How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Line). We used the line numbering found on Librarius's online edition.
Quote #10
And sith she dorste telle it to no man,
Doun to a mareys faste by she ran,
Til she cam there, hir herte was a fyre,
And as a bitore bombleth in the myre,
She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun.
(975 – 979)
This passage compares Midas's wife's speech to a "bitore" that "bombleth in the myre." A "bitore" is a type of bird, and by comparing the woman's speech to its warbles, the passage draws upon the antifeminist tradition of denying that women were capable of meaningful speech. Their speech was supposedly more like the meaningless sounds of animals than the meaning-packed musings of men.
Quote #11
'My lige lady, generally,' quod he,
'Wommen desiren to have sovereynetee
As wel over hir housbond as hir love,
And for to been in maistrie hym above.'
(1043 – 1046)
Having read the Wife of Bath's Prologue, we're not surprised that what women want most is sovereignty. However, the Wife of Bath's Prologue left us with the impression that a woman desired sovereignty not only to her husband, but also to the woman's own body and mind. By limiting the scope of the desired sovereignty here, this passage is more in keeping with St Paul's behest that a husband and wife should have sovereignty over one another.