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A-level English essay: Explore how ‘auctoritee’ is presented in The Wife of Bath £8.99
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  2.  
  3. PEARSON (PEARSON)
  4.  
  5. English Literature 2015
  6.  
  7. Unit 3 - Poetry

Essay

A-level English essay: Explore how ‘auctoritee’ is presented in The Wife of Bath
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A* A-level English Poetry The Wife of Bath essay titled: Explore how ‘auctoritee’ is presented in The Wife of Bath by referring to lines 1-25 and 685-710.

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  • June 6, 2023
  • 4
  • 2019/2020
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Explore how ‘auctoritee’ is presented in The Wife of Bath by referring to lines 1-25 and
685-710

In both lines 1-25 (first extract) and lines 685-710 (second extract), Chaucer explores
‘auctoritee’ through the Wife’s direct challenge to the traditional male-dominated authority
of the medieval church. By having the Wife place value on her own ‘experience’ and
judgement over male textual authority and by condemning the anti-female doctrine of male
clerks, Chaucer gives authority to the Wife’s narrative. However, Chaucer also defuses this
authority by characterising the Wife with typical female flaws and presenting her as an
unreliable narrator.

In both extracts Chaucer inverts the notion of traditional male authority in the 14 th Century.
From the Wife’s opening word ‘experience’, Chaucer presents a bold and assertive woman
who is not afraid to challenge medieval social mores and ‘auctoritee’. Chaucer’s decision to
place the analysis of male auctoritee in the mouth of a woman is unusual as typically the
viewpoint would be male. In this way, the Wife’s narrative can be seen as a…

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… parody of a medieval sermon as she utilises similar devices that authoritative priests
would use. From using formal diction, such as addressing her audience ‘Lordynges’, to citing

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