In his Miller’s Tale, Chaucer’s Miller weaves a tale which incorporates all three medieval estates, and develops a narrative which, when placed under examination, can be demonstrated as surpassing the simplistic and crude nature commonly attributed to such fabliaux. While his outward behavior in the Miller’s Prologue seems to immediately suggest a subversion of chivalric ideals, “So that with trouble upon his horse he sat,/ Nor bothered to doff his hood or hat,/ Nor deferred to anyone out of courtesy” the purpose of the Miller’s Tale is not to provoke those accustomed to more genteel manners to relinquish themselves of their learned moral and social restraint. (Chaucer 167) By lampooning romantic ideals, the Miller’s Tale effectively pays back …show more content…
the Knight’s Tale because it suggesting the absence of any legitimate alternative to these ideals other than one of chaotic deception, and demands its audience briefly abandon any aristocratic pretensions that would compel one to conceal the enjoyment of such a lewd tale with an outward affectation of moralistic disdain so that certain manifest truths regarding the medieval social order may be touched upon. Consequently, the Miller can be seen as informing his audience of the capacity of a peasant man to inflict both sexual and intellectual humiliation upon a sentimental, incompetent nobility. The wealthy carpenter John is depicted as desperately protective and jealous in his attitude towards his exceptionally young wife Alisoun. The spontaneous sense that a husband must protect his wife from imminent peril is, ironically enough, what allows for the cuckolding John had so diligently sought to afford protection against. Moreover, John’s objection to Nicholas’s apparently deleterious attempt at ascertaining the knowledge of providential wisdom, what Nicholas may call natural law, “Men should not know God’s secrets./ Yes, blessed be always an unlearned man” exemplifies the very philosophy of ignorance which allows the bottom-rung of society to maneuver against those of high social class. (Chaucer 185) The Miller makes it clear to his audience that the peasantry is not beholden to any of the behavioral constraints of gentility. However, it would certainly be a mistake to assume that the Miller is trying to suggest that members of the genteel classes should abandon their aristocratic sentiments and morality. If anything, the characteristically depraved humiliation of Absolon stands as a clear example of the potential consequences of relinquishing oneself of these standards for behavior. Absolon is so deeply afflicted with longing for Alisoun that he has rejected offerings of marriage, lost interest in courtesy, and can’t even sleep at night due to his pronounced fixation on his would-be illicit love affair. Interestingly, while Absolon seems to have no moralistic pretensions he is utterly incapable of letting go of the grandiose sentiments and ideals of high-romance, “He sang, trilling like a nightingale;/ And sent her spiced wine, mead, and spiced ale,/ And wafer cakes, piping hot out of the oven;” and it is once again this overtly ignorant sentimentalism that leads him to be brought to shame by Nicholas and Alisoun. (Chaucer 181) Absolon fails to perceive the notion that one could convince another man’s wife to engage in a licentious, adulterous act by immense flattery and tenderness as being incontestably ridiculous. While Absolon may be immensely taken in by his lust for Alisoun and his strange, fetishistic conception of paramours he ultimately proves himself ill-equipped for the kind of sexual profligacy he yearns after, the apparent message illuminated by the humiliation of Absolon is that genteel men are not cut from the same salacious cloth as the peasantry, and would do well to stick to their nature by showing devotion to the institution of marriage. Considering Absolon’s aspiration to the apparent freedoms of lowly status, the Miller seems to be commenting on a general tendency among the membership of the first and second estates to break free from the repressive influence of their lofty status in society. Paying close attention to the Miller’s description of Alisoun reveals much about the conceptions some in the upper-strata of society might have had about the nature of peasant life. Alisoun is depicted primarily by invoking her naturalistic and animalistic qualities. Explicit comparisons to various components of a typical sylvan setting such as, “As any weasel her body graceful and small.” and “She was full more blissful for to see/ Than is the blossoming pear-jonette tree;” seem to celebrate and highlight the natural freedoms afforded to mankind by the physical world. (Chaucer 173) The peasantry, who is wholly dependent upon the land for its subsistence, is presented as being far more connected to the naturalistic spirit of animals than the gentry, and what would seem to be a release from moral and social inhibitions is an obvious fascination for characters like Absolon. However, the recurring truth concerning the order of medieval