Miller's Tale, Wife of Bath's Tale, and Pardoner's Tale Test

What does a woman want?

"A woman wants the self-same sovereignty / Over her husband as over her lover, / And master him; he must not be above her" 286

What does the bachelor knight do to the maiden riding through the corn?

"By very force he took her maidenhand" (282) raped her

Who does the pardoner address?

"My Lords"

Why do the rioters have to bring the treasure home at night instead of the day?

"People would call us robbers — a strong gang. / Si our own property would make us hang" (267-268)

Why does the pardoner speak Latin to people?

"To put a saffron tinge upon my preaching / And stir devotion with a spire of teaching" (19-20)

Why does the pardoner preach?

- "I preach for nothing, but for the greed of gain" (98) - "I mean to have money, wool and cheese and wheat / Thiugh it were given me by the poorest lad / Or the poorest village widow, though she had / A string of starving children, all agape"(122-125)

What bargain or agreement do the rioters make at the tavern?

- "We'll be brothers / In this affair, and each defend the others, / And we will kill this traitor Death" 373-375 - die for one another

The pardoner describes how he shows people his papal bulls and the papal seal — why does he show these things?

- "for their inspection / as warrant for my bodily protection" (11-12) - "none... hinder me in Christ's holywork" (14)

Why does everyone receive poetic justice in "the miller's Tale"

- Alison - stuck in marriage and exposed as a woman who cheated on her husband - other men all didn't get their love

What defense does the hag provide for her poverty and her ugliness? Why are these advantages?

- God gave it to her - being old comes with wisdom and he won't be cuckold - poverty brings optimism and closeness to God - God created poverty so it can't be bad

What does the hag teach the young knight about nobility? According to her, what makes a person "noble" or "gentle"?

- God/Jesus gives men their gentleness - nobility is not passed down like a title, but rather comes out of the good actions of a person

What is in the fifth husband's book? How does he use it against his wife?

- Theophrastus and Valerius - Roman - wicked wives - blamed her for the women's actions in the book

What are women's natural strengths? Does this suggest women are naturally dominant or naturally submissive?

- Wits, body, lies, swearing, technique - flower of life, honey, fruits of matrimony - naturally dominant

What is the old man's problem on the three men's journey?

- can't find anyone to trade Ages with - death won't take his life

History of chivalry

- famous orders include the English Order of the Garter and the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece - eventually became a system of etiquette and tournaments became more of a show than a reality - expense and other dangers of knighthood caused the amount of knights to decrease - influenced the founding of religious military orders during the crusades

How does the woman of bath describe her first three husbands? How does she "manage"these men?

- good, rich, and old - she manages them with withholding of sex, scolding, lying, swearing, and making them pay

Why can't people see elves anymore? What has driven them out of their natural habitat?

- holy friars drove them away with saintly charity and prayer

Why does the woman of bath remain an ambiguous character? What are some of the possible interpretations of her persona?

- it is hard to make sense of her state of morality - she can be seen as a slut, wife, and sex addict

Who or what does Chaucer satirize in the wife of Bath's tale?

- knights - chivalry - courtly love - women (she changed for him in the end)

Where does she meet her fifth husband and how is he different from the rest?

- meets him at the funeral of her fourth husband - she actually loved him

Who does the miller satirize?

- miller - he is telling the story so it satirizes himself - marriage - unequal, jealousy, age, class beauty - women like Alison - easily pliable, manipulated, unfaithful - men blinded by love - church - Absalon is using his position within the chr uh to access the girls - intellectual class - Nicholas used his astronomy to trick John into thinking there was a flood (making them doubt the intellectual class because it was new) - lower class (John) - gullible, stupid, taken advantage of, working class

Reasons the wife of bath wants to remain married

- money and land - she doesn't like being a Virgin - if everyone was a Virgin, the human race would stop - we were given sex organs for a reason - she can use sex to get what she wants - everything she is doing is moral because she is within marriage and not cheating - as a woman in medieval society, her body was her only instrument

What did her fifth husband do to her?

