The document summarizes Chaucer's presentation of characters in "The Miller's Tale" including Nicholas, the Carpenter, and his wife Alison. It analyzes how Chaucer describes Alison using vivid imagery to portray her as a wild young woman. While creating an attractive description, Chaucer undercuts it by implying she is more suitable for sex than marriage. The document also examines parallels between Alison and courtly ladies, and how Chaucer satirizes her through his detailed characterization.

1. LG: Link Nicolas' introduction to Courtly Love SC:
and explore how Chaucer presents The Carpenter, his wife
and Nicholas
THE MILLER'S TALE
Nasty Nick...
A poure scoler
had lerned art ­educated, "art" ­ skill
interested in astrology
deerne love ­secret love courtly love cliche
sleigh and full privee sly and very private
plays the sautrie ­ 5 stringed instrument, complex
ful fetisly ydight with herbes swoote
as sweete as is the roote/Of licoris
HENDE NICHOLAS
sings 'angelus ad virginem'
his mirie throte
spends his time:
after his freendes finding and his rente The placing of
"and his rente" at the end of the line creates an effect.
What is it?
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2. Hende Nicholas
­attractive ­ polite gracious
Becomes a tag
A scholar which is repeated
young and poor. Handy! when repeated over and over,
it loses its meaning and comes
Supposedly. to suggest the complete
opposite
Very interested in 'deerne
Angelus ad virginem love' ­ secret love. Courtly
Love.
wants to He live in a room all
attract ladies alone... useful for... lady
visitors
Educated. Vain. likes to smell nice
and attract the ladies
A predicting
machine... a bit
like an abacus
almageste a gay sautrie
a complex instrument ­ 5 Stings.
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3. LG: Link Nicolas' introduction to Courtly Love SC:
and explore how Chaucer presents The Carpenter, his
wife and Nicholas
THE MILLER'S TALE
a riche gnof
hadde wedded newe a wyf
Jalous he was
demed himself a cokewold
He knew nat Catoun, for his wit was rude
Use the notes from Winny. Who was
Catoun?
"rude" means ignorant.
What impression is Chaucer giving us of the
carpenter?
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4. LG: Link Nicolas' introduction to Courtly Love SC:
and explore how Chaucer presents The Carpenter, his
wife and Nicholas
THE MILLER'S TALE
This carpenter hadde wedded newe a wyf,
Which that he lovede moore than his lyf;
Of eighteteene yeer she was of age.
Jalous he was, and heeld hire narwe in cage,
For she was wylde and yong, and he was old,
And demed hymself been lik a cokewold.
He knew nat catoun, for his wit was rude,
That bad man sholde wedde his simylitude.
Men sholde wedden after hire estaat,
For youthe and elde is often at debaat.
But sith that he was fallen in the snare,
He moste endure, as oother folk, his care.
Fair was this yonge wyf, and therwithal
As any wezele hir body gent and smal.
A ceynt she werede, barred al of silk,
A barmclooth eek as whit as morne milk ALISOUN
Upon hir lendes, ful of many a goore.
Whit was hir smok, and broyden al bifoore
And eek bihynde, on hir coler aboute,
Of col­blak silk, withinne and eek withoute.
The tapes of hir white voluper
Were of the same suyte of hir coler;
Hir filet brood of silk, and set ful hye.
And sikerly she hadde a likerous ye;
Ful smale ypulled were hire browes two,
And tho were bent and blake as any sloo.
She was ful moore blisful on to see
Than is the newe pere­jonette tree,
And softer than the wolle is of a wether.
And by hir girdel heeng a purs of lether,
Tasseled with silk, and perled with latoun.
In al this world, to seken up and doun,
There nys no man so wys that koude thenche
So gay a popelote or swich a wenche.
Ful brighter was the shynyng of hir hewe
Than in the tour the noble yforged newe.
But of hir song, it was as loude and yerne
As any swalwe sittynge on a berne.
Therto she koude skippe and make game,
As any kyde or calf folwynge his dame.
Hir mouth was sweete as bragot or the meeth,
Or hoord of apples leyd in hey or heeth.
Wynsynge she was, as is a joly colt,
Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.
A brooch she baar upon hir lowe coler,
As brood as is the boos of a bokeler.
Hir shoes were laced on hir legges hye.
She was a prymerole, a piggesnye,
For any lord to leggen in his bedde,
Or yet for any good yeman to wedde
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5. LG: Link Nicolas' introduction to Courtly Love SC:
and explore how Chaucer presents The Carpenter, his
wife and Nicholas
THE MILLER'S TALE
Alisoun's introduction
Using Winny's notes, JON
translate this section into modern English. The Carpenter
Pull out key quotations which describe this
character. Look for image clusters.
What impression of Alison is Chaucer trying to
create for his readers/listeners?
ALISON NICHOLAS
What connections can you see between Alisoun
and a courtly lady? THE LOVE TRIANGLE
How does Chaucer satirise this character?
5

6. "Hir mouthe was sweet as
Alison. A bit
a wild caged
animal
braggot or the meethe" wilde
(intoxicating breath) and held "narwe in a cage"
yonge Lots of nature imagery:
perejonette tree animals... young ones
primerole "She has a likerous ye" " a joly colt"
piggesnie a lecherous eye "a wezele"
" a wether" ­ lamb
All the soft 'p' sounds ­
"kide or calf"
plosives which suggest
sensual kisses. "a perejonette tree"... known to be very sweet
Hmmm... is Chaucer getting and ripen easily (sexual undertones here)
carried away with his own
character? More references to Nature:
"as whit as morne milk"
"swalwe sittinge on the berne"
Dresses in a great of silk ­ v. "hord of apples leyd in hey or heath"
expensive.
She has lots of jewelry ­ a tad perhaps Chaucer is
unusual for a carpenter's wife suggesting she is
don't you think? down to earth with
Without a doubt Chaucer paints her as an
natural impulses?
attractive young woman, but look how he
undercuts this seemingly attractive description
of
"She was a primerole, a piggesnie"
with
"For any Lord to leggen in his bedde No Lord is going to choose to marry
Or yet for any good yeman to wedde." her, but he doesn't mind having sex
with her...
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