Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is a collection of tales told by the pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. The tales would be told by each pilgrim to and from the pilgrimage place of Canterbury.
"The Wife of Bath's Tale" is also part of that collection. It tells the story of how a knight had to marry an ugly old woman to get himself pardoned from his ra pe charges. Though reluctant to marry such woman, he accepted the offer of the old lady, saved the knight and got married with him. But even then, the knight couldn't accept her. So, she told him that gentility is not passed from generation to generation, nor can it be achieved or bought. Rather, it is got through performing good deeds and living a virtuous way of life.