- permanent pain - abused her - Chaucer taps into cycle of abuse - "he had beaten me in every bone"1164 - "when something's difficult, or can't be had, / we crave and cry for it all day like mad" 1170-1771 - mad her deaf in one ear - he was reading the book and she tore out three pages and he fell into the fire and then he hit her

How was her fourth husband different from her first three?

- reveller - kept a paramour (lover) - she faked having a lover and drove him to death with jealousy

How does the woman of bath invoke and use scripture? Why does Chaucer do this?

- says scripture says to multiply - uses it to support her beliefs - Chaucer does this to demonstrate that she has a valid source to back up her actions - Solomon, jacob, and Abraham were all married multiple times - does it to reach the educated people and makes up for her lack of education because she is a woman

History of courtly love

- sources include 11th century poetry of french Provençal troubadours, "Art of Love," and "Ring of the Dove" - clearly defined in the English and French royal courts presided over by Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Marie de Champagne - inspired Dante Alighieri, Petrarch, and Chaucer - rise of the middle class caused ideals of courtly love to merge into the institution of marriage

Events of the knight's trial. What happens? Are there any significant or surprising events? What is the Knight ultimately told to do?

- the Queen takes over the trial - he is told he has twelve months and one day to find out what a woman most desires - he will be saved if he can find that answer

What happens at the end of the woman of Bath's tale? What do you think of this ending? Does the hag's external transformation sufficiently match or mirror the knight's internal transformation?

- the old woman changed into a young woman - disappointing because it gives the good ending to the knight even though he doesn't deserve it - does not match his internal transformation because he didn't completely turn good

Who or what might Chaucer be satirizing in the pardoner's tale?

- the pardoner - people who are greedy - the church - arrogant youth - greed - the people on the pilgrimage for buying the fake relics (just want to stay in the church)

Simony

- the sale of pardons and benefices (church positions and land grants). The Pope and other high ranking clergy saw pardons and benefices as "investments" instead of sacred responsibilities. - common for one individual to hold multiple benefices and / or abandon them for long periods of time or never never visited at all - Money went into the Pope's pocket to pay for expensive worldly goods

What does the Knight discover when he starts asking what women want?

- there are many different answers - wealth, treasure, pleasure, be remarried, freedom, etc - young/beautiful, rich, noble title

the woman of Bath's views on chastity and virtue. How do they fit in with her views on authority/experience?

- thinks people can choose their own state - says Paul advised on virginity and can do that because he was a Virgin but should not preach on things that he does not have experience with - if you are a Virgin, you can't speak about not being a Virgin

Indulgences

- was "sold" as a way to reduce the amount of punishment one was to undergo for committing a sin. During the Middle Ages, pardoner sold God's grace and absolution from sin instead of encouraging the sinner to repent fir his/her sins. - would also sell false relics and trinkets claimed to cause miracles

Who is Alison?

18, John's wife, the love interest of Nicholas and Absalon

Fabliau

A brief comic tale in verse, usually scurrilous (scandalous) and often obscene. The style is simple, vigorous, and straightforward; the time is the present, and the setting is real, familiar places. The characters are ordinary sorts. Present a lively image of everyday life among the middle and lower classes. The plots frequently involve incredible degrees of gullibility in the victims and of ingenuity and sexual appetite in the trickster-heroes and heroines.

Exemplum (pardoner's tale)

A rhetorical device that is defined as a short tale, narrative, or anecdote used in literary pieces and speeches to explain a doctrine or emphasize a moral point. They are generally in the forms of legends, folktales, and fables. Clarifies and proves a point.

Breton Lai (wife of Bath's tale)

A short, rhymed romance recounting a love story, it includes supernatural elements, mythology transformed by medieval chivalry, and the Celtic idea of faerie, the land of enchantment. Derived from the late 12th-century French Lais of marie de France, it was adapted I to English in the late 13th century and became very popular.

What happens after Nicholas opens the window?

