Question D
Chaucer uses The Canterbury Tales to mock the society of the Medieval Era. The miller’s tale is crude and is a drunk and his tale is insulting to his company, especially when he does not acknowledge his rank and speaks out of turn.
Throughout time the English society has always acknowledge status; it is everything England and a true English know his or her class in society and abides by it. Chaucer uses the miller to defy the ranking in the British society. Not only does he speak out of turn but his tale is crass. Despite the crudeness of the miller’s tale he surprises the company especially the narrator with his diction and rhyming couplets. He is most fluent with his choice of word imagery as he describes the carpenter’s wife.
Her brows were thinly plucked, and like a bow /Each one was arched, and black as any sloe./ deed she was a blissful sight to see,/ Moreso than any pear tree that could be/ And softer than the wool upon a wether/ Could dream a
doll so lovely, such a wench./ And brighter far did shine her lovely hue / Than gold coins in the Tower when they're new./ Her song was loud and lively as the call/ her mouth was sweet as any mead whatever/ Or as
a hoard of apples on the heather./ Tall as a mast, straight as an archer's bolt/. She really was a primrose, quite a peach,
Chaucer uses the miller’s tale to show courtly love in a crude manner; according to the miller courtly love is just pretension. The miller’s tale is satire mocking the era’s hypocrisy; the miller use people from a lower class than the people in the knight’s tale. The miller also borrowed from the fabliaux genre and mystery plays, plays with ridiculous climax. He uses his tale also punishes the carpenter for marrying a woman that so much younger than he. When the carpenter relates his story of Nicholas’ trick they made fun of the carpenter and no one believes him. The miller’s is full with episodes that make fun of The English and its prudish customs.
The miller’s tale ends in vulgarity keeping with theme of the fabliaux plays; this is not a tale fitted for the company of women. Nonetheless, the wife of bath must have loved it, she is in the company of a man who is not afraid to challenge society. Even the men is the audience may have turned a little red as the tale as the tale draws to an end. The Medieval Era when men were not allowed to see their wives naked. Yet here is Allison hanging her naked backside through the window to be kissed instead of her lips; and later here come Nicholas doing the same only this time the joke is on him. He will never be able tip tell anyone how his prank back fire.
Chaucer knew the kind of reception his tales would get in a medieval society, and ttis fact never s fact did not stop him from using his tales as satire against a strident, ,prudish England.
