The Tale of the MillerIn Chaucer's Canterbury tales, the Miller's tale is said to be arguably the most humorous of the number. It is easy to see why this is said as one reads through the prologue and the tale. Though vulgar at it's best it is also said to give one a good idea of how the lower classes in Chaucer's time seemed to relate between one another.Following the completion of the Knight's tale the host challenges the Monk to tell a tale to repay it. The Miller, who is so drunk he can barely stay mounted upon his horse, starts shouting and swearing that he has a tale to match the Knight's. The host, noting his rudeness, attempts to persuade him to allow a better man proceed but ...view middle of the document...
Absalom felt for many of the wives of the parish but none so much as the carpenter's wife. He serenaded and wooed by any and all means trying to find his way into her bedchamber but she loved Nicholas. As Absalom tried his best, Alison only scorned his efforts and made them all into a joke.While John is gone one Saturday Nicholas and Alison devise an elaborate plan to fool the old carpenter so that he might have Alison for an entire night. The couple carried provisions for a couple of days to the room in which Nicholas boarded and created a spectacular vision of biblical proportions, so that they might fool of poor John. So the plan passed and Nicholas stayed in his trance-like state until one of the servants did break him out of his vision and his chamber so that he might relay what he saw. The tale he spun was a frightening one. He spoke of a flood, not unlike the one Noah faced, that should wipeout all that walk the earth. At this John did enquire if there was anything he could do to save himself and his wife, Nicholas did lay out his plan at this time and told John to speak of I to nobody. John took Nicholas at his word and did prepare three tubs, one for each of them, for the coming of the flood and did wear himself out with the preparations. On the night that the flood was to occur, the three climbed into their boats, and soon John had gone to sleep as he had been hard at work preparing. As her husband entered his deepest sleep, Alison and Nicholas crept from the security of their boats and went into Alison's bedchamber where they laid with each other for most of the night.Absalom later discovered the absence of the carpenter and seizing the opportunity went to Alison's window and confessed his love