Was Chaucer a sexist?

It has been said that the legendary author, Geoffrey Chaucer, was a sexist. He has been criticized for his writings in The Canterbury Tales, that he treats women poorly and degrading. On numerous occasions he makes women look very “loose,” and willing to do anything for a man. On the other hand Chaucer shows how he is a non-sexist on many occasions. He makes women have power like a queen. He allows these women to make choices and to choose punishments. They are allowed to decide either if a man should die or if their lives should be spared. Chaucer also allows women to have choices. He allows women to choose who they would want to have sexual relations with, and to actually out smart the other sex. The following stories will discuss how Chaucer is a non-sexist in “The Merchant’s Tale,” “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” and “The Reeve’s Tale.”

In “The Merchant’s Tale,” Chaucer shows women being very smart and free. For example, May has the freedom to be with whoever she wants to be with. She initially is with January for a period of time. She later grows a love for January’s squire, Damian. She “chooses” to have sex with Damian while she makes January suspect nothing. “For certainly if you could r

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