Chaucer as Incel | Female Caricatures in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" from the Canterbury Tales

In this lecture, we will examine Geoffrey Chaucer's portrayal of women and sexual license in "The Wife of Bath's Tale" (specifically, the Prologue), from The Canterbury Tales. As the father of English Literature, Chaucer is a staple poet both to read and to extrapolate his ideas in order to see their potential, good or bad. Here I'd like to see how Chaucer portrays contradictory statements of female literation, exhibiting proto-feminist tendencies, alongside harmful and dangerous stereotypes of women as liars, licentious, greedy, and fantasizing about/desiring abuse. Enjoy!
Music is Igor Stravinsky's Histoire du Soldat: Musique de la premiere scene by the London Sinfonietta • Stravinsky: Histoire d...
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/ @gavinyoung-philosophy

[@fisheyes101bob3]

Awesome video! loved it

[@gavinyoung-philosophy]

Thanks!

[@johnmilius3031]

22:17 There's no contradiction since it's a character speaking about other characters, not necessarily the opinion of the author himself. Like when the villain Richard III is giving his opening Incel monologue it's definitely not Shakespeare's personal view on life. So it's ok to like Chaucer as an author.

[@gavinyoung-philosophy]

Obviously it’s not a contradiction per se, but these characters are speaking his opinions in part, and it’s just a matter of determining what those opinions are. Certainly the overarching message about women is his opinion. The confounding aspect is that he seemed to be conscientious enough to put that passage in the text, yet not enough to heed it and recognize he does just that in the text.

[@johnmilius3031]

20:48 She tore a page out his book? With books being expensive and rare as they were back then? A deafening smack upon the cheeck may be too good for her, says I.

[@gavinyoung-philosophy]

Is any monetary value worth more than the wellbeing of your wife? This is a very disturbing comment.

[@johnmilius3031]

@@gavinyoung-philosophy A jest. I'd hoped the smiley at the end would make that clear.

[@gavinyoung-philosophy]

@@johnmilius3031 My apologies🫤The emoji may look a little different on my end and it seems it went over my head.