👨‍🏫Chaucer Unit 6 – The Miller's Tale and Medieval Fabliau Tradition

Historical Context

• The Miller's Tale was written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century as part of his larger work, The Canterbury Tales
• Chaucer lived during the Middle Ages, a period marked by social hierarchy, religious influence, and the aftermath of the Black Death (bubonic plague)
• The tale reflects the social and cultural norms of medieval England, including the prevalence of the feudal system and the power of the Catholic Church
• Chaucer's work was influenced by the literary traditions of his time, such as courtly love poetry and bawdy, humorous stories called fabliaux
• The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories told by a group of pilgrims traveling to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury
  • The pilgrims come from various social classes and professions, representing a cross-section of medieval English society
  • The Miller's Tale is one of the more ribald and humorous stories in the collection, contrasting with the more serious and moralistic tales

Fabliau Genre Characteristics

• Fabliaux are short, comic tales popular in medieval France and England during the 12th to 14th centuries
• These stories often feature bawdy humor, sexual themes, and satirical elements that challenge social norms and authority figures
• Fabliaux typically involve trickery, deception, and the subversion of expectations, with characters outwitting or humiliating others
• The tales often include stock characters such as lustful priests, jealous husbands, and clever students or servants
• Fabliaux are usually set in everyday, contemporary settings and focus on the lower and middle classes rather than the nobility
• The humor in fabliaux is often crude, physical, and relies on irony, coincidence, and the inversion of social hierarchies
• Chaucer's The Miller's Tale exemplifies many of these characteristics, with its bawdy humor, trickery, and satirical portrayal of characters

Plot Summary

• The story is set in Oxford and revolves around a carpenter named John, his young wife Alison, and their lodger, a clever student named Nicholas
• Nicholas falls in love with Alison and devises a plan to trick John and spend the night with her
  • He convinces John that a second flood is coming and that they must prepare by sleeping in separate tubs hung from the rafters
• Meanwhile, Alison has another suitor, Absolon, a parish clerk who tries to woo her with gifts and songs
• On the night of the supposed flood, Nicholas and Alison are in bed together when Absolon comes to the window, asking for a kiss
  • Alison tricks him by sticking her backside out the window, which Absolon kisses in the dark
• Absolon, realizing he has been tricked, returns with a hot coulter (a plowshare) to get revenge
• When Absolon asks for another kiss, Nicholas sticks his backside out the window and farts, prompting Absolon to brand him with the hot coulter
• Nicholas cries out for water, waking John, who thinks the flood has come and cuts the ropes holding his tub, crashing to the ground and breaking his arm
• The tale ends with the townspeople mocking John for his foolishness and gullibility

Key Characters

• John: A wealthy, elderly carpenter who is married to the young and beautiful Alison
  • He is portrayed as gullible and easily deceived by Nicholas's scheme
• Alison: John's young wife, who is described as attractive and flirtatious
  • She engages in an affair with Nicholas and tricks both him and Absolon
• Nicholas: A clever, educated student who lodges with John and Alison
  • He devises the plan to trick John and sleep with Alison, but is ultimately outsmarted by Absolon
• Absolon: A parish clerk who is infatuated with Alison and tries to woo her with gifts and songs
  • He is humiliated by Alison's trick but gets his revenge on Nicholas
• These characters represent various stereotypes and tropes found in fabliaux, such as the foolish husband, the lustful wife, the clever student, and the hopeless suitor

Themes and Motifs

• Deception and trickery: The tale revolves around characters deceiving and outsmarting one another for personal gain or revenge
• Sexual desire and infidelity: The story explores the theme of sexual desire and the consequences of infidelity, as seen in Alison's affair with Nicholas
• Social hierarchy and power dynamics: The Miller's Tale subverts traditional social hierarchies by having lower-class characters (Nicholas and Alison) outsmart those of higher status (John and Absolon)
• Humor and irony: The tale employs bawdy humor, irony, and comedic reversals to entertain and challenge social norms
• Appearance vs. reality: The characters' true intentions and desires are often masked by their outward appearances or actions
• The folly of human nature: The story highlights the foolishness and gullibility of characters like John, as well as the consequences of giving in to base desires

Literary Techniques

• Satire: Chaucer uses the tale to satirize various aspects of medieval society, such as the clergy (represented by Absolon) and the gullibility of the wealthy (represented by John)
• Irony: The story is filled with ironic twists and reversals, such as Absolon's humiliation and Nicholas's comeuppance
• Characterization: Chaucer employs vivid characterization to bring his characters to life and to represent various stereotypes and tropes found in fabliaux
• Bawdy humor: The Miller's Tale is known for its crude, sexual humor, which was a common feature of the fabliau genre
• Narrative structure: The story is told by the Miller, one of the pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales, adding a layer of narrative complexity and allowing for the tale to be interpreted through the lens of the Miller's character
• Imagery and symbolism: Chaucer uses vivid imagery and symbolism throughout the tale, such as the flood representing both Nicholas's deception and the biblical story of Noah's Ark

Cultural Significance

• The Miller's Tale provides insight into the social and cultural norms of medieval England, including attitudes towards marriage, sexuality, and social hierarchy
• The tale's bawdy humor and subversive elements challenged the prevailing moral and religious values of the time
• Chaucer's use of the fabliau genre in The Canterbury Tales helped to popularize and legitimize the form in English literature
• The Miller's Tale, along with the other stories in The Canterbury Tales, had a significant influence on the development of English literature and the English language itself
• The tale's enduring popularity and its inclusion in The Canterbury Tales have made it a canonical work of English literature, studied and admired for centuries
• The story's themes and motifs, such as the subversion of social norms and the consequences of desire, continue to resonate with readers and scholars today

Modern Interpretations

• Feminist readings of The Miller's Tale often focus on the portrayal of Alison and the tale's commentary on gender roles and power dynamics in medieval society
• Some scholars interpret the tale as a critique of the clergy and religious hypocrisy, as seen through the character of Absolon
• The story's bawdy humor and sexual themes have been analyzed in the context of medieval attitudes towards sexuality and the body
• The Miller's Tale has been adapted and reinterpreted in various forms, including modern translations, stage productions, and film adaptations
• Contemporary scholars have examined the tale through the lenses of various critical theories, such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, and queer theory
• The story's enduring popularity and its ability to generate new interpretations and discussions demonstrate its continued relevance and significance in the study of literature and culture
• Modern readers and scholars continue to find new ways to engage with The Miller's Tale, exploring its themes, techniques, and cultural implications in light of changing social and academic contexts