VANDI Magazine

Don’t Beat Women’s Power
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Like other timeless works of medieval literature, The Wife of Bath depicts women of that time. Society still glorifies men as the main component in the family, society, and community. Due to the limitations placed on women, they were given only secondary roles in all aspects of life, from family and community activities to social relations, inheritance, and even being recorded in family genealogies and traditions. These privileges were reserved for men; women were always at a disadvantage.

The Wife of Bath, a beautiful piece of writing with masterful verses, describes the life of a woman with many characteristics that are no different from those of men. She possesses qualities that surpass those of men in matters of marriage and family. The Wife of Bath is a work that highlights the paradoxes of contemporary medieval society, where men reigned supreme, wielding power derived from fighting and vying for it in an unjust system, due to the weak legal framework of the kings at the time.

The Wife of Bath, a cheerful work, conveys paradoxical messages, representing the desires of women who should also inherit the same rights as men, grounded in a worldview and philosophy of life that embrace fairness. Furthermore, the desire for power among women is a prominent characteristic that reflects the feminist perspective in medieval feudal society. That was a very rare occurrence for women, so their privileges were always bestowed upon them by men.

“The newly uncovered King’s Bench documents do not change the fact that Chaucer writes about consent and s*xual violation in complicated, unsettling, and disturbing ways. It is irrelevant whether Chaucer the individual endorsed these views himself, for the fact remains that many of his narrative choices both reflect and reinscribe constitutive fictions about gender, desire,
s*x, and violence that persist in causing harm to living individuals today.”

This passage is quoted from “Harris Servant Women R**e Culture” page 476, Chaucer review.

The story of the knight in King Arthur's time who committed r**e and faced the death penalty, but received a special favor from the queen, illustrates this. The desires and aspirations that women always kept hidden challenged the knight to find the answer to save his life. Even though he was a mighty knight with many privileges, he still had to accept his fate. From then on, he received another favor, also from a woman. An ugly old woman revealed something important, which was the only desire of that woman: "Power." They implied that power was the most sacred thing, surpassing all other women's desires. The knight accepted, and the outcome was that the old woman transformed into a beautiful woman and married him, on the condition of fidelity in their marriage.

The evidence and perspectives on women's power and desires have been demonstrated over centuries through ancient literary works. These highly valuable works, compiled from texts, manuscripts, and images depicting life and compelling stories, such as "The Wife of Bath," provide readers with a deeper understanding of the many aspects that women deeply desire. The fact that "The Wife of Bath" has been researched, collected, edited, and restored by universities and language and cultural research institutions worldwide speaks to its timeless relevance and usefulness in all times and places.

On the other hand, “The Wife of Bath” Tale and Prologue still have so many aspects that raise controversial topics. Let's break down some of those aspects’ readers are curious about: woman power, privilege, sovereignty, having five husbands, wearing fancy clothes, a godly life, gap-toothed, riding a horse well, laughing and jokes, and knowing “remedies of love”. Those characteristics have been clear in Chaucer’s masterpieces.

I just want to demonstrate three controversial topics, such as r**e violence, feminist criticism, and women’s sovereignty.

First is the “r**e violence” topic during the period of King Arthur, who was a good knight; however, he was rapped a young woman and was guilty. Then, the Queen allows him to do the requirement. He has one year to answer a simple question. What is the woman’s power? The knight must respond to her for his survival. But he could not respond. Then the knight must be married to the ugly old lady, later transformed into a beautiful wife, as the Queen also gave another option. When does the knight have many opportunities for his dismissal or survival?

