Chaucer's 'Prologue'

Author / Editor
Renn, George A.,III.

Title
Chaucer's 'Prologue'

Published
Explicator 46:3 (1988): 4-7.

Description
The red hose of the Wife of Bath may be her method of preventing venereal disease. According to the "doctrine of signatures," a fancied resemblance of a color to a disease could aid in remedy of prevention. Red was thought to be obnoxious to evil spirits and diseases.

Chaucer Subjects
General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales.