The miller is a cherl.' That a drunken 'cherl' would tell a tale so beautifully structured and so delightfully crafted is clearly unconvincing. Discuss The Miller's Tale is in the form of fabliau

Authors Avatar

Susan Yu

‘The miller is a cherl.’ That a drunken ‘cherl’ would tell a tale so beautifully structured and so delightfully crafted is clearly unconvincing. Discuss

        The Miller’s Tale is in the form of fabliau, which is part of the oral tradition of storytelling, which was very popular among the lower classes in the medieval times. Prominently bawdy and satirising in content, fabliaux commonly told the story of a bourgeois husband who is cuckolded by his young wife. Fabliaux brings a great contrast to the likes of the courtly love tales such as the Knight’s Tale, thus it reflects Chaucer’s social and literary experience. The coarse, colloquial language and the realistic setting makes it convincing that a ‘cherl’ like the Miller could have told this story as it shows the Miler’s unrefined and crude nature. Furthermore, the use of animal imagery in the Miller’s portrait highlights the Miller’s aggressive and lewd characteristics. However, it appears unconvincing that a drunken ‘cherl’ could have created this tale as there are numerous reference to ancient philosophy, education and the gospels which makes it doubtful that an uneducated man could have been aware of them all. Additionally, the tale is structured as a parody of the Knight’s Tale and courtly love values and the consistency in the imagery and poetic devise used seem beyond the capabilities of a drunken ‘cherl.’

Join now!

        In the prologue, the Miller is conveyed as being mischievous and witty when he clearly implies that the host Harry Bailly is to blame for his drunkenness-‘And therefore if that I misspeke or seye, Wite it the ale of Southwerk.’ As Harry Bailly is the landlord of the Tabard Inn at Southwark, The Miller here is making the host responsible for getting him drunk. As well as this, the Miller is portrayed as being very humorous and clever when he provokes the Reeve using patronising and sarcastic tone of voice. He reassures the Reeve who is his enemy that his ...

This is a preview of the whole essay