor’s wife is better dressed than she and looked up to by all. She queries why her husband is spending so much time at her neighbor’s house and also whispering to her maid, calling him a lecher and suggesting he is lusting after them.

Now by that lord that called is Seint Jame,
Thou shalt nat bothe, thogh that thou were wood,
Be maister of my body and of my good;
That oon thou shalt forgo, maugree thyne yen.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. Using her sexuality as a weapon of power and as a commodity for sale, the Wife of Bath puts it to her husband that he can’t be master of both her body and possessions. One of them he must give up, she says. Greedy Alison is candid about using her body to manipulate her husband into giving her the gold and riches she desires.

By this proverbe thou shalt understonde,
Have thou ynogh, what thar thee recche or care
How myrily that othere folkes fare?
For, certeyn, olde dotard, by youre leve,
Ye shul have queynte right ynogh at eve.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. This is a very loose interpretation of a proverb supposedly from Greek philosopher Ptolemy, stating that of all men he is the highest in wisdom who never cares who has the world in his control. The Wife of Bath claims this means that a husband shouldn’t care if his wife is having sex with others, as long as he himself is getting enough "queynte" – a vulgar word for women’s genitalia.

Thou seyst also, that if we make us gay
With clothyng, and with precious array,
That it is peril of oure chastitee;
And yet – with sorwe! – thou most enforce thee,
And seye thise wordes in the Apostles name:
"In habit maad with chastitee and shame
Ye wommen shul apparaille yow," quod he,
"And noght in tressed heer and gay perree,
As perles, ne with gold, ne clothes riche."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. This is a Biblical allusion to what Saint Paul said in 1 Timothy 2:9 – "I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes." The Wife of Bath scolds her husbands for telling her in the Apostle’s words that if women dress themselves up in expensive clothes, fancy hairstyes or pearls or gold, they are endangering their chastity. She later admits they never said this.
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