The M

iller’s Tale | A Sim

ple Fabliau, Parody of

the Knight’s Tale or a Biblical Pun?

by M

arg

o K

uro

nyi W

ats

on

Parts of the Presentation

• The M

iller

up c

lose

and p

ers

onal

o M

iller

in t

he g

enera

l pro

logue

o M

iller

in h

is p

rolo

gue

o M

iller

in t

he R

eeve’s

Tale

• O

verv

iew

of

the M

iller’s

Tale

o Pro

logue

o Chara

cters

• W

hat

the s

chola

r’s

fight

about

o The t

ale

as

a f

ablia

u

o The t

ale

as

a p

aro

dy o

f th

e K

nig

ht’s

Tale

o The t

ale

as

a B

iblic

al pun.

W

ho Is The M

iller?

• The M

iller

in T

he G

enera

l Pro

logue

� Str

ong,

beard

ed,

gin

ger-

haired m

an,

carr

ied a

n a

x,

had a

wart

on h

is

nose

and p

layed t

he b

agpip

es.

� The im

port

ance

of

the b

agpip

es

The M

illere

was

a s

tout

carl f

or

the n

ones.

Ful big

he w

as

of

bra

wn a

nd e

ek o

f bones

That

pre

ved w

el, f

or

overa

ll th

er

he c

am

At

wre

stlin

g h

e w

old

e h

ave a

lways

the r

am

. H

e w

as

short

-shudlred,

bro

od,

a t

hik

ke k

narr

e.

Ther

was

no d

ore

that

he n

old

e h

eve o

f harr

e,

Or

bre

ke it

at

a r

ennin

g w

ith h

is h

eed.

His

beerd

as

any s

ow

e o

r fo

x w

as

reed,

And t

hert

o b

rood,

as

though it

were

a s

pade:

Upon t

he c

op r

ight

of

his

nose

he h

ade

A w

ert

e,

and t

hero

n s

tood a

tuft

of

here

s,

Rede a

s th

e b

rist

les

of

a s

ow

es

ere

s H

is n

ose

thirle

s bla

ke w

ere

and w

ide.

A s

werd

and a

bokele

r bar

he b

y h

is s

ide

His

mouth

as

gre

et

was

as

a g

reet

furn

ais

. H

e w

as

a jangle

re a

nd a

Golia

rdais

, And t

hat

was

most

of

sinne a

nd h

arlotr

ies

Wel co

ude h

e s

tele

n c

orn

and t

olle

n t

hries-

--

And y

it h

e h

adde a

thom

be o

f gold

, pard

ee.

A w

hit c

ote

and a

ble

w h

ood w

ere

d h

e.

A b

aggepip

e w

el co

ude h

e b

low

e a

nd s

oune,

And t

herw

ithal he b

roughte

us

out

of

tow

ne.

The M

iller in His Prologue

• Posi

tion o

f th

e t

ale

• The M

iller

is d

runk

• The H

ost

’s a

polo

gy

• The M

iller

in t

he R

eeve’s

Tale

o Is

it

revenge?

o H

e p

lays

the b

agpip

es!

Lat

see n

ow

who c

hal te

lle a

noth

er

tale

. For

trew

ely

the g

am

e is

wel big

onne.

Now

telle

th y

e,

sire

Monk,

if t

hat

ye c

onne,

Som

what

to q

uite w

ith t

he K

nig

hte

s ta

le.

Avis

eth

you,

and p

utt

e m

e o

ut

of

bla

me:

And e

ek m

en s

hal nought

maken e

rnest

of

gam

e

This

dru

nken m

iller

hath

ye t

old

us

here

by f

orc

e

How

that

beguile

d w

as

a c

arp

ente

re,

Para

ventu

re in s

corn

, fo

r I

am

one:

perh

aps

And,

by y

our

leave,

I sh

all

him

quite a

non.

Rig

ht

in h

is c

hurlis

h t

erm

es

will

I s

peak,

I pra

y t

o G

od h

is n

eck

e m

ight

to-b

reak.

He c

an w

ell

in m

ine e

ye s

ee a

sta

lk,

But

in h

is o

wn h

e c

annot

see a

balk

."

