Wife of Bath Marriage Quotes

This knyght answerde, "Allas and weylawey!
I woot right wel that swich was my biheste.
For Goddes love, as chees a newe requeste!
Taak al my good and lat my body go."

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. The Knight is unhappy that the Loathly Lady is demanding he repay his debt to her by marrying her. He pleads with her to choose a new request, to take all his goods and let his body go. He clearly doesn’t fancy the idea of an ugly old hag having sovereignty over him and his body.

But al for noght; the ende is this, that he
Constreyned was; he nedes moste hire wedde,
And taketh his olde wyf, and gooth to bedde.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. After trying to wriggle out of it, the Knight has has no choice but to to like it or lump it and marry and bed the Loathly Lady, much to his distaste. There is a certain poetic justice and irony in the fact that a Knight who raped a young virgin finds himself obliged to have sex with an ugly old hag.

I seye ther nas no joye ne feeste at al;
Ther nas but hevynesse and muche sorwe.
For prively he wedded hire on morwe,
And al day after hidde hym as an owle,
So wo was hym, his wyf looked so foule.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. Wedding days are normally occasions for great celebration with family and friends, with the stunning bride capturing everyone’s attention with her beauty and style. But there’s no love story or fairytale wedding for the Knight and his hag bride. Married in private in the morning, he hides himself for the day, so miserable is he that his wife looks so ugly.

Greet was the wo the knyght hadde in his thoght,
Whan he was with his wyf abedde ybroght;
He walweth and he turneth to and fro.
His olde wyf lay smylynge everemo.

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. The Loathly Lady’s demand for the Knight to marry her for saving his life inflicts a novel kind of punishment on the Knight for his rape. In an ironic reversal of fate, the Knight now becomes the victim, and the old hag his aggressor and tormentor. When they retire to the marriage bed she can’t stop smiling, while he twists and turns and wallows in woe.

And eek I praye Jhesu Crist us sende
Housbondes meeke, yonge, and fressh abedde,
And grace t’ overbyde hem that we wedde;
And eek I praye Jhesu shorte hir lyves
That noght wol be governed by hir wyves;
And olde and angry nygardes of dispence,
God sende hem soone verray pestilence!

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath’s Tale. The Wife of Bath Alison prays to Jesus to send husbands who are meek, young and vigorous in bed. She prays also that wives outlive their husbands. And for husbands who won’t be governed by their wives, she asks God to shorten their lives. And those who are old and miserly, she asks God to send them pestilence!
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