The Canterbury Tales are a series of tales written by Geoffrey Chaucer about pilgrims' journeys to Canterbury. Geoffrey Chaucer did not begin writing these tales until his forties, and due to his late arrival with this piece, Chaucer died before he could complete these epic tales (Librarius). Within these numerous tales Chaucer wrote one in particular about a character called the Wife of Bath. He also featured her with a prologue and wrote a story from her point of view. The Wife of Bath represents the new era of women that emerged in the Middle Ages. Women were no longer limited to being the property of a man nor to being simple housewives; women were starting to defend each other and have a voice in society. The Wife of Bath had dominant and strong opinions about how women should treat their husbands and believed that women should have power and control. Chaucer first offers a prologue that describes the characteristics and personality of the Wife of Bath. Chaucer describes her as a woman of great dress; however his dress is not one of elegance but of pure vainglory. She is an attention seeker with a vision that most women of this time did not have. The Wife of Bath believes that the only way to win a man's heart is through sexual pleasure and believed that all men should experience her pleasures. He claimed to know all the remedies for misfortunes and the art of love (Chaucer). She was married five times to many lovers in her early years. This is quite shocking because she is not described as a beautiful woman. The Wife of Bath has a rosy red complexion with gaping teeth. In the Middle Ages, open teeth symbolized charm for many men. He also wore extravagant headdresses that were mostly red... center of the card... control and power within society (Camelot International). Chaucer's description of the Wife of Bath was immensely correct and he made a wise decision in allowing her to present the knight's tale from his point of view. Works Cited1. “The Canterbury Tales”. Librarian. Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400), 1997 Np, Web. 04 December 20132. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. 1387. Elements of literature. Ed. Dr. Kylene Beers et al. Austin: Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston, 2008. 178-187. Print3. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. 1387. Elements of literature. Ed. Dr. Kylene Beers et al. Austin: Holt, Rhinehart and Winston, 2008. 155. Print4. "The Characteristics of the Wife of Bath." The characteristics of the wife of Bath. Ncnu (English literature). Np, nd Web. 04 December 20135. "Women in the Middle Ages." Camelot International. 2013