Post on 17-Jan-2015
description
The M
iller’s Tale | A Sim
ple Fabliau, Parody of
the Knight’s Tale or a Biblical Pun?
by M
arg
o K
uro
nyi W
ats
on
Parts of the Presentation
• The M
iller
up c
lose
and p
ers
onal
o M
iller
in t
he g
enera
l pro
logue
o M
iller
in h
is p
rolo
gue
o M
iller
in t
he R
eeve’s
Tale
• O
verv
iew
of
the M
iller’s
Tale
o Pro
logue
o Chara
cters
• W
hat
the s
chola
r’s
fight
about
o The t
ale
as
a f
ablia
u
o The t
ale
as
a p
aro
dy o
f th
e K
nig
ht’s
Tale
o The t
ale
as
a B
iblic
al pun.
W
ho Is The M
iller?
• The M
iller
in T
he G
enera
l Pro
logue
� Str
ong,
beard
ed,
gin
ger-
haired m
an,
carr
ied a
n a
x,
had a
wart
on h
is
nose
and p
layed t
he b
agpip
es.
� The im
port
ance
of
the b
agpip
es
The M
illere
was
a s
tout
carl f
or
the n
ones.
Ful big
he w
as
of
bra
wn a
nd e
ek o
f bones
That
pre
ved w
el, f
or
overa
ll th
er
he c
am
At
wre
stlin
g h
e w
old
e h
ave a
lways
the r
am
. H
e w
as
short
-shudlred,
bro
od,
a t
hik
ke k
narr
e.
Ther
was
no d
ore
that
he n
old
e h
eve o
f harr
e,
Or
bre
ke it
at
a r
ennin
g w
ith h
is h
eed.
His
beerd
as
any s
ow
e o
r fo
x w
as
reed,
And t
hert
o b
rood,
as
though it
were
a s
pade:
Upon t
he c
op r
ight
of
his
nose
he h
ade
A w
ert
e,
and t
hero
n s
tood a
tuft
of
here
s,
Rede a
s th
e b
rist
les
of
a s
ow
es
ere
s H
is n
ose
thirle
s bla
ke w
ere
and w
ide.
A s
werd
and a
bokele
r bar
he b
y h
is s
ide
His
mouth
as
gre
et
was
as
a g
reet
furn
ais
. H
e w
as
a jangle
re a
nd a
Golia
rdais
, And t
hat
was
most
of
sinne a
nd h
arlotr
ies
Wel co
ude h
e s
tele
n c
orn
and t
olle
n t
hries-
--
And y
it h
e h
adde a
thom
be o
f gold
, pard
ee.
A w
hit c
ote
and a
ble
w h
ood w
ere
d h
e.
A b
aggepip
e w
el co
ude h
e b
low
e a
nd s
oune,
And t
herw
ithal he b
roughte
us
out
of
tow
ne.
The M
iller in His Prologue
• Posi
tion o
f th
e t
ale
• The M
iller
is d
runk
• The H
ost
’s a
polo
gy
• The M
iller
in t
he R
eeve’s
Tale
o Is
it
revenge?
o H
e p
lays
the b
agpip
es!
Lat
see n
ow
who c
hal te
lle a
noth
er
tale
. For
trew
ely
the g
am
e is
wel big
onne.
Now
telle
th y
e,
sire
Monk,
if t
hat
ye c
onne,
Som
what
to q
uite w
ith t
he K
nig
hte
s ta
le.
Avis
eth
you,
and p
utt
e m
e o
ut
of
bla
me:
And e
ek m
en s
hal nought
maken e
rnest
of
gam
e
This
dru
nken m
iller
hath
ye t
old
us
here
by f
orc
e
How
that
beguile
d w
as
a c
arp
ente
re,
Para
ventu
re in s
corn
, fo
r I
am
one:
perh
aps
And,
by y
our
leave,
I sh
all
him
quite a
non.
Rig
ht
in h
is c
hurlis
h t
erm
es
will
I s
peak,
I pra
y t
o G
od h
is n
eck
e m
ight
to-b
reak.
He c
an w
ell
in m
ine e
ye s
ee a
sta
lk,
But
in h
is o
wn h
e c
annot
see a
balk
."
