To some extent Chaucer can be seen to have made this selected text a ‘great comic entertainment’ by presenting a challenging female protagonist, who has an overwhelmingly dramatic nature, placing her in situations that the reader (when married) may have too. Comical irony is deeply embedded in this text, but there are anti-feminist, controversial and derogatory ideas that may have been viewed in a negative outlook for this early period and today too.
Chaucer presents an anti-feminist perspective which is comical to read. It is equally controversial and comical to read her speech as she is a deeply opinionated strong-minded woman who is hierarchal in her thinking. She has a ruthless character, in relation to an extract of White Devil, (line 60-62) proves the effectiveness in exploitation which is exactly what she does to her husband. In her free and easy manner especially about sexuality, she doesn’t regard herself as a victim unlike her husband. Shockingly and comically she probably deters the pardoner from seeking a marriage. From a patriarchal perspective of the time, it would be comical to think that the wife will be able to outsmart her husband emphasised by the Greek mythological simile of Argus, a hundred-eyed dog guarding hades, who she claims to outwit “If you beg Argus with his hundred eyes”. Furthermore, the use of comical irony is effective in proving that this is ‘great comical entertainment’ shown by her calling him a shrew despite acting in the same way “Give over, sir shrew, Jesus shorten your life!” She even goes to the extent of emasculating him as shrew, being a female-associated word, describes an old scolding woman. It is humorous to endure her constant speech without interruptions from her audience even though she uses taboo words and scolds her fourth husband “Be sure, old dotard, by your leave”. Additional comical irony is used in her description of the transactions made in the relationships “Till she find some man to take her for cheap”...