The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales

The Merchant’s TaleThe Merchant’s Tale

Merchants in the Middle Merchants in the Middle Ages Ages

Merchants in the Merchants in the middle ages were middle ages were business people.business people.

The clergy The clergy convinced the convinced the community that community that merchant activities, merchant activities, banking and banking and trading, were evil trading, were evil and against God’s and against God’s will. will.

The MerchantThe Merchant The Merchant The Merchant

was part of a was part of a powerful and powerful and wealthy society, wealthy society, he was trading he was trading furs and other furs and other clothes from clothes from Flanders.Flanders.

The Merchant’s TaleThe Merchant’s Tale

The Merchant The Merchant tells a story tells a story about an about an wealthy, old wealthy, old knight that knight that marries a marries a young young beautiful girl.beautiful girl.

The Merchant’s TaleThe Merchant’s Tale

Januarie decides Januarie decides that it’s time to get that it’s time to get marry and have a marry and have a child.child.

He chooses May He chooses May spontaneously spontaneously after telling his after telling his friends to go look friends to go look for a wife for him.for a wife for him.

The Merchant’s TaleThe Merchant’s Tale A young squire, A young squire,

Damian ,falls in love Damian ,falls in love with May and he with May and he writes her a letter writes her a letter to confess his love.to confess his love.

May responds to his May responds to his letter and letter and reciprocates her reciprocates her attraction, while her attraction, while her old husband was old husband was going blind.going blind.

The Merchant’s TaleThe Merchant’s Tale

May plots to meet May plots to meet Damian in a pear Damian in a pear tree.tree.

Two Gods are Two Gods are watching the watching the adultery and they adultery and they decide to give decide to give Januarie his sight Januarie his sight back, but also give back, but also give May the ability to May the ability to excuse herself easily.excuse herself easily.

The MoralThe Moral

The moral of the story is “love is The moral of the story is “love is blind” and it shows us the evil of a blind” and it shows us the evil of a spontaneously and false marriage.spontaneously and false marriage.

Reference ListReference List Merchants in the middle agesMerchants in the middle ageshttp://www.thefinertimes.com/Middle-Ages/merchants-in-the-middle-ages.htmlhttp://www.thefinertimes.com/Middle-Ages/merchants-in-the-middle-ages.html

The Merchant The Merchant http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/characters.htmlhttp://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/characters.html

The Merchant’s Tale The Merchant’s Tale http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/c/the-canterbury-tales/summary-and-http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/c/the-canterbury-tales/summary-and-

analysis/the-merchants-prologue-and-taleanalysis/the-merchants-prologue-and-tale