Miller's Tale

I read the Miller's Tale last night and I thought it was hilarious. It was so crude but so very entertaining. My favorite character is Absolon. He is so emotionally unstable. I was not quite sure how to handle his character. When I was reading the tale I was thinking this guy is an idiot. He was standing outside of a woman's bedroom window trying to woo her while she was inside with another man. It makes me think of nice guys finish last. Too bad for them that Absolon was crazy. I think love drove him crazy. Love drove Nicholas and Alisoun crazy too. I mean who comes up with an elaborate scheme to sleep with their lover. I guess people who cheat do. This story is so morally wrong. It kinda shows the character of the Miller and his view on love. Cheating, deceiving, lustful, and comical all rolled into one. I love the idea of Canterbury Tales. It's like watching people on T.V watch T.V only 1400's hundreds style and way better written. Like always, there has to be a deeper meaning to this funny story then just a cheating wife and an estranged lover. Again there is an underlining theme of Christianity. Unlike Beowulf and Sir Gawain, who are more missionary minded, putting God out there to the godless of society. Chaucer focused on the corruption of the church, in the church, by the church. I mean look at it, Absolon was a church clerk looking to score with a married woman that went to church who claimed to be a christian but was cheating on her husband. The fact that the author used a woman to play the bad guy role is so risky. Now a days it is more acceptable to see that happen but I always think of the guy being the cheater not the woman. Anyway, what does that tell you about the value of God in their eyes. I think it reflect anger on the part of the author towards the church. I wonder what was going on in the early church around the time that Canterbury Tales was written. On the other had you have Nicholas the astrologer, who goes and tell Alisoun naive husband that Noah's second flood is coming. That does not make an sense in it's self because any christian would know of God promise of the rainbow and that God will never flood the earth again. I guess that's where the pun comes in. The miller's tale is funny on more then one level now that I think about it. Chaunce is speaking to many audiences at once. That go into the whole class and rank in society thing. Depending on your social status when reading this story it can mean different things for different people. Is Chaucer delibratly taking hard hit at the church? yes, I believe he is. I also believe that just because this story appears to be funny it's not. It is very serious reality stuff that he's talking about in a very unique way. I have more respect for the author he is brilliant.