society manifested in the Miller’s tale is that in spite of its compulsive appreciation for the unaffected beauty of third estate life the genteel classes always fail to achieve any authentic reimagining of extant social norms. Absolon constantly falls back on the learned sentiments of courtly love until he is forced to reckon with the inherent chaos and treachery located in the uninhibited, animalistic lives of the third estate. The inherent beauty in the third estate’s humble lifestyle is off-limits to the members of the first and second estates because without the authority of existing social norms and ideals the clerics and nobility would never maintain their elite status. As demonstrated in the Miller’s Tale, the humiliation associated with being brought down to the level of the peasantry is simply too great to reckon with. In contrast, the aristocratic sensibility and adherents to the romantic ideal tend to measure the character of a man by way of his virtue, and almost never look kindly upon those who utilize their cunning to gain advantage over another. The suggestion is clearly that one should not exploit his intelligence to satisfy self-serving goals, but should instead focus his intellect on affording his fellow men insights concerning chivalry and wisdom. The general tendency is towards erecting an archetypal character, such as Theseus in the Knight’s Tale, who makes practical and effective use of his capacity for reason to protect the existing conventions of order and justice in society. Obviously, Nicholas does not satisfy the nobility's prescription for how an intellectual should think and act. Rather placing himself above acquisitiveness, arrogance, and vainglory Nicholas’s goals are entirely oriented around advancing his own knowledge for nothing more than his own purposes and self-fulfillment. John likens his study of astrology to an attempt to reveal secret knowledge, which only God should possess. The manner in which he courts Alisoun reveals his incredibly demanding nature, and the way he demands John to prepare for the “flood”, as if instructed by God to do so, suggests an inordinate amount of pride in his own abilities. The Miller’s Tale presents us with a character who seems intent on subverting all the traditional assumptions about how a man should aspire to lives his life. Furthermore, Nicholas is unique as a character because he is the only participant in the Miller’s Tale who could be seen as celebrated and deprecated at once.
Nicholas comes out of the events that unfold in the tale with the most material advantages. However, the Miller takes care to address the reader with this summary at the conclusion of the tale, “And Absolon had kissed her nether eye;/ And Nicholas is scalded in the bum./ This tale is done, and God save all the company!” which seems to suggest that no one in the tale has come out unscathed, and that each of the characters must ultimately reckon with God’s judgement of their actions. (Chaucer 205) In Nicholas’s case, his crimes seem to go beyond merely humiliating his fellow man. Nicholas imagines himself to be a kind of god figure, the designer of the events that ultimately unfold in the Miller’s Tale. However, the parish clerk humiliates the apparent intelligence with which he hatched his plan when he brands him with the poker. It is as if Absolon, for a brief moment, is acting in the name of Providence by punishing Nicholas for the arrogance to liken himself to God. Taking note of this, the noble ideals of order and just that might be more abundant in the Knight’s Tale are again reaffirmed in the Miller’s
Tale. Though the Miller does not seem to belong to the class of citizens who weave splendid historical tales of ancient love and conquest for an aristocratic audience, he still manages to present a tale with adequate sentence and solas. His tale might seem like an attempt to undermine the romantic ideals of the nobility, but its actual effect is to draw attention to these norms without treating the members of the third estate with blind contempt. The tale skillfully comments on many of the fears and fascinations the genteel classes direct towards the third estate.
The Merchant's Prologue and Tale presents the darkest side of Chaucer's discussion on marriage. Playing off both the satire of the moral philosopher, the Clerk, and the marital stage set by the Wyf of Bathe, the Merchant comes forth with his angry disgust about his own marital fate. Disillusioned and depraved, the Merchant crafts a tale with a main character who parallels his own prevarication and blind reductionism while he simultaneously tries to validate his own wanton life by selling his belief to the other pilgrims. As both pervert reality through pecuniary evaluations on different levels, however, both are exposed to be blind fools, subject to the very forces that they exert on others. As this reversal happens and the Merchant satirizes Januarie blindness, Chaucer reveals the Merchant's blindness, giving him the very significance that he had spent his whole tale trying to deny.
