Quotes from the Miller's Tale

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Quotes from the Miller’s Tale

CHARACTERS

John

“A riche gnof”p33

A new emerging class bringing conflict to hierarchy emphaised trough word gnof lots of different words Chaucer uses analogue

“deemed himself been lik a cokewold” p34

Prolepsis foreshadows tale builds tension takes away sympathy for John

“he knew nat Cauton” p34

Shows he is not intelligent or educated due to allusion

“Myn housbande is so ful of jalousie”p36

One of John’s flaws emphasised through simile

“The carpenter was goon till Osenay”p39

Associates him with religion and lack of knowledge as large abbey there

“I am adrad, by Seint Thomas, It stondeth nat aright with Nicholas. God shilde that he deid sodeeinly”p40

Black death cliché

Men shoulde nat knowe of Goddes privitee.”p41

Proleptic warning  John did not want vernacular bible as reduced Catholic churches power to tell people what to do

“Jhesu Crist and Seinte Benedight, Blesse this hous from every wikked wight, For nightes verye, the whire pater-noster! Where wentestow Seinte Petres soster?”p42

This is part of the night spell part rubbish it is a satirical comment by Chaucher on John embracing his ignorance

“I shal it nevere telle To child ne wyf” p43

Irony as does tell

“As dooth the white doke after hire drake”p45

Emphasises john’s childlike nature as there is a childlike expression and simile employed for him

“to his wyf he tolde his privitee”p46

Ironic told his wife despite promise

“his owene hand he made ladders thre” p46

Ironic brings about his own downfall

“he sente his knave and eek his wenche also, upon his need to London”p47

Unsympathetic believes he is leaving his servants to die

He was holde wood in al the toun”p53

Idiom destroyed his reputation

Alisoun

“Fair was this younge wyf and therewithal as any wezele hir body gent and small”p34

Parody of a courtly lover in a romance has a lyrical quality bathos

“Ful smale ypulled were hire browes two”p34

Cynicism and satire in courtly romances a woman was perfect

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“She was ful moore blissful to see than is the newe pere-jonette tree”p35

Associates her with agriculture

“Ful brighter was the shining of hir hewe Than in the Tour the noble yforged newe”p35

Bathos Connotation with money sense of nouveau riche money was becoming increasingly important due to the statue of labourers 1351 forbidding wage rise

“As clerks ben ful subtil and ful queynte And prively he caughte hire by the queynte” p35

Rime Riche emphasises the actions of a churl but words of a courtly lover win Alisoun over

Do wey your handes… She hir love him graunted atte ...

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