The Canterbury Tales The Wife of Bath
by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Wife of Bath is partly deaf, but well-known for her skill in cloth-making; she appears to run a profitable cloth-making business, which provides her with ample funds as well as with clothing that borders on garish, including scarlet hose and a head-kerchief that weighs ten pounds. When she goes to church, she insists on making her offering before anyone else and is quite put out if someone jumps the line ahead of her. She has had five husbands and has been on multiple pilgrimages, from which she has gained numerous experiences and the wisdom that comes with it. The description also implies that she enjoys sex and knows something about contraception.