‘The Wife of bath’s Prologue clearly demonstrates the power that a woman actually holds in terms of her sexuality. Even if she does not have the control that most men may have, it is her beauty and youth that she can use to her advantage. This is what the ‘Wife of Bath used in order to attain her husbands; “Housbondes at chirche dore I have had five” (Line 6, The Wife of Bath Prologue).

In addition to this, it must be asserted that in the prologue there are also portions that reinforce the freedom; it is observed that women should actually be granted sexual freedom in society. This is reinforced by references to biblical text as well.

The writer of ‘The Wife of bath’ asserts that Jesus did not state anything about one having to be a virgin at the time of marriage. Also, there is reference to being fruitful according to biblical terms, and this is something that the wife of bath takes advantage of in order to demonstrate her sexual power and manipulative skills.

To an extent, it must be said that this manipulative nature is not only limited to women as the wife of bath demonstrates; in fact, it is men that demonstrate this nature and use it against women. However, the point that the wife of bath aims at proving is that women should have the same freedom to do what men do, and this is perhaps the reason why she behaves in the way she does.

In the ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’, what women want becomes even clearer to the reader. This is because of the fact that what men can give up in exchange for what a woman wants is openly demonstrated. This is particularly demonstrated by the Knight surrendering his devotions to his wife after she becomes beautiful.

All that the woman wanted was to be served; she wanted a husband who would submit to her orders. By receiving her husband’s attention, she could also find it in her heart to serve her husband (the Knight). Precisely, this is what women struggle for, and they are ready to do whatever their husbands want if only their husbands would do what they want as well. Finally, the woman asserts, “God sende hem soone verray pestilence!” (The Wife of Bath Tale, 1264)

With this understanding, the end of this story also reinforces the need for woman to be blessed by Christ with submissive husbands. If such a thing were to be openly mentioned in the bible, women would not have suffered at the hands of their non-submissive husbands for so many centuries, and this may be asserted because of the fact that people tend to take literal meaning out of what is written in the bible.