Overview of the M

iller’s Tale

• Key P

layers

� Jo

hn:

The C

arp

ente

r � Alis

on (

Alis

oun):

The y

oung a

nd

beautifu

l w

ife

� N

ichola

s: T

he s

tudent

/ young

lover

� Abso

lon:

A c

lerk

to a

priest

• W

hat

happens?

� The c

uck

old

plo

t � The e

rs a

nd t

he f

art

What Was Chaucer Really Getting At?

• Fablia

u

o A s

hort

sto

ry in v

ers

e t

hat

deals

satirica

lly,

oft

en g

ross

ly a

nd

fanta

stic

ally

as

well

as

hila

riousl

y,

with intr

igues

and d

ece

ptions

about

sex o

r m

oney (

and o

ften b

oth

these

ele

ments

in t

he s

am

e s

tory

) (N

AEL,

239).

• Paro

dy o

f th

e K

nig

ht’s

Tale

o Posi

tion o

f ta

le

o Chara

cter

sim

ilarities

o Avis

eth

you,

and p

utt

e m

e o

ut

of

bla

me:

And

eek m

en s

hal nought

maken e

rnest

of

gam

e

And p

rively

he c

aughte

hire b

y t

he q

uein

te

And s

aid

e,

“Yw

is,

but

if ich

have m

y w

ille,

For

dern

e love o

f th

ee,

lem

man,

I sp

ille,

But

with h

is m

outh

he k

iste

hir n

aked e

rs

• Bib

lical pun

o The c

arp

ente

r and h

is w

ife

o N

oah’s

Arc

o “T

his

Nic

hola

s anoon leet

flee a

fart

as

gre

et

as

it h

adde b

een a

th

under-

dent.

” o Privete

e

� A k

needin

g-t

rough

� A T

ub

� A K

imelin

Men s

hold

e n

ought

know

e o

f G

oddes

privete

e

Fecc

he m

e d

rinke,

and a

fter

wol I

speke in p

rivete

e

And t

o h

is w

if h

e t

old

e h

is p

rivete

e

I w

ol nought

telle

n G

oddes

privete

e

And h

eeng h

em

in t

he r

oof

in p

rivete

e

Work

s Cited

Big

gs,

FM

, and L

L H

ow

es.

"Theophany I

n T

he 'M

iller's

Tale

' +

Relig

ious

Them

es

And B

iblic

al Allu

sions

In G

eoff

rey C

hauce

r's

'C

ante

rbury

Tale

s'."

Mediu

m A

evu

m 6

5.2

(n.d

.):

269-2

79.

Art

s &

Hum

anitie

s Citation I

ndex

. W

eb.

1 D

ec.

2011.

Bla

mires,

A.

"Philo

sophic

al Sle

aze

? The 'Str

ok O

f Thought' I

n T

he M

iller's

Tale

And C

hauce

rian F

ablia

u."

Modern

Language R

evi

ew

102.(

2007):

621-6

40.

British

Lib

rary

Docu

ment

Supply

Centr

e I

nsi

de S

erials

& C

onfe

rence

Pro

ceedin

gs.

Web.

1 D

ec.

2011.

Chauce

r, G

eoff

rey.

“Cante

rbury

Tale

s.”

The N

ort

on A

nth

olo

gy

of

Englis

h L

itera

ture

. Ste

phen G

reenbla

tt,

gen.

ed.

8th

ed.

Vol. A

.

N

ew

York

: N

ort

on,

2006.

218-3

15.

Print.

Eyle

r, J

osh

ua R

., a

nd J

ohn P

. Sexto

n.

"The "

Mill

er's

Tale

," L

ines

3466-3

499:

Narr

ative I

nco

nsi

stency

And T

he F

irst

Fra

gm

ent

Of

"T

he C

ante

rbury

Tale

s.."

Anq 2

1.3

(2008):

2-6

. Aca

dem

ic S

earc

h C

om

ple

te.

Web.

1 D

ec.

2011.

Morg

an,

Gera

ld.

"Obsc

enity A

nd F

ast

idio

usn

ess

In T

he M

iller's

Tale

." E

nglis

h S

tudie

s 91.5

(2010):

492-5

18.

Aca

dem

ic S

earc

h

Com

ple

te.

Web.

7 D

ec.

2011.