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The Canterbury Tales: The Wife of Bath's Prologue Trivia

Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge

The Wife of Bath is the only pilgrim for whom Chaucer describes two sets of clothing – one at the beginning, the other at the end of her portrait – in the General Prologue.

In a short poem called "l'Envoy a Chaucer a Bukton," Chaucer tells Bukton that marriage is a trap, for more on this he advises him "The Wyf of Bathe I praye yow that yow rede / Of this matere that we have on honed."

In 1713, a London playwright named John Gay brought to the London stage a play entitled The Wife of Bath, a comedy adapted from Chaucer. (Source)