The Miller's Tale Analysis

In the Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer, The Reeve’s Tale describes how two college boys met the Miller and decide to set him straight. In the prologue of the tale, the Reeve, named Oswald, reflects on the Miller’s tale. Oswald seems to be the only person who was not amused my the Miller’s tale, and therefore in his tale, decides to expand on these feelings in his tale. The tale starts with the introduction of two college boys, Alan and John in the town on Trumpington near Cambridge, and the Miller who is a cheap thief that steals and brags about everything he does and owns. This Miller is married, and has two children, one daughter that is twenty years-old, and a son who is still just a baby. One day, John and Alan find out that the Miller robbed the dean of their college when he was too sick to go and collect the ground corn, and they were furious. They decide to take the corn themselves and watch the Miller grind every last bit of it in person. Due to the fact that the Miller’s way of life is only by stealing, he releases the boys horses during the milling, and while they were distracted, fills the rest of the bag with other items making it seem full. By the time night came around, the boys decide to
However, because John moved the cradle, Alan ended up telling the Miller, thinking it was John, about what he did with the daughter. Instantly, the Miller woke up and a fight ensued. The wife, thinking that it is both of the college boys fighting, picks up a club and knocks out the Miller. After, John and Alan finish beating him, and happily run out of the house. They find the stolen ground corn and meal at the location the daughter gave when Alan asked, and left the mill in an instant with no qualms on their mind, and their fulfilled sense of