Chaucer's Treatment of women

Literature reflects the tendencies of the age in which it is produced and there is always a supreme literary artist who becomes the mouth piece of his age and gives expression to the hopes and aspirations, its fades, and fetishes, its tears and doubts, its prosperity and enterprise in his work. Chaucer, too, represents his age and holds mirror up to the life of his time. His poetry represents the fourteenth century and not only one limited aspect of it. For example, the unknown author of “Pearls” shows the mysticism of refined mind. Wycliff, points out the surging wave of religious reformation, Gower shows the fear produced in the wealthier class by the Peasant Rising and Langland, presents corruption in the church and the religious order. Each of these authors throws light on only one aspect of life of fourteenth century. It is Chaucer’s greatness that he directs his comprehensive gaze not on one aspect of his time, but on all its wide and vanegated life. He is a wide and capacious soul and takes a fuller view of his times more than anyone else could have taken in those days. Chaucer takes into consideration the chivalry, trade, medical profession, clergymen and women of the fourteenth century.
Chaucer’s attitude towards women is impartial, unprejudiced, realistic and comprehensive. According to Chaucer, a woman is neither a goddess nor necessarily an evil. She is just a companion of man and as there are gods and devils among men, so there are goddesses and witches among women. Chaucer’s realistic approach towards life never allows him to go to extremes. For instance, the Franklin’s opinion about women reflects the whole story. According to his tale, the real question is not of mastery, but of mutual adjustment and co-operation.
In Chaucer’s age, there were two views with regard to women. According to the opinion of the church, woman in the person of Eve was the cause of fall of Adam. It was she who had brought sin and death into the world. On the other hand, quite contrary to this view the poets held positive opinion about them. According to poets, she was a goddess who descended from Heaven with pomp and majesty and filled the world with a unique glow. Women in Chaucer’s England did not enjoy an enviable social position. Women of lower class of society, in particular were doomed to a life of unrelieved drudgery. They were treated as slaves or serfs. Women belonging to the upper classes, however, led a comparatively better social life and they received some education and wore the fine clothes and ornaments.
In “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”, Chaucer tells that there are two kinds of woman in the world in all ages. He tells this by depicting two women, The Prioress and The Wife of Bath. The Prioress is the embodiment of sweetness, beauty, grace and good manners where as The Wife of Bath is a combination of ugly features and shrewish qualities. Both of them are present in all ages. Sometimes, The Prioress predominates and sometimes The Wife of Bath.
In Chaucer’s time, a woman was regarded as inferior to man. A woman who attempted governance was very often beaten by her husband. A woman’s welfare lays in accepting the mastery of her husband. We are told that fifth husband of The Wife of Bath tried to assert his male superiority over her and once struck her about her ear so violently that she became deaf. Thus, women like The Wife of Bath always manage to escape from the life, a humdrum love, gossip, finery, company of men and never like to stay at home with their husbands. Chaucer explains the nature of such women in the following lines of the Wife’s portrait.
In felawshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe;
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
For she koude of that art the oIde daunce.
The Prioress represents the conventional woman with all those vanities dear to feminine heart. In “The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales”, her description includes her physical appearance, table manners, affected speech and tender sentimentality. Her name is “Madame Eglentyne”. One wonders what this wild flower has to do in the convent. She wears fine clothes and on her brooch is inscribed the motto “Amor Vincit Omnia” (Love conquers all).
The Wife of Bath has expounded her views on women, marriage and love at a great length in the Prologue. She tells the company that she has no faith in virginity. God has given them bodies to use. Let saints be continent. God never forbade marriage, nor did He command virginity. The Clerk replies to the Wife’s heresies by telling the story of Griselda. She was a retort to the Wife’s heretical doctrine.
Chaucer’s “Tale of Melibeus” poses the problem of mastery in domestic life and suggests that husband should accept the mastery of his wife. The Nun’s Priest’s tale puts the opposite view. Similarly, different pilgrims express their views in their tales. However, the Franklin’s tale gives a balanced view. According to this tale, the real question is not of mastery but mutual adjustment and co-operation. The real bliss of wedded life can be enjoyed through mutual co-operation, forbearance and patience; this is the view of Chaucer himself.