8. To get revenge, Absalom borrows a red-hot poker from a blacksmith and returns to Allison's window. He begs her once more to come out for a kiss, but little does she know he has a surprise for her. Thinking he was clever, Nicholas sticks his butt out the window and suddenly farts in Absalom’s face. Quickly, Absalom plunges the red-hot poker in Nicholas’s butt and he screams. “He was ready with his iron hot and Nicholas right in the arse he got it” (Chaucer 101).
In “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Geoffrey Chaucer masterfully frames an informal homily. Through the use of verbal and situational irony, Chaucer is able to accentuate the moral characteristics of the Pardoner. The essence of the story is exemplified by the blatant discrepancy between the character of the storyteller and the message of his story. By analyzing this contrast, the reader can place himself in the mind of the Pardoner in order to account for his psychology.
One of the narrative techniques used by the Miller is irony. He uses this when speaking of God as he combines the idea of the sexual and the sacred. He states that `an housbonde shal nat been inquisitif of Goddes privetee, nor of his wyf so he may finde Goddes foison there.' The theme of foretelling the future is vital in this tale and is hinted at in this remark by the Miller which is then immediately taken up in the account of Nicholas' powers as an astrologer. The Miller here is saying that as long as the husband gets goodness from his wife, he does not need to worry and enquire too closely in...
Forbes, Shannon. "'To Alisoun Now Wol I Tellen Al My Love-Longing': Chaucer's Treatment of the Courtly Love Discourse in the Miller's Tale." Women's Studies 36.1 (2007): 1-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 16 May 2013
In his Canterbury Tales, Chaucer fully explicates the cultural standard known as courtesy through satire. In the fourteenth century, courtesy embodied sophistication and an education in English international culture. The legends of chivalric knights, conversing in the language of courtly love, matured during this later medieval period. Chaucer himself matured in the King's Court, as is revealed in his cultural status, but he also retained an anecdotal humor about courtesy. One must only peruse his Tales to discern these sentiments, for Chaucer’s view of courtesy can seem shocking and, all together, obscene at times, it’s the similarity of the differences that make Chaucer’s tales superior. An example of this can be seen through Nicholas’ attempt at “courting” Alison versus Arcita and Palamon’s endeavors at courting Emily. Nicholas' anxious and lewd behavior, in conjunction with his explicit sexual connotation, demonstrates Chaucer’s more farcical side; where as, the manner in which Arcita and Palamon court Emily can seem more satirical. In the Miller's Tale, Chaucer juxtaposes courtly love with animalistic lust, while in the Knight’s tale, the subject of chivalry is held with much higher regard, and used as a florid, glorious attribute. These numerous references provide the reader with a remarkably rich image of the culture and class structure of late fourteenth century England.
...night, the Miller's characters are not moral or honorable; they simply want to gratify themselves. While the Knight's story ends with an honorable death and a union between lovers, the Miller's tale ends with humiliation: the cuckholded husband is branded insane, Absolom suffered and prank, and Nicolas a painful burn. Consequently the Miller mocks the Knight's prayer. He wishes the company well, but the content of his tale expresses his laughter. In a way he "paid back" the Knight's tale.
Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale" should be tragic, because a lot of horrible things happen to the characters. The carpenter's wife is disloyal to him, sleeping with others and making fun of him with Nicholas. Also, he is depicted as a fool. However, readers get a humorous feeling from the story, rather than feeling sorry for the carpenter's unfair life. Chaucer makes the whole story come across as comic rather than tragic. This humor is created by the Miller's narration, the use of irony, the cartoon-like characters, and the twists of plot. These elements combine to produce an emotional distance which enhances the comic effect.