Absalon burns his butt with a Coulter and he screams for water and John thinks it's the flood so he cuts down the tubs and breaks his arm

With whom is Absalon most in love?

Alison

Who is john?

Alison's husband, falls because people think he is a lunatic

How does the knight embody the woman's desire?

Allows her to choose is she will turn young or not

Allusion

An indirect reference to a person, place event, or literary work with which the author believed the reader will be familiar.

What is Nicholas' favorite subject?

Astrology (and geomancy)

Lesson of Miller's Tale

Don't act foolishly in love

Miller's State when he tells the tale

Drunk so the narrator has to remove himself and says that he is just recounting what the miller said

What happens at the end of the pardoner's tale? What does the pardoner say to the pilgrims and what does he want them to do?

Everyone dies and the pardoner tells everyone that he can pardon them and greed forgives greed

Who dies out of the rioters and how does it happen?

Everyone dies because they successfully kill the one who went to the town but then the survivors drink the poisoned drinks

Sins that the pardoner talks about and the problems with each sin

Excessive desire (is ultimately their death) Avarice (extreme greed, what he preaches against) Gluttony (said it began with Adam) Drunkenness (body becomes dirty and disfigured, tomb for human judgment and articulation, they die by drinking poison) Gambling (can be caused by greed) swearing (name in vane and lying under oath, the boys make an oath to not kill each other and break it)

What two things can Absalon not stand?

Farting and saucy barmaids

Where does the old man send the rioters?

He sent them up the road to an oak tree where death was allegedly sleeping

How has the old carpenter broken Cato's advice about marriage?

He should have married someone like himself and an equal; should not have married someone so young, equal in age, class, and looks

How does the description of the miller in "the general prologue" relate to this tale that he tells? In what ways is the tale just what you might expect from the Miller? How is it surprising for the miller?

He's a sly man who has risky business like the characters in the story, surprising for him because it's a very complex tale, not surrounding because it is very risky and has many aspects that only the miller would reveal

What does he The shoulder bone of the sheep can do?

Heal an animal who has been harmed by a snake

How does Alison initially respond to Nicholas' advances? How does she respond after he tries some "smooth talking". In the end, what does she agree to and on what condition?

Initially scared and pushed him away but then agrees to love him after he tried "smooth talking" if he made sure her husband didn't find out

Which elements of satire does Chaucer use to criticize his vice in the pardoner's tale?

Irony

Which elements of satire does Chaucer use to criticize the vice in the wife of Bath's tale?

Irony

What elements of satire does Chaucer use in the miller's tale?

Irony, hyperbole, ridicule,

What argument did someone once give the woman of bath about why the individuals should not marry more than once?

Jesus only blessed one wedding (660-661)

What is significance of the placement of the miller's tale?

Just left the virtuous knight's tale

When is the the woman of Bath's tale set?

King Arthur's reign

When Absalon thinks that John is out of town, what does he plan to do?

Knock on the window of Alison's house and profess his love

What "gifts"does the the woman of bath say God fives explicitly to women?

Lies, tears, and spinning (the only things women can use to their power other than their bodies)

Horatian Satire (Horace)

Lighter, playfully amusing and seeks to correct vice or foolishness with gentle laughter and sympathetic understanding

What is The value or having been married multiple times?

Money, not being chaste, multiplying, she does not want to be a widow or a Virgin

What can the mitten do?

Multiply a man's grain

What advice does Nicholas give to John in order to save the three of them?

Needs to get three tubs and hang them so they can all float and fill them with food and drinks for two days, don't speak to anyone about it

Where is the miller's tale set?

Oxford

Plans of murder by the rioters

Pair: one will wrestle the boy and then one will stab him with his dagger and then the other will stab him with his dagger Single: would poison their food and drinks

Who is Absalon?

Parish clerk, golden curls, ruddy face, grey eyes, neat clothes, traced shoes

What is Chaucer's goal with his satire in the wife of Bath's tale?

