Putting the Wife in Her Place

Author / Editor
Patterson, Lee.

Title
Putting the Wife in Her Place

Published
[London] : [Birkbeck College], 1995.

Physical Description
49 pp.

Series
The William Matthews Lectures 1995, Birkbeck College, London, 22 and 23 May 1995.

Description
Two essays: 1) "The Place of Philology" argues that the MLE is Chaucer's late and revised addition to CT and that it is properly followed by WBP; Patterson confronts the manuscript evidence and suggests several structural and thematic continuities between MLE and WBPT. 2) "The Place of History" assesses the Wife of Bath's individuality in light of medieval marital and property law, arguing that gaps or inconsistencies between historical facts and trends and what the Wife says about her situation indicate her desire for autonomy and a "companionate" marriage.

Alternative Title
Place of Philology
Place of History

Chaucer Subjects
Wife of Bath and Her Tale.
Man of Law and His Tale.
Canterbury Tales-General.
Manuscripts and Textual Studies