Chaucer's portrayal of Alisoun

Chaucer portrays the character of Alisoun in a number of different ways. First of all, he uses the words 'fair' and 'younge' to describe her, meaning that she was beautiful and young. This automatically makes us wonder why she is with her husband who is much older than she is if she is so beautiful and youthful. It gives the impression that maybe Alisoun is with her husband for reasons far different than love. Chaucer also presents Alisoun as 'any weasel, her body gent and small'. Weasels are sly and cunning which could be transpired to Alisoun and why she is with her husband. Not only this, but Chaucer could have used the word 'weasel' to hint at the next line. 'A barm-cloth eke as white as morning milk', meaning 'An apron, too, as white as morning milk'. It shows that she isn't very hard working as her apron shows no mess or dirt, it remains as clean as if it had just been washed.

The continuous use of the word 'white' suggests that of purity. However the line 'more blissful on to see Than is the newe perjenete tree', meaning more pleasant thing to see than is the newly budded young pear-tree, hints that Alisoun may not actually be pure at all. Budded young pear tree shows that the fruit is young and ripe which could be a metaphor for Alisoun. This hints that she is actually sexually active and therefore not pure.

Though she didn't spend much time working, Chaucer presented Alisoun as somebody who spent a lot of time on herself. 'Full small y-pulled were her browes two', which means that Alisoun paid a lot of attention on how she looked, thinning out her eyebrows and arching them into shape. Yet her husband was old so why did she bother paying so much attention to how she looked. Alisoun in fact has a lover, Nicholas, who arrives when her husband leaves and they have an affair which shows Alisoun isn't like other medieval women. Having a lover shows a convention from courtley love, the consumation of a secret love outside of marriage.

Though she didn't spend much time working, Chaucer presented Alisoun as somebody who spent a lot of time on herself. 'Full small y-pulled were her browes two', which means that Alisoun paid a lot of attention on how she looked, thinning out her eyebrows and arching them into shape. Yet her husband was old so why did she bother paying so much attention to how she looked.

Chaucer shows that Alisoun has high expectations by dressing her in silk. Silk was an expensive material to buy in comparison to her husband's carpentary job. It shows that she doesn't want to settle for the minimum, she wants the best that she can get.