A description of what can be regarded as medievalism or neomedievalism will be the focus of the first chapter of this thesis and will be the foundation for the following analysis. The analysis will then focus on Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and The Wife of Bath’s Tale which is part of The Canterbury Tales. After bringing the basic themes, structure, and linguistic aspects to the surface, these will build the foundation of a comparative analysis of three modern products which adapt Chaucer’s original prologue and tale and reinterpret them in their own way. The three examples in focus will be two poems, the first being Jean “Binta” Breeze’s The Wife of Bath Speaks in Brixton Market, and secondly Patience Agbabi’s What Do Women Like Bes?. The third one is a rap song by Baba Brinkman named The Wife of Bath. All three will be analysed and compared to the original in terms of their content, their structure and language. After the close readings and comparisons, the findings will be revisited in an attempt to recognise a pattern in how they all tried to bring something from the Middle Ages into modern times and see what and why they have changed to achieve this. This chapter will also include reflections on the actuality of the original and the need to refer back to it time and again. Before concluding the thesis, a final evaluation of whether the poems and the song can be regarded as neomedievalism or medievalism will follow to take recourse to the introductory thoughts on these concepts. Thus, the question of research will be how each contemporary medievalist appropriation of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale thematises the issues that are implied in Chaucer’s work and in what way they update it for a modern audience to bring forward their message and what they regard as important.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THEORETICAL ASPECTS: MEDIEVALISM AND NEOMEDIEVALISM
3. CHAUCER: WIFE OF BATH PROLOGUE AND TALE
3.1. Summary and General Themes
3.2. Historical Context
4. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
4.1. Jean “Binta” Breeze — “The Wife of Bath Speaks in Brixton Market”
4.1.1. Summary
4.1.2. Analysis
4.2. Patience Agbabi — What do Women Like Bes?
4.2.1. Summary
4.2.2. Analysis
4.3. Baba Brinkman — The Wife of Bath
4.3.1. Summary
4.3.2. Analysis
5. IS THERE A PATTERN?
5.1. Pattern for the adaptation of themes and the plot
5.2. Pattern for the adaptation of language
6. MEDIEVALISM OR NEOMEDIEVALISM?
7. CONCLUSION
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Objectives & Core Themes
This thesis examines how contemporary literary works appropriate and reinterpret Geoffrey Chaucer’s "The Wife of Bath’s Prologue" and "The Wife of Bath’s Tale." The primary research question explores how modern authors and performers navigate the tension between historical medieval texts and contemporary societal issues, specifically focusing on gender, power, and authority.
- Theoretical differentiation between medievalism and neomedievalism.
- Comparative analysis of Jean “Binta” Breeze’s, Patience Agbabi’s, and Baba Brinkman’s adaptations.
- Examination of how colonial and postcolonial perspectives shape modern retellings.
- Analysis of stylistic shifts and structural changes across literary and musical formats.
- Evaluation of whether these modern works succeed in actualizing medieval themes for contemporary audiences.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1. Summary and General Themes
To start off, a quick summary of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale will follow to give an integral look into the matter. Both parts that are concerned with The Wife of Bath are part of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It was written in Middle English between 1387 and 1400, not long before the author’s death. It consists of 24 tales and around 17,000 lines of verse, told by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale is the sixth tale after the General Prologue and is preceded by The Man of Law’s Tale and The Friar’s Tale.
The Prologue is generally said to be written before The Shipman’s Tale and there are some inconsistencies throughout the different manuscripts. It has four passages that cannot be found in some of the manuscripts and has six lines (44a-f) that only appear in three manuscripts and the structure of the Prologue often differs as well (cf. Cooper 1996, 139-40).
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the scope of the thesis, the selection of primary texts, and the underlying research motivation concerning the mediation of medieval narratives.
2. THEORETICAL ASPECTS: MEDIEVALISM AND NEOMEDIEVALISM: Defines the core theoretical concepts, distinguishing between the nostalgic recreation of the past and the conscious, self-aware engagement of neomedievalism.
3. CHAUCER: WIFE OF BATH PROLOGUE AND TALE: Provides a necessary foundation by summarizing the original text and contextualizing it within the societal and historical framework of the late 14th century.
4. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS: Conducts a detailed investigation into specific modern adaptations by Breeze, Agbabi, and Brinkman, focusing on their unique structural and linguistic choices.
5. IS THERE A PATTERN?: Synthesizes findings across the examples to identify recurring strategies in thematic and linguistic adaptation.
6. MEDIEVALISM OR NEOMEDIEVALISM?: Critically evaluates the analyzed works against the theoretical framework established in Chapter 2.
7. CONCLUSION: Offers a final assessment, summarizing how the analyzed adaptations successfully bridge the gap between medieval concerns and modern debates on feminism and autonomy.
Keywords
Chaucer, The Wife of Bath, Medievalism, Neomedievalism, Adaptation, Gender Studies, Literature, Postcolonialism, Feminist Critique, Authority, Power, Narrative, Modernity, Cultural Transfer, Intertextuality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the process of appropriating and reinterpreting Geoffrey Chaucer’s "The Wife of Bath’s Prologue" and "Tale" in three specific modern literary and artistic adaptations.
Which three artists are analyzed in the comparative section?
The study examines the works of Jean “Binta” Breeze, Patience Agbabi, and Baba Brinkman.
What is the central research question?
The author explores whether contemporary medieval appropriations successfully modernize Chaucer’s themes and how they choose to represent gender roles and the struggle for power.
How is the term "neomedievalism" defined in this thesis?
Neomedievalism is defined as a conscious, self-aware process of engaging with the Middle Ages that avoids a purely historical, accurate representation in favor of producing new, relevant versions for modern audiences.
What primary methods are used for the analysis?
The paper utilizes comparative literary analysis, close readings of the original and modern texts, and contextual historical research.
What are the primary keys to success in these modern adaptations?
The analysis suggests that the adaptations succeed by linking traditional concerns of sovereignty and authority with modern experiences of diaspora, multiculturalism, and gender dynamics.
How does Patience Agbabi utilize Nigerian accent and culture in her work?
Agbabi integrates Nigerian English and cultural references to transform the original tale into a postcolonial poem, effectively centering the transnational experience.
In what way does Baba Brinkman differ from the other two authors?
Brinkman produces a musical adaptation (rap song), which adds rhythmic and performative layers to the textual analysis, emphasizing an external, often critical narrative perspective.
What role does the concept of "experience versus authority" play in the text?
It is a central motif where the Wife of Bath (Alisoun) challenges male-dominated academic and religious authorities by asserting the legitimacy of her own personal lived experiences.
What is the main finding regarding the categorization of these works?
Ultimately, the works are identified as a combination of both medievalism and neomedievalism, as they rely on actual medieval source material while simultaneously applying critical, modern viewpoints.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Anonym (Autor:in), Wife of Bath 2.0: Medievalist Appropriations of Chaucer’s "The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1504545
