How was the wife of bath from the canterbury tales considered allegorical

Question

How was the wife of bath from  the canterbury tales considered allegorical

anonymous · Answer

The Wife of Bath's tale is an allegory (a story to teach a moral lesson) about choice vs. duty. It is also a tale that questions the moral character of those who SAY they are virtuous (the knight) when in fact they commit bad deeds (the rape of the maiden at the beginning of the tale) and get away with it. 
Through the character of the Wife of Bath, Chaucer makes political and social commentary about the nature of goodness and morality and states that one is not born into these qualities by virtue of wealth or privilege, but that they are bestowed by the grace of God. In the end, because the knight gives the old woman power, she gives it back to him and they live happily ever after.