Overview of the M
iller’s Tale
• Key P
layers
� Jo
hn:
The C
arp
ente
r � Alis
on (
Alis
oun):
The y
oung a
nd
beautifu
l w
ife
� N
ichola
s: T
he s
tudent
/ young
lover
� Abso
lon:
A c
lerk
to a
priest
• W
hat
happens?
� The c
uck
old
plo
t � The e
rs a
nd t
he f
art
What Was Chaucer Really Getting At?
• Fablia
u
o A s
hort
sto
ry in v
ers
e t
hat
deals
satirica
lly,
oft
en g
ross
ly a
nd
fanta
stic
ally
as
well
as
hila
riousl
y,
with intr
igues
and d
ece
ptions
about
sex o
r m
oney (
and o
ften b
oth
these
ele
ments
in t
he s
am
e s
tory
) (N
AEL,
239).
• Paro
dy o
f th
e K
nig
ht’s
Tale
o Posi
tion o
f ta
le
o Chara
cter
sim
ilarities
o Avis
eth
you,
and p
utt
e m
e o
ut
of
bla
me:
And
eek m
en s
hal nought
maken e
rnest
of
gam
e
And p
rively
he c
aughte
hire b
y t
he q
uein
te
And s
aid
e,
“Yw
is,
but
if ich
have m
y w
ille,
For
dern
e love o
f th
ee,
lem
man,
I sp
ille,
But
with h
is m
outh
he k
iste
hir n
aked e
rs
• Bib
lical pun
o The c
arp
ente
r and h
is w
ife
o N
oah’s
Arc
o “T
his
Nic
hola
s anoon leet
flee a
fart
as
gre
et
as
it h
adde b
een a
th
under-
dent.
” o Privete
e
� A k
needin
g-t
rough
� A T
ub
� A K
imelin
Men s
hold
e n
ought
know
e o
f G
oddes
privete
e
Fecc
he m
e d
rinke,
and a
fter
wol I
speke in p
rivete
e
And t
o h
is w
if h
e t
old
e h
is p
rivete
e
I w
ol nought
telle
n G
oddes
privete
e
And h
eeng h
em
in t
he r
oof
in p
rivete
e
Work
s Cited
Big
gs,
FM
, and L
L H
ow
es.
"Theophany I
n T
he 'M
iller's
Tale
' +
Relig
ious
Them
es
And B
iblic
al Allu
sions
In G
eoff
rey C
hauce
r's
'C
ante
rbury
Tale
s'."
Mediu
m A
evu
m 6
5.2
(n.d
.):
269-2
79.
Art
s &
Hum
anitie
s Citation I
ndex
. W
eb.
1 D
ec.
2011.
Bla
mires,
A.
"Philo
sophic
al Sle
aze
? The 'Str
ok O
f Thought' I
n T
he M
iller's
Tale
And C
hauce
rian F
ablia
u."
Modern
Language R
evi
ew
102.(
2007):
621-6
40.
British
Lib
rary
Docu
ment
Supply
Centr
e I
nsi
de S
erials
& C
onfe
rence
Pro
ceedin
gs.
Web.
1 D
ec.
2011.
Chauce
r, G
eoff
rey.
“Cante
rbury
Tale
s.”
The N
ort
on A
nth
olo
gy
of
Englis
h L
itera
ture
. Ste
phen G
reenbla
tt,
gen.
ed.
8th
ed.
Vol. A
.
N
ew
York
: N
ort
on,
2006.
218-3
15.
Print.
Eyle
r, J
osh
ua R
., a
nd J
ohn P
. Sexto
n.
"The "
Mill
er's
Tale
," L
ines
3466-3
499:
Narr
ative I
nco
nsi
stency
And T
he F
irst
Fra
gm
ent
Of
"T
he C
ante
rbury
Tale
s.."
Anq 2
1.3
(2008):
2-6
. Aca
dem
ic S
earc
h C
om
ple
te.
Web.
1 D
ec.
2011.
Morg
an,
Gera
ld.
"Obsc
enity A
nd F
ast
idio
usn
ess
In T
he M
iller's
Tale
." E
nglis
h S
tudie
s 91.5
(2010):
492-5
18.
Aca
dem
ic S
earc
h
Com
ple
te.
Web.
7 D
ec.
2011.