Is the wife of bath feminist

The Wife of Bath was dreamed up by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales more than 600 years ago.

She has captured countless imaginations since.

The character known for her lusty appetites, gossipy asides and fondness for wine has influenced authors, artists and musicians over the century ranging from William Shakespeare to the Brazilian Tropicália composer Tom Zé's catchy song, "A Mulher de Bath."

"She's extreme, and she laughs at herself," explains Marion Turner, an English professor at Oxford University.

Wife of bath's husbands

"She's aware of when she's saying things that are outrageous."

In her new book, The Wife of Bath: A Biography, Turner argues that Chaucer's pilgrim, whose given name is Alison, is the first modern character in all of English literature.

Chaucer gives her more to say than any other character. She has a sense of her own subjectivity, her faults and foibles. Alison seems — well, real.