The Miller’s Tale takes the listeners to the semi-rurality of ‘Oxenford’. It is interesting to note that ‘hende Nicholas’ is introduced within four lines of the tale’s beginning; ultimately suggesting that he is an important character. It may also be observed that because John is not given any description of character, appearance or occupation and due to prompt switching to the ‘poure scoler’, that the carpenter is intended to be perceived, throughout the tale, as secondary. This also provides and intimation as to which character is to be the ‘fabliau victim’.
Nicholas is instantly described as knowledgeable who ‘turned for to lerne astrologie’. This is seen as a respectable branch of learning, however ‘hende’ Nicholas is aware of its potential power over others and is able to supplement his income by ‘demen’ and predicting the weather. In line 89 it describes how Nicholas can answer anything ‘if men asked him what sholde bifalle.’ The word befall is a subtle hint as to John’s fate. It is interesting to note that Nicholas is the ‘marle-pit’ in which the carpenter will ‘yfalle’ (lines 351-352).
A particularly important factor concerning Nicholas’ personality, is his discernment of ‘deerne love…and of solas’ giving him an enigmatic disposition. As well as serving to provide contrasts to his ‘rival’ Absolon, this specific detail, about his aptitude for secret courtship and pleasure, adds to the mockery of the later.
Much detail is provided to the appearance and furnishings of the scholar’s room and lends an insight into Nicholas’ interests. Equipment for divination and a bookcase are among the objects in his room, along with a ‘gay sautrie’ on which he accompanies himself as he sings the Angelus ad virginem.
St. Nicholas was the patron saint of sweet smells and of young girls; this is supported by the abundance of ‘rootes’, ‘licoris’ and ‘cetewale’ he has in his room.
An interest in music is also a talent shared by Absolon, the ‘mirie…parish clerk’. Absolon also plays an instrument, in this case ‘on a giterne in al the toun…brew house…. and taverne’ and unlike Nicholas’ ‘blessed and mirie throte’ has ‘a loud and quinible’ voice.
He is introduced in a set of lengthy description, twenty-five lines long. A similar substantial piece of description is given to Alison. This places in the mind of the listener, a slightly effeminate quality also emphasised by the language in the phrasing used. ‘His heer, and as the gold it shoon’ affirms a feminine and extravagant appearance, as blonde or golden hair was usually associated with women. The word ‘crul’ is used to describe Absolon’s hair and through the process of metathesis Chaucer is inviting the clerk’s ridiculing. The description of his appearance continues, illustrating his ‘red robe’ and his eyes, which were as ‘grey as geese.’ Alliteration was often employed in courtly love literature. Yet only to illuminate the unobtainable beauty of a noble lady, not an ordinary parish clerk. His ‘linen vestment’ is described as being ‘as whit as is the blosme upon the ris’, a parallel that can be made once again to the illustration of Alison, where she is likened to the ‘newe pere-jonette tree.’ It is also said that he ‘pleyeth Herodes upon a scaffold hye,’ yet this part would have only underlined his comical appearance and unsuitability for the role. All these instances emphasise once more Absolon’s effeminate sense. An ironic finicky style of description is given to Absolon’s whole persona and he is intended to be the source of comedic ridicule in this fabliau tale. This is supported by the Miller’s somewhat sarcastic digression of ‘A mirie child, so God me save.’
We are told that the parish clerk has many skills, including letting blood and making charters of land, yet these are overshadowed by the image of his comedic slightly overenthusiastic dancing in the way he ‘casten…his legges to and fro.’
The most substantial detail given, however, in terms of developing the satirical farce resides at the end of the description. It is the fact that Absolon is ‘somdeel squaymous of farting, and of speche daungerous’ and this aversion to indelicate traits leads to a climactic unintended outcome, characteristic of the fabliau.
It is also important to consider when this description of Absolon’s character is placed. In the passage between lines 163-199, Nicholas decides to ‘make advances’ on Alison and ‘fil this young wyf to rage and pleye.’ His knowledge of secret love comes in use as he deviously sneaks up upon Alison. The explicit sexual references and indecorous humour of the fabliau are shown by the use and repetition of the word ‘queynte’ and is the language of the Miller that was apologised for in the prologue. The first meaning of the word is an adjective concerning the crafty nature of ‘clerkes’; the second however becomes a physical noun meaning female genitalia, through the voice of the Miller.
Nicholas’ approach seems ultimately shocking and totally inappropriate and his language contradicts his appearance of ‘a maiden meke for to see.’ Yet his judgement of Alison has been particularly shrewd, as after brief verbal courtship she accepts his advances. The sexual references of the fabliau are continued as Nicholas’ carrasses Alison’s thighs (a word that would never be incorporated in The Knight’s Tale) and takes ‘sautrie and playeth faste, and maketh melodie.’
Therefore as Absolon is introduced after Alison has already accepted a lover, it can be said that there any other suitor’s role is void and from the outset he is intended to be mocked.
In The Knight’s Tale, the etiquette of courtly love is seriously presented as a code of conduct to be followed by nobility and ranks of the higher classes alone. Due to aspect of parodying employed by Chaucer, Absolon on the other hand has a superficial notion of effictio, which is made even more ridiculous by the everyday setting of the tale. To a medieval listener, Absolon would have warranted all contempt and disdain towards him, due to his acting above his station.
