'The Miller's Tale' - Geoffrey Chaucer - Character Analysis - Nicholas

Joanna Lowe Page Mrs Edwards

English Literature‘The Miller’s Tale’ – Geoffrey Chaucer

Character Analysis – Nicholas

Nicholas, the student lodger of John the carpenter, can be recognised as the ‘hero’ of the Chaucer’s ‘The Miller’s Tale’ – he’s handsome, well accomplished and self-assured. He lives comfortably in a private room in the nicer part of town, complete with a private income that allows him to indulge in his fascination with astrology. Nicholas, with his mixture of private education, outrageous sense of humour and eager pursuit of love is a type still recognizable today. His sharp wits and intelligence is displayed by the ingenuity of his plan and the clever psychological approach he takes, in order to deceive the “sely” carpenter.

He’s acknowledged as "hende Nicholas", however, his behaviour doesn’t correlate with the usual definition of the word, meaning courteous, but it seems as though the Miller has repeatedly labelled his hero as ‘handy’. The reader learns of his intelligence immediately, “hadde lerned art” and also of his enthrallment in astrology. Nicholas is aware that astrology was recognized as a respectable learning area, as well as its ability to impress others. The reader is told of how he is financially aided by his friends along with earning money from his ability to forecast weather.

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Although reserved in manner, Nicholas has a strong character and his advance on Alison shows little subtlety. Though being one of the central characters in the story of ‘The Miller’s Tale’, he is noticeably the driving force behind the action. His ‘man-of-action’ image is emphasized by the lack of a physically detailed portrait of Nicholas, unlike both Alison and Absolon. In his central position, Nicholas acts as a contrast to Absolon, emphasising the weakness of the latter in his ruthless approach, the prim fastidiousness and superficiality of the parish clerk; also Chaucer is able to satirise the romantic world of courtly love brilliantly portrayed in the character and behaviour of Absolon through Nicholas’s actions. It’s noticeable that although Nicholas is not introduced or presented in physical detail, it’s his cleverness that is his predominating characteristic. Along with astrological interest, Nicholas has other accomplishments too, as he is able to both play a musical instrument and can be heard singing songs such as the “Kings Noote” and “Angelus ad virginum”.

Instead of being introduced to Nicholas through a physical description, it is his room that is described to the reader, and so through this we learn more about Nicholas himself and are provided with an insight into his other interests. Within the room, there is his astrological equipment for forecasting the weather, along with a bookcase stocked with costly books. We are told that his room is decorated with “herbes swoote” and Nicholas also has a “gay sautrie” which he uses to accompany his singing. The character of Nicholas is evoked through his possessions. The sole fact that Nicholas lives “withouten any compaignie” indicates that he is more well off than other students and the fact that his room furnished comfortably and contains costly possessions denotes that he’s not so interested in studying.

Though taking his astrological study seriously, Nicholas is displayed as otherwise cynical, dishonest, unprincipled and blasphemous and it is his dishonourable intentions towards Alison that clearly displays this. As a scholar of the university, he’s required to be celibate, but Nicholas has no qualms about cuckolding his landlord, who he regards as a fool. In addition, he’s crude and blasphemous, most notably in his supposed discovery of the imminent flood.

The imaginary flood that Nicholas comes up with to fool John invites the reader to admire his cunning, initiative, confidence, inventiveness and contempt for the carpenter. It is his reputation from past astrological forecasting that aids his cuckolding of John and the prediction of the flood is so improbable that the carpenter does not consider the possibility that it is invention on Nicholas’s part. However, in order for Nicholas’s plan to succeed, he has to act convincingly. He anticipates that John will make a fuss and so has thought through his approach, not giving John a chance to doubt him. He manages to conceal his amusement of the situation remarkably, not betraying himself through either laughter or facial expression, though he later is able to laugh at John’s gullibility. Although Nicholas seems to have triumphed, it can be seen that his over self-confidence merits the punishment he receives at the hands of Absolon, intended for Alison.

It spite of Nicholas’s craftiness and dishonesty, the Miller engineers the story so that the reader likes Nicholas. He does this by making John seem deserving of the punishment of being cuckolded for his unwise marriage and ensuing jealousy. The reader is less critical of Nicholas due to his youth and intelligence and it is the comical manner of the tale which makes his conduct seem less worthy of reprimand that would ordinarily be the case. It is apparent that Nicholas is a more suiting partner for Alison than John and it’s the repetition of “hende Nicholas” that encourages us as the reader to be more approving. In conclusion, the reader should note that Nicholas does not go unpunished for his actions as his over-confidence and lack of discretion earns him the appropriate punishment of being “scalded in the towte” by his rival, Absolon.

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