Point out the faults in courtly love and the desires that women have, but are not given

How effective is Chaucer's satire in the wife of Bath's tale?

Pretty effective because the effects of the character's actions are jarring

What is Chaucer's goal with his satire in the pardoner's tale?

Reveal the corruption of the church and the harm of greed

What is Chaucer's goal with his satire in the millers tale?

Reveal vices of intellectual class, show corruption of church, reveal the harm of cuckolding

What are the wedding celebrations like when the knight marries the hag?

Sad, Private, wife looked foul, no joy or feast

What secret does Nicholas confide to John? What punishment will John jade if he tells anyone?

Said a flood would come and he would be driven mad if he told anyone

To wear does John attibute Nicholas' state? What does he do to "save" nicholas?

Says he studied the stars too hard, "The man has fallen, with this here 'astromy' / Into a fit, "we'll shake the study out of him, I guess" (361), "I sign you with the crowd from elves and sprites! / And he began the spell for use at nights / In all four corners of the room and out" (374-376)

What does the servant boy see when he looks into Nicholas' room?

Sees Nicholas on his back in shock and thinks he might be dead

How did the wife of bath resolve the problem with her fifth husband?

She fit the power, land, and money, and he burnt the book because he felt bad

How does the woman from bath establish her "authority"to speak on matters of love?

She has been married five times

What do Absalon and Alison agree to and how will she pay him

She will kiss him and he will stop bothering her

How is the wife of bath a foil to other pilgrims?

Shows their goodness and calmness

Absalon's methods for wooing

Singing, being nice, combing hair, said he would be her servant and donkey, was Herod on stage

How does John sleep on that Monday night and why?

Sleeps hard and with groaning because of his hard work "travail of his soul" 550

Absalon's preparations for visiting John's house

Slept, put on his gayest clinked, chewed a grain of liquorice, confit under tongue

Who is Nicholas?

Student who is staying with John and Alison

Chivalry

System of ethical ideals developed among the knight of medieval Europe. Arose out of feudalism and combined military virtues with those of Christianity. Code of conduct by which knights were supposedly guided.

What motivates John to prepare so carefully and so quickly?

The fact that they would die

How does the host respond to the pardoner?

The host exposes the pardoner and says his relics are fake and he won't pay

Satire

The literary technique in which ideas, customs, behaviors, or institutions are ridiculed for the purpose of improving society. May be gently witty, mildly abrasive, or bitterly critical, and often uses exaggeration to force readers to see something in a more critical light.

What is the Queen and the court's reaction to the knight's answer?

They are overjoyed and claim that he is correct and can live

How do nichoals and Alison explain the unusual events to the neighbors?

They say John is crazy

What do Nicholas and Alison do once the carpenter is asleep?

They sneak off and become "busy in solace and the quest of fun" 558

Why might Chaucer include the exchange between the pardoner and the wife of bath

To demonstrate the effects test sneak had on her audience already and show that marriage is not a cup of tea

Why is one youth rioter sent to town?

To get bread and wine - he drew the longest lot

Irony

Used to achieve satire. A contrast between expectation and reality. This incongruity often has the effect of surprising the reader or viewer. The techniques include hyperbole, understatement (litotes), and/or sarcasm.

hyperbole

Used to achieve satire. A figure of speech in which the truth is exaggerated for emphasis or for humorous effect.

Sarcasm

Used to achieve satire. A type of verbal irony, refers to a critical remark expressed in a mocking fashion. In some cases, a statement is sarcastic because it's literally meaning is the opposite of its actual meaning.

Litotes

Used to achieve satire. An understatement in which a positive statement is expressed by negating its opposite. Ex: "not bad" usually means something is great

Physiognamy

Used to achieve satire. Assets that certain physical characteristics reveals one's personality type. It is the art of judging human character based on one's physical characteristics. During the Middle Ages, it was thought to be a just identifier of character.

Ridicule

Used to achieve satire. The use of words intended to belittle a person or idea and arouse contemptuous laughter. The goal is to condemn or criticize by making the idea, object, or person seem laughable and ridiculous.

