There are many parts to this short writing prompt, but that’s because there’s just so much to talk about when we study the Wife of Bath’s story.

The prologue for the Wife of Bath is just as important as her actual tale. Take a close look at her prologue, making certain to address lines that stand out to you as important. Why do you think those lines are important, and what do they reveal about her? What, in the character’s words, gives her the authority to tell the type of story she tells? What is her concern in telling her story?

What purpose does the Wife of Bath’s prologue fulfill? When you think about it, she actually gets to tell two different stories (the prologue and the tale). Which one is more important to you and why? Why do you think she spends so much time with her prologue? Which other pilgrims take note of her story and interrupt her? Why do they do so?

While this is a question that’s purely subjective, I’m interested in which story you liked the best–the Wife of Bath or the Miller’s? In answering this question, try to go beyond the matter of taste–what elements of the story stick out as important? What makes the story so effective? And, more importantly, do you think there’s a lesson to be learned from your favorite story? If so, what is that lesson?