Examples Of Courtly Love In The Miller's Tale

The Canterbury Tales
AP Literature & Composition
October 7, 2009

A fabliau is aptly categorized as a scandalous tale meant to satirize the bourgeois through the depiction of bourgeois characters. This is the genre Chaucer writes “The Miller’s Tale,” from his The Canterbury Tales, in so he can distinguish the social class levels of the people on the pilgrimage. Chaucer shows us the differences by paralleling then transforming certain aspects of this fabliau with the same elements of the chivalric romance of the “Knight’s Tale.” Fabliaux are salacious tales driven by elements such as deception to acquire money or possessions, to get sexual gratification, or to get revenge on somebody for a past wrong. The fabliau hinges upon an elaborate
As is common with the fabliau genre, romance is usually an element that is mocked. In the Knight’s Tale, courtly love is a major element for the coherence of the story. In courtly love, the knight utilizes fundamental chivalric rules, but also has inner feelings that cannot be directly revealed, when dealing with the lady with whom he is infatuated; this is evident with Arcite and Palamon. However, the “Miller’s Tale” perverts the concept of courtly love. Instead we are shown the forthright and graphic sexual tendencies among non-aristocrats, in which courtly behavior is mocked. We are told that Nick, the tenant of the house, grabbed Alison and begged her to have sex with him, saying “unless I have my will of you I’ll die of secret love.” (91) Such an action would have been extremely rebuked by the nobility because it is essentially the antithesis of courtly love. Another way that courtly romance is being made fun of is through the character of Absalon. He is the only character who somewhat practice courtly love, he is not as frank in his wants, but rather he is the type of lover who plays a guitar and sings to the object of his
(95) Another element in both stories is that of a love triangle, giving a sort of similar structure to both tales. In the “Knight’s Tale,” Arcite and Palamon are cousins, who both fall in love with Emily. Likewise, the “Miller's Tale” involves a love triangle between Alison, Nicholas and Absolon. However, the way that the characters behave in these love triangles make them different. Arcite and Palamon try to love Emily from afar, whereas Nicholas simply seduces Alison directly, ultimately obtaining what he wants. This is an example of the Miller mocking romantic love. One of the most important juxtapositions that can be made between these two stories is that of Emily and Alison. They are ultimately the source of the story, without them there would be no plot. Both Emily and Alison are able to arouse fervent passion among men. However, the way that they are presented are different because one story is a chivalric romance told by a knight and the other is a fabliau told by an inebriated miller. In the “Knight’s Tale,” Emily is portrayed as pure and fresh; the Knight uses florid imagery to illustrate her beauty; he also utilizes metaphors to accomplish his description. The Miller portrays Alison as sensuous and vivacious. He uses animal similes, such as “her body as slender as any weasel’s, and as soft and tender” to give a fairly good idea of her image. Character wise, Emily and Alison are very different, with Emily being chaste and religious, while Alison is promiscuous