Why was r**e violence not considered a felony or guilty in the Medieval century? The knight’s action of ra**ng a woman is not severe enough to warrant jail. Is it fair and equal in justice? In medieval times, laws and punishments varied widely across regions and ruling powers. R**e was often considered a serious offense, but the classification and penalties differed. Some places treated it as a property crime against the victim's family or husband, while others viewed it as a violent crime against the person. Punishments ranged from fines to death, often influenced by social status and circumstances. In contrast, today, r**e is typically considered a serious felony offense in many jurisdictions, often classified as a violent crime. Laws vary by location, but most places recognize the severity of r**e and impose significant penalties. In the United States, r**e is considered a serious felony offense. It's typically defined as non-consensual s*xual in*******se, often involving force, coercion, or incapacitation. Federal and state laws govern r**e cases, with varying definitions and penalties. Generally, r**e is punishable by significant prison time, fines, or both, reflecting its seriousness as a violent crime.

Second, feminist criticism in “The Wife of Bath” Tale is the attentional topic of researchers, educational experts, and publishers.

“Feminist criticism comes in many forms, and feminist critics have a variety of goals. Some have been interested in rediscovering the works of women writers overlooked by a masculine-dominant culture. Others have revisited books by male authors and reviewed them from a woman’s point of view to understand how they both reflect and shape the attitudes that have held women in postcolonial societies, women’s autobiographical writings, le****ns and literature, womanliness as masquerade, and the role of film and other popular media in the construction of the feminine gender.”
This quote above is from “The Wife of Bath” book, page 255, in the first paragraph of “Feminist Criticism and the Wife of Bath.”

The passage has enough information to explain how the criticism of feminism has influenced our society, where women have more benefits than men in official duties and salaries. Women's rights are covered and protected in many ways, unlike those of men.
“The Wife of Bath” is a rhetorical writing that tells us about the women’s expectations of a happy lady in medieval times.

Nevertheless, in some Middle Eastern countries, women who have been found guilty of adulty have received the death penalty by being stoned to death. The damnable women’s law.

“The Wife of Bath” is an ancient tale, similar to those writings of modern times; they are struggling and advocating for women’s Rights today.

Third, women’s sovereignty is the most discussed and understood. Women's sovereignty refers to the concept of women having autonomy, agency, and self-governance over their own lives, bodies, and choices. It encompasses ideas of empowerment, equality, and freedom from oppression, allowing women to make decisions and live without external control or domination. The term can be used in various contexts, including social, political, and cultural discussions.

The Wife of Bath, a woman who has five husbands, is the concept of having autonomy in the past seven hundred years. The disconnected way has disappeared now. However, a woman can get married multiple times but only to one husband. That is also women’s sovereignty nowadays.

Moreover, women’s suffrage allows them to run as presidential candidates in the United States. That is a new feature in the twenty-first century. Prime Minister Hillary Clinton, who was a Democratic presidential candidate, represented women in the American people in the 2016 election for the leadership of the United States of America.

Reading “The Wife of Bath” masterpieces, if we just do it for enjoyment and skip its context, is regretted. It was a great tale about women and their power. Women can do like men in many fields and social society, science, politics, laws, etc.

Vietnamese American women have been successful in the US Government. They are Duong Nguyet Anh, a scientist who invented bombs in the Gulf War of 1990. And Giao Le, another scientist, who was the leader of the shipyard building of the US Military Forces. They are "the Wife of Bath" in the twenty-first century.

“The Wife of Bath,” the famous tale, is talking about women's desires. It is unlimited goals that come true. The Wife of Bath, as a woman culturally dominant, dominated masculinity in marriage. Today, women in some fields earn higher salaries than men, have higher education and higher positions, and control their own lives, and regardless of whether they marry or not, they have a happy life.
In conclusion, “The Wife of Bath” Tale and Prologue is brought to us about women's independence. Overwhelmed by a wife, a mother, a partner, a lover, women are sympathetic, compassionate, and the best managers of family lifestyle.

“Don’t beat a woman, although beat her with a branch of flowers.” Indian proverb says.

Please do your respect to our women, that is, most of the civilized men. Beat them for any reason, regardless of going to jail directly.

Hung Nguyen December 14, 2025