However, after hearing his tale it is quite shocking about his frankness about his own hypocrisy. We know that he bluntly accuses himself of fraud, avarice, and gluttony, all things that he preaches against throughout this tale. It is in lines, 432-433 that the Pardoner states, “But that is not my principal intent; I preach nothing but for convenience.” It is here that we truly begin to learn that The Pardoner’s Tale is merely an example of a story that is often used by preachers to emphasize a moral point to their audience. That is why, this tale in particular helps to comprehend Chaucer’s own opinions, and how he used satire to display them.
Chaucer identifies a pardoner as his main character for the story and utilizes the situational and verbal irony found in the pardoner’s interactions and deplorable personality to demonstrate his belief in the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church during this time. Chaucer first begins his sly jab at the Church’s motives through the description of the Pardoner’s physical appearance and attitude in his “Canterbury Tales.” Chaucer uses the Pardoner as a representation of the Church as a whole, and by describing the Pardoner and his defects, is able to show what he thinks of the Roman Catholic Church. All people present in the “Canterbury Tales” must tell a tale as a part of a story-telling contest, and the pilgrim Chaucer, the character in the story Chaucer uses to portray himself, writes down the tales as they are told, as well as the story teller. The description of the Pardoner hints at the relationship and similarity between the Pardoner and the Church as a whole, as well as marks the beginning of the irony to be observed throughout the “Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale.”
In The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, the stereotypes and roles in society are reexamined and made new through the characters in the book. Chaucer discusses different stereotypes and separates his characters from the social norm by giving them highly ironic and/or unusual characteristics. Specifically, in the stories of The Wife of Bath and The Miller’s Tale, Chaucer examines stereotypes of women and men and attempts to define their basic wants and needs.
The structure Geoffrey Chaucer chose for his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, of utilizing a melange of narrative voices to tell separate tales allows him to explore and comment on subjects in a multitude of ways. Because of this structure of separate tales, the reader must regard as extremely significant when tales structurally overlap, for while the reader may find it difficult to render an accurate interpretation through one tale, comparing tales enables him to lessen the ambiguity of Chaucer’s meaning. The Clerk’s Tale and The Merchant’s Tale both take on the institution of marriage, but comment on it in entirely different manner, but both contain an indictment of patriarchal narcissism and conceit.
“The Canterbury Tales” was written in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer. These tales constitutes a frame story which each pilgrim has to tell their own story to the Chaucer, the pilgrim; not the poet. As we know, the tale itself is a satire, but the stylistic structure in the tales creates a sense that can be a parody as well. To support this idea of parody, it is need to know the definition of parody and how Chaucer use this style to make his own ideas clear through the general prologue and the tales such as “The Miller’s Tale” and “The Knight’s Tale”.
In the Middle Ages, when The Canterbury Tales was written, society became captivated by love and the thought of courtly and debonair love was the governing part of all relationships and commanded how love should be conducted. These principles changed literature completely and created a new genre dedicated to brave, valorous knights embarking on noble quests with the intention of some reward, whether that be their life, lover, or any other want. The Canterbury Tales, written in the 14th century by Geoffrey Chaucer, accurately portrays and depicts this type of genre. Containing a collection of stories within the main novel, only one of those stories, entitled “The Wife of Bath’s Tale”, truly outlines the 14th century community beliefs on courtly love.
In his attempt to surpass the Knight, the Miller sacrifices decorum for the sake of entertainment, reflecting his bawdy nature. When first traveling with the Miller, Chaucer listened to the Miller bellow “his ballads and jokes of harlotries” (1712). Scandalous topics appear throughout the Miller’s tale of a young girl “so graceful and so slim” named Alison who cheats on her husband, John, with his student, Nicholas (1720). When “handy Nicholas” first encounters Alison, he “[catches] her between the legs” and woos her, and they devise a plan to sleep with each other secretly (1721). This lecherous scheme fuels the entire plot of the tale. However, the parish clerk Absolom with his “gray eyes” and “nightingale” nature, typical attributes of lusty men, attempts to win Alison’s heart (1722, 1723). Although Absolom utilizes every method to win Alison’s heart even chewing “licorice and cardamom,” he ends up kissing her “bare bum” whereas Nicholas sleeps with her (1729, 1730). Chaucer’s initial encounter with the drunken Mi...