Name:___________________________________________ ​ Language Arts

“The Canterbury Tales”: ​The Wife of Bath

Pre-Reading Anticipation Guide:​ Answer the following questions with True or False based on your
personal feelings.

T F Statements

T F Age is just a number and you should be able to marry whomever

you want.

T F Looks aren’t important in a relationship.

T F Knight’s are subjected to honor the code of chivalry.

T F Husbands desire wives who are obedient.

T F You should give someone a second chance even when trust is

broken.

T F Husbands should always have control in their marriage.

T F People should be punished for their crimes.

● Thinking about relationships: what type of qualities do you think ​women​ would want from their
significant other?

● How would you describe a “healthy” relationship?

● How would you describe an “unhealthy” relationship?

Wife of Bath​ Prologue: ​Wife of Bath’s prologue is an introduction to her character in the story. While
reading her prologue, pay attention to her beliefs on love and marriage.

1. How many husbands has the WIFE had since the age of twelve?

2. What is the WIFE an expert at?

3. How was the WIFE able to have ​complete control​ of her husbands?

4. What was different about the WIFE’s marriage with her 4th husband?

5. After the WIFE’s 4th husband died, she married her 5th husband (Jenkin) for love. But why did
she love him the most?

6. How is the WIFE’s 5th marriage ​ironic​, compared to her previous marriages?

7. Why did Jenkin’s book on wicked wives cause conflict in their marriage? What was the outcome
of the situation? How was she able to gain back control in the marriage?

AS YOU READ: ​Tale Comprehension Questions

1. Why is the knight being punished? What is his punishment and how long does he have to finish
the quest?

2. Infer:​ Why do you think the queen spared the knight’s head?
3. On the knight’s quest, what specifically happens to the group of women dancing in the forest?

4. What is the knight’s answer to the queen’s riddle?

5. What does the knight have to agree to in exchange for the answer?

6. How does the knight treat his wife? Why does he treat her like this?

7. What two choices does the old woman give the knight? What is his answer?

8. How does the tale match the Wife of Bath’s personality and beliefs about marriage?
Post-Reading Questions: ​Thoroughly respond to the questions below.

● Were you surprised in the outcome of the Knight’s quest? Why or why not?

● In what way is the queen’s question related to the crime the knight has committed?

● What ​theme,​ or message, about marriage would you say the tale conveys? Do you agree with
this message? Why or why not?

POST-Reading Anticipation Guide:​ Answer the following questions with True or False based on
your personal feelings, now that you have read ​The Wife of Bath’s t​ ale. Note if your feelings changed
from the pre-reading anticipation guide.

T F Statements

T F Age is just a number and you should be able to marry whomever

you want.

T F Looks aren’t important in a relationship.

T F Knight’s are subjected to honor the code of chivalry.

T F Husbands desire wives who are obedient.

T F You should give someone a second chance even when trust is

broken.

T F Husbands should always have control in their marriage.

T F People should be punished for their crimes.

 Simile: ​a figure of speech used to compare two things using “like” or “as”

In the Wife of Bath, the old woman scolds the knight for mistreating her. She says:

You scold me for being poor.

A poor man need not fear thieves.
A poor man knows himself.
In addition, he is not taken in by those
who only value him for his money or position.
Poverty makes for hard work.
It also adds wisdom.
​I think poverty is like a pair of spectacles that lets a man see his true friends.

Analyze and thoroughly explain what the old woman means when she says, “I think poverty is like a pair
of spectacles that lets a man see his true friends.” ​How can this be a lesson to someone in today’s
world? ​Use specific examples from the text and/or examples from TV, movies, books, etc. to support your
claim.

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