My Motto

"Only one man ever understood me, and he didn't understand me." (G.W. Hegel)

Summary of Tale

The pilgrims really enjoyed the Knight's tale and asked the Monk if he could recite a tale to match the Knight's. However, before the Monk could say anything, the Miller rudely interrupts and begins to recite his own. He starts off by explaining his tale of how the Clerk made a fool of the Carpenter by sleeping with his wife. His story begins by introducing an Oxford student named Nicholas who bored with a wealthy carpenter named John, who was very poccessive of his young wife named Alisoun. One day when the Carpenter leaves, Nicholas grabs Alisoun and begs her to sleeps with him, after a lot of thought, she agrees to when it it safe. However she is worried that her husband will find out, but Nicholas has a plan to out wit the carpenter. Nicholas devises a plan to act ill which sends John to his help. Nicholas tells John that there will be a great flood arriving on Monday and that they will need to sleep in tubs and prey in order to survive. When Monday arrives Nicholas and Alisoun wait for John to snore in his tub to run back to the house and sleep together. Absolon, the clerk stops by Alisoun's house hoping for kiss or more; after persistence, he was awarder an offer to be kissed in the dark. He reached in to kiss Allisoun to find out he actually kissed her naked ers. Absolon arrived again eager for revenge with a red-hot iron poker, and asking Alisoun for another kiss- promising her a ring this time. Instead, Nicholas sticks his butt out the window and farts on Absolon. Absolon brands his buttocks with the poker. Nicholas starts crying which awakes John, who falls on the ground and brakes his arm. The carpenter's story ended with laughter and he asks God to save the company.

Analysis of the Miller's Tale

In ‘The Miller’s Tale’ Chaucer embraces the medieval genre of mystery plays. This funny tale builds to a ridiculous and complicated climax that generates an amusing factor within the story leaving the reader in laughter at the outcome. However, when the more amusing side of the story is done, you must ask yourself it every character has received what he or she deserves.

The tale is set around four main characters. The first is John the carpenter. John is portrayed as a very foolish character. He is married to Alisoun who is much younger than him at a mere 18 years of age. His jealous and controlling nature in how he acts towards Alisoun puts him in a negative outlook.

Another factor central to his character is his hypocrisy. This is in the sense that he constantly scolds Nicholas for his interest in God’s ‘pryvetee,’ but as soon as Nicholas offers John the chance to benefit from his knowledge in the matter John immediately accepts. These flaws in his character suggest that his humiliation is just in the end. However the selfless love he has for his wife, ‘Which that he lovede moore than his lyf;’ in my opinion overshadows his flaws and result in his humiliation being much too harsh.

However this is not something that relates to Nicholas, the poor astronomy student. Chaucer tells us of how he preferred to sing his time away and be supported financially by his friends which suggests a very lazy attitude and that he thinks he can survive off the effort of others.

He goes on to sleep with John’s(his lanlord’s) wife and the fact that Chaucer tells the reader of how he knows of secret loves suggests that it is not the first time that he has committed this major sin. This deceitfulness that he has been accustomed to serves to justify that he ends up being branded on his behind with a hot poker.

It is Absolon who brands Nicholas in revenge to his trick in which he is totally humiliated in that instead of kissing Alisoun on the lips as he assumed he was he actually ends up kissing her ‘naked ers’. Absolon is described as being childish by Chaucer and extremely vain. The fact that he wears leather shoes decorated like the stained-glass windows of a cathedral shows his vanity completely, ‘With Poules window corven on his shoos’.

Chaucer also uncovers that he is a very boastful person as well and that he has been to a many taverns showing off his musical talents.

However, unlike Absoloun, Alison is not met with poetic justice. Although she lives a restricted life through her husband’s possessiveness, she cheats on her husband in the story. Her attempt to stay faithful to John in that she rejects Nicholas is cruel. She doesn’t take a great deal of serenading at all and as soon as Nicholas changes his approach she accepts. Considering this and the fact that she comes out of the the whole affair seemingly shows no morals.
The two characters whose ambitions were to sleep with the married woman received what they deserved. But the two characters who were married received the opposite, with Alisoun ending out of the story with no punishment and with John coming out with an undeserved humiliation. When John first learned about the flood his first thoughts were for his wife. The fact that his wife was only able to cheat on him because of the great love he had for her has to be the greatest injustice of the story.

A Day in the Life of the Miller

I wake up in the morning and grind grain till ten.
But I don't seek good profits so I steal from a friend.

If you can not make profit you will not survive.
So I honesty is not worth in these very hard times.

A stroll through the village looking for fun.
But nobody attentive to a wart nosed bum.

I settle down at my home to get a drink.
But three cups of Whiskey is more than you think.

I haven't a horse to go to and from.
So drink some more till the morning is done.

Noon time arrives and I feel like a trunk.
I can't even think because I am so drunk.

I go into town where the stories are told.
I love to intervene and tell one of my own.

The townspeople hate it but soon they'll agree.
That all of my tales are o so funny.

I get really hungry so I go to my mill.
I cook up some grain and call it a meal.

I have no real friends but the man who lives next to me.
He only talks to me when I want to buy whiskey.

I don't take a bath because the water is cold.
That might just explain that huge wart on my nose.

In the evening, I try to go read a book.
Then draw a self portrait, dare you to look.

Night time awakes but the day is still long.
I drink some more whiskey until its all gone.

I want to have fun so I turn to my chores,
which is going into town and smashing down doors.

After my fun, I go back to my shed.
I say a quick prayer and then go to bed.