In the beginning of the prologue the Miller has already insulted the host by disrupting the social harmony. He has also offended the Reeve, whose job is a carpenter. Traditionally there was a rivalry between Millers and carpenters. This makes the tale more suited to the Miller as he sets out to offend the Reeve. The Millers offensive character shows through in this offensive tale.
We see from the prologue that the Miller has a “thumb of gold” meaning that he steels some of the flour that he grindes for the local people. This shows how dishonest and devious the Miller is. This makes him well suited to tell the tale as it is all about dishonesty and lack of trust and loyalty. The tale is about adultery and the miller believes that all women are adulterous and tells the Reeve that “He who hath no wife, he is no cokewold”. In the tale we were told that John was jealous and "heeld hire narwe in cage". This shows that John has similar views to those of the Miller because he cannot trust his wife.
The Miller is uneducated and sets out to offend Nicolas who is clever and educated. This is why in the end Nicolas is punished by being “scalded in the towte”. Absolon is also attracted because he is effeminate. This miller dislikes effeminate men because he himself is very masculine. Absolon is also punished because he falls for Alison’s trick and he “hath kist hir nether ye”.
Although all these points show that the Miller is suited to this tale, there are some critics that believe that this tale was too intellectual for the miller. The miller includes a cameo role for himself as the “knave” Robin. But some critics argue that he was not intelligent enough to think of this. He also wouldn’t have been able to think of using the word “hende” ironically when talking about Nicolas.
Even though this tale is a fabliau, there are some conventions of a romance, such as the long portraits of Alison and Absolon. We also see these conventions when Abslon is trying to win over Alison and he calls her “Darling” and “my sweetest bird”. Yet the Miller would not be clever enough to know how to import these conventions into the fabliau.
In the “Miller’s prologue” we are told that “Oure hooste saugh that he was dronke of ale”. Because the Miller was in such a drunken state critics argue that he wouldn’t have been able to remember every little detail of the tale and that he would have not been in any state to tell it in rhyming couplets.
Over all I think that this fabliau is well suited to its teller because both the story, and the Miller’s thoughts on life are obscene and rude. The tale is told by the Miller who things that all women are dishonest and easy, which is how women and relationships and portrayed in the tale.
