Unlike Arcite and Palamon who woo Emily over a long process using chivalry behaviour, public appraisal of Emily and prayers to God, Nick simply charms and seduces Alison swiftly. Instead of pinning away for Alison, the clever and handy Nicholas simply grabs her and woos her instantly. Arcite and Palamon woo Emily from afar whereas Nicholas seduce Alison directly. This is a parody of the Knight’s views on the ideals of courtly love as the miller ridicules romantic love. Alison is not goddess like, but in fact is a married woman, ripe like fruit. Thus the working class miller mocks the high social institution.
The character Nicholas had a room to himself-‘a chamber hadde he in the holsterie allone without any compaigne.’ This description is same as Arcite’s description in the Knight’s Tale. Again, the miller has done this for effect as it parodies the Knight’s Tale.
One of the most prominent contrast between the two tales is their heroines. Emily’s beauty is such that the imprisoned Palamon and Arcite both fall in love with her instantly. She is distant, aloof, almost unattainable. She is also of royal lineage and conventionally virtuous. And there is no hint of sexual interest in the cousins' long courtship of her. Emily is a chaste virgin but Alison is a married woman who might be is sexually promiscuous as she is suitable as a mistress for "any lord" but as a wife, she can expect at best to marry a yeoman. This creates a big contrast between the two women.
What Alison shares with Emily is beauty and the ability to arouse strong passion. Where Emily's beauty is depicted conventionally (she is likened to the lily and to the rose, and she is first shown in the idealized setting of a beautiful garden on a sunny May morning), Alison's attractions are suggested by animal similes. Emily’s beauty has a static quality, but Alison's cannot be separated from her animation and vitality. This, with a hint of naivety, is suggested by the comparisons to "kide or calf" and to a colt. Alison is soft as a wether's wool and her voice is like the swallow's. Among the many other physical details packed into the Miller's description we learn that Alison has delicately-plucked sloe-black eyebrows; that she is tall and erect, that her breath is sweet. This is also creates a sensuous impression of Alison.
The knight uses florid imagery to illustrate Emily. Both the knight and the miller use natural metaphors to describe the ladies in question. The knight evokes a Garden of Eden, whilst the miller paints a carnal forest. Emily is first mistaken for a goddess by Palamon. Her voice is ‘as heavenly as an angel’s’ whereas Alison sings ‘like a barn swallow, ’ her song ‘loude and yerne.’ This gives the impression that that Alison is lively and youthful whereas Emily is depicted as holy and unattainable.
In Alison’s portrait, she is portrayed as a very sensuous and vibrant young woman. She is compared to a weasel –‘therwithal as any wezele hir body gent and small.’ The tone of the description emphasizes her animal vitality and leaves a graphic impression of the slim sinuousness of her body. It also implies that she is sharp witted, cunning and quick like a weasel. A supple, sinuous quality of her figure is suggested in thi simile which is clearly chosen to stress her sexual attractiveness.
However, Emily is portrayed as meek, fresh, pure and gentle. She is fairer than the ‘lylie upon his stalke grene’ and ‘fressher than the may with floures newe.’ This accentuates her purity and innocnece. Equally, Alison is compared to a flower-‘primerole.’ Primrose is a flower that ripens early in Spring. This connote that Alison is fully developed yet of a young age.
Alison is clothed in silk, which is an expensive material that is not commonly worn by carpenter’s wives. Silk was used for the embroidery on Alison’s smock, headband and for the tassels on her purse. These references to the richest and smoothest materials hint at the attractive body underneath.
All in all, the miller is very successful in parodying the Knight’s tale.
