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“Female empowerment is an illusion
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In your answer
compare one drama text (‘The White Devil’) and one poetry text (The Wife of Bath’s
Prologue and Tale)
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Similarly in the Jacobean society in
which ‘The White Devil’ was written, to be chaste and pure was also the most highly thought after
position for a woman to be in
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It can be argued that in context
of production female empowerment was an illusion within the works because it never existed within
the societies
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Within a Medieval society The Wife of Bath is empowered because of her openness with her
sexuality
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Literary critic Magery Kempe claims that ‘she merely seeks husbands who will
provide for her in exchange for sexual favours’
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Although
this supports female empowerment as an illusion it shows The Wife as a temporary figure of female
empowerment or strives for it rather than just an anti-feminist character
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During the 17th century it was very common for women to appear in court on
accusations of being a ‘whore’, and it is Vittoria’s defence that allows her to usurp the society that
condemns her as a female for having a sex drive
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Vittoria reverses this stereotype she associates her accusers with Medusa and represents herself as
the masculine force
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She can’t be
empowered as a female
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The
Wife of bath manages to successfully gain ‘sovereigntee’ and ‘maistree’ over her first three
husbands with ease
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The empowerment that The Wife shows in the prologue is reflected in the
empowerment of the Queen in her tale
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The Queen much like The Wife has control over her husband, therefore The Queen can be
seen as a device to reinforce how empowered The Wife is
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Vittoria rejects the role that has been assigned to her by the masculine society of the play, to
be a silent and obedient wife, instead she is ‘the wind’ returning the terms of ‘whore’ and ‘devil’
back to the male accusers
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In fact she is so obedient
that she takes the blame for their separation based on jealousy
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Isabella is not empowered but portrayed as the
loving, arguably sickly, quiet wife, which was what was expected from women in 17th century
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’ She goes
with dignity, not giving Monticelsco the loud and defiant reaction that he wants from her
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The Wife’s empowerment of her sexuality and husbands is an illusion because no matter how
much ‘maistree’ she thinks she has she is still primarily named by her relationship to a man
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’ Despite how much empowerment she shows, it can be
argued that the whole piece was intended to be anti-feminist by Chaucer to reflect the consequence
of letting a wife take control in marriage
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Female empowerment can be seen an illusion or a device by Webster to touch upon social
issues such as the Catholic Church
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Vittoria’s empowerment within her sexuality is what
pokes holes in the holy ideals of Catholicism; Monticelso is supposed to be chased and yet he gets
some sort of sexual gratification from trying to condemn a woman who is open in her sexuality
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Therefore there is an argument for female characters to only seem empowered to an early 21st
century audience
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All of the female characters seem victim-beneficiaries of a sexist
society, showing ‘masculine virtue’ when challenged, but a tendency to exploit the role of ‘wronged
woman’ when their going is easier
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Her bawdiness and exegesis would have left her
open to be mocked by the pilgrims but also the listeners to the tale
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A 2015 audience would claim that
whereas The Wife is empowered by her role and title as wife, Vittoria is empowered by rejecting and
disrespecting her female role in society

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