How effective is the satire in the pardoner's tale?

Very effective because the pardoner is telling a story about greed even though he makes a living off of greed

How does Alison react to Absalon's confession of love?

With anger and annoyance, tells him to go to Hell

Is this a tale fit for the wife of bath?

Yes because it speaks on authority and love

Avarice

extreme greed for wealth or material gain

What does the old hag say she wants in return for providing the answer to the knight's riddle?

he must swear to do what she requires next- loyalty "Swear to do / whatever I will next require of you" 285

Perjury

the offense of willfully telling an untruth in a court after having taken an oath or affirmation.

How would someone often climb the social ladder?

Becoming a clergy member (makes it corrupt)

How do satirists distance themselves from a subject?

By creating a fictional speaker, usually a calm and often naive observer who can address the topic without revealing the true emotions of the writer

Courtly love

Code of romantic love that enjoyed a Vogue among the aristocracies of Europe, particularly from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Involved a vassal-lord relationship under which the knight was his lady's obedient servant, prepared to overcome any obstacle or undergo any suffering to win her favor. Always conducted outside wedlock and in secret.

What animals and plants is Alison compared to?

Daisy, mouse, colt, swallow, honey, lollipop, weasel

Juvenalian Satire (Juvenal)

Darker, provokes a darker side of laughter. It is biting and criticizes a corruption or incompetence with scorn and outrage.

Where is "the pardoner's tale" set?

Flanders (Belgium)

Lesson in the Wife of Bath's Tale

Gentleness is not passed down like a title, women want to be sovereign

What do the rioters find where the old man sends them?

Golden florins (money)

Nicholas' actions on Saturday and Sunday as he puts his plan into action

Got food for two days and hid in silence from John

Malorum est cupiditas

Greed (excessive desire) is the root of evil

Lesson of Pardoner's Tale

Greed is the root of all evil

What did Chaucer poke a lot of fun at?

He embodied the corruption of the church with satirical descriptions of specific church officials. His choice of details reveals the hypocrisy rampant in the Church, as well as his offense to it.

What effect does Alison's joke have on Absalon? What action does he take?

He gets really mad and goes to Gervase the blacksmith and gets Coulter

Where does Absalon go with his guitar and what does he do with that guitar? Why doesn't he stand a chance with Alison?

He goes to Alison's house and plans to sing to her and seduce her. He doesn't stand a chance with Alison because she is married and already having an affair with Nicholas.

How does Chaucer point out the faults of church officials?

He naively praises their vices through an ignorance of what one expects of people in their respective positions. He commends their faults. Uses sarcasm, satire, and irony to emphasize and identify the corrupt practices in medieval society.

Who is the miller telling the tale about?

The reeve and keeps asking why the reeve is getting so defensive

Characterization

refers to the techniques that writers use to develop characters. There are four basic methods of characterization: 1. A writer may use physical description. In William Trevor's "The Distant Past," the narrator describes the Middletons. "They had always been thin, silent with one another, and similar in appearance: a brother and sister who shared a family face. It was a bony countenance, with pale blue eyes and a sharp, well-shaped nose and high cheekbones 2. A character's nature may be revealed through his or her own speech, thoughts, feelings, or actions. In Trevor's story, the reader learns about the kind of life the Middletons lead: "Together they roved the vast lofts of their house, placing old paint tins and flowerpot saucers beneath the drips from the roof. At night they sat over their thin chops in a dining-room that had once been gracious...." 3. The speech, thoughts, feelings, and actions of other characters can be used to develop a character. The attitudes of the townspeople to the Middletons help the reader understand the old couple better: "'An upright couple,' was the Canon's public opinion of the Middletons, and he had been known to add that eccentric views would hurt you less than malice." 4. The narrator can make direct comments about the character's nature. The narrator in Trevor's story comments, "The Middletons were in their middle-sixties now and were reconciled to a life that became more uncomfortable with every passing year."

Cuckold

the husband of an unfaithful wife