Showing posts with label The Millers Tale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Millers Tale. Show all posts

Thursday, April 11, 2013

A-Z: "J" is for John from The Miller's Tale in Canterbury Tales

A-Z, baby! And today's "J" post is for John, a character in The Miller's Tale.  The prologues are infectious and vital to these tales.  Since the Miller's tale is directly after the Knight's Tale--remember the Knight's Tale? The one about the two prisoners vying for the love of the unsuspecting maiden, Emelye?  If you missed my post on the Knight's Tale click here.  Since the Knight did such a spectacular job with his tale, our trusty Host challenged the other travelers:
6 Our host, he laughed and swore, So may I run, 

7 But this goes well; unbuckled is the mail;

8 Let's see now who can tell another tale:

9 For certainly the game is well begun.

In short, he refers to the Knight kicking off their game with a noble tale and asks the questions to the other travelers who will be next.  Of course the Miller is drunk and offers to tell a tale that's worthy of a drunken fool.  And so goes the drunk Miller's vulgar tale about John the ignorant, wealthy carpenter, his young pretty wife (Alison) and a young boarder, Nicholas who cuckolds him.

Basically, John's oblivious to Nicholas seducing his wife and then another man, Absalom, comes along and tries to seduce his wife too.  The best part of this tale is towards the end.  Nicholas and Alison become more bold with their affair and Nicholas tricks John, sending him on wild goose chase to prepare for the impending flood.  Abaslom tries to seduce Alison by serenading her but all his attempts are futile.  She's tires of him and tells him she's in love with another.  One night after a night of lovemaking with Nicholas, she devises a plan and calls for Abaslom to her window to come give her a kiss.  Abaslom grows near, closes his eyes to do so and ends up kissing her bearded asshole. (Eww!)  Of course I laughed.  Chaucer warned us via the Miller's ranting that the tale was vulgar and it gets better.  Why?  Because the next part involves Nicholas and you'll have to wait for "N" to learn what happens.  

Do you remember The Miller Tale?  What about John or any of the others?  Do you find it funny or disgustingly inappropriate? 

Mina B.