The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Plot Summary
- Cast of Characters
- An Analysis of Major Characters
- Symbols and Themes
-
Summary and Analysis
- The General Prologue
- The Knight's Tale
- The Miller's Tale
- The Reeve's Tale
- The Cook's Tale
- The Man of Law's Tale
- The Wife of Bath's Tale
- The Friar's Tale
- The Summoner's Tale
- The Clerk's Tale
- The Merchant's Tale
- The Squire's Tale
- The Franklin's Tale
- The Physician's Tale
- The Pardoner's Tale
- The Shipman's Tale
- The Prioress' Tale
- The Tale of Sir Topas
- The Tale of Melibee
- The Monk's Tale
- The Nun's Priest's Tale
- The Second Nun's Tale
- The Canon Yeoman's Prologue and Tale
- The Manciple's Prologue and Tale
- The Parson's Tale
- Chaucer's Retraction
- Significant Quotations
- Key Facts
- Points to Ponder
- Discussion Questions
- Take The Quiz
- Further Reading
- Flashcards
- Biography of Geoffrey Chaucer
The Miller's Tale
When the Knight concludes his tale, the pilgrims applaud it and the Host turns to the Monk and asks for his tale. However, the Miller is impatient to tell his tale and interrupts before the Monk can begin his story. The Host attempts to prevent the Miller from telling his tale, but the Miller threatens to leave the group, and the Host allows him to tell his tale next. The Miller begins his tale with an introduction telling the group that he is drunk and should not be responsible for whatever he says in his tale. This puts the other pilgrims—and the reader—on notice that the Miller is probably going to be offensive in his tale. He says that he is going to tell a legend about a carpenter, his wife, and a clerk, and how the clerk slept with the carpenter’s wife. The Reeve objects to the story because he was once a carpenter, but the Miller insists on telling the story.
The story’s protagonist is a student named Nicholas. Nicholas is a boarder at the home of John and Alisoun. John is an elderly man who made his money as a carpenter. His wife Alisoun is a young and attractive eighteen-year-old woman. Nicholas and Alisoun begin flirting, and Nicholas gets Alisoun to agree to have sex with him if he can figure out a way for them to do so without John finding out. However, Nicholas is not the only person who wants Alisoun. A clerk named Absolon also lusts after Alisoun. He is very open in his pursuit of Alisoun, buying her gifts and even giving her money, but she rebuffs his advances because she is in love with Nicholas. Nicholas finally devises a plan for spending the night with Alisoun. He has Alisoun tell John that Nicholas is ill, and John sends a servant to check on Nicholas, who reports that Nicholas is lying immobile, staring at the ceiling. John goes to check on Nicholas, and Nicholas tells him that he has received a vision from God that another great flood is coming. John believes Nicholas and asks him what he can do to spare himself and save Alisoun. John instructs him to fasten three tubs to the roof of the barn and fill them with provisions and...
Sign up to continue reading The Miller's Tale >