The parish clerk is enjoying the role as an effictio lover, wistful and woebegone due to the ‘love-loninge…in his herte.’ The fact that he refuses the offerings and alms of the wives in the church shows that his ideals of a courtly lover are far from correct.
Several factors emphasise the comedic value of the effictio parody, for example his judgement of Alison in contrast with Nicholas’ shrewd direct approach. Absolon believes that Alison is ‘so propre and sweete and likerous’ and calls her a ‘paramours’. In the courtly love tradition knights would submit and fawn over an unobtainable ‘kept-woman’. The lady would remain chaste, modest and demure, however Alison is, again, far from this ideal and the love service Nicholas had to ‘endure’ is virtually inexistent. The contrast in language used by both suitors, serves to highlight Absolon’s farcical and foolish attempts to woo a married woman and one of lower-middle class. Nicholas uses coarse and contentious language in order to win Alison’s favour.
“Ywis, but if ich have my wille, for deerne love of thee, lemman, I spille.” (Lines 169-70)
Again the notion of secret love and defining bawdy lexis of the fabliau is employed in the expression. The words ‘lemman’ and ‘spille’ are conjure a sense of the vulgar and proletariat. The exact meaning of ‘Spille’ in this instance is to perish, however like Nicholas’ appearance this is deceptive and contains double association; the second having linkages to implicit references.
This is contrasted with Absolon’s version of courtly language. In which he pleads Allison to pity him in his wistful pining.
“Now, deere lady, if thy will be, I praye yow that ye wole rewe on me.”
The description of Absolon’s ironic unsuccessful ‘courtly love’ actions and pursuits, in the passage between 244 and 290, demonstrate the importance of effictio parody and the pathetic nature of his character. The physical humour of the fabliau is exhibited when Absolon serenades ‘in his vois gentil and smal’ underneath the bedroom window of the carpenter and his wife. Courtly lovers were expected to indeed compose songs for his lady but also to keep his love secret to protect her reputation, serving to exacerbate the challenge that he must face to gain her favour in return. It is hilarious the way in which Absolon, on the other hand, attempts to charm Alison in full hearing of her husband.
Absolon uses intermediaries and sends Alison gifts of ‘piment, meeth and spiced ale,’ to his own humiliation.
As Absolon’s love longing grows, as does the comedy of his speeches to Alison. In lines 589 to 599 he tries once again to receive a kiss for his ‘faire bird.’ However, the language used only serves to increase the mockery of his already ridiculous character. The lexis used is successful in undermining any trace of masculinity or virility. The fact that he ‘swetes’ and ‘moornes as dooth a lamb after the tete,’ due to his longing for Alison, is quite a comic image in itself. The similes he employs for himself such as the ‘turtel trewe’ or a ‘maide’ affirm his effeminate image and increases Nicholas and Alison’s status over him.
Therefore contrast in the two young men’s methods in ‘wooing’ Alison; serve to add symmetry to the comedy of the fabliau.
Nicholas’ inventiveness and cunning in the pseudoreligious prediction of the second Flood, preparations for which send John to his "wery bisynesse" that puts him into a "dede sleep", is the lynch-pin of the scheme to cuckold John. The plan could be observed as the ‘task’ that Nicholas has to undertake in order to spend a night with Alison, again exhibiting the parody in the fabliau. His cynical, unscrupulous and blasphemous personality traits lead to the intended outcome of the tale, in which John while asleep in the roof is cuckolded by his wife and lodger.
However, the unintended outcome of the ‘misplaced kiss’ would have not been possible for the presence of the Absolon’s character. The building of his beseeching of Alison together with the little details of his squeamishness and of the ‘shot-window’ of the house, bring about the first climax of the poem.
The comedic value is hightened by the fact that Absolon adhors indelicate bodily functions and tries to remove the kiss with whatever means possible. The unrefined humour of the fabliau is shown through the thoughts of Absolon, being repeated in the exclamation of Nicholas.
“For wel he wiste a womman hath no berd.” (Line 629)
“A berd! A berd!” Quod nicholas.” (Line 634)
The adjustment of one noun with refernce to pubic hair, into one meaning a clever trick parallels to lines 167-8 and is a subtle device employed by Chaucer.
Chaucer's skillful use of the genre in implying a moral, if not explicitly pointing to one, by creating allegorical figures in Nicholas, John, and Absolon who stand respectively for "carnality, temporality, flattery" or by dramatizing an ordered universe based on the natural attraction of youth, the danger of an unequal marriage, and the dominance of instinct over reason. Both Nicholas and Absolon know the ways of wooing, and though the former is more successful, the latter employs a greater variety of methods, including talk, serenades, and gifts. It is the manner in which Absolon undertakes these actions that deem him suitable to be a fabliau fool. Nicholas is cunning and intellegant, qualities which are seen desirable and permittable in the fabliau genre. Nicholas is exonerated in the tale because of his antecedents in the clerc amant, who always goes free in the fabliau and Absolon is satirized for his exaggerated courtly wooing of Alison. Therefore the comedic and satritical farce would not be complete without the interactions and both obvious or subtle contrasts and comparisons between the two characters of Nicholas and Aboslon.