From the canterbury tale, "the wife of bath’s tale" 14. based on the character of the wife of bath and her tale, what do you think was chaucer’s perspective on the state of women and their condition? women were smart and worthy of the same authority as men. women needed to set an example of piousness for men. women were angelic creatures who could not harbor lust or vice. women were too often victims of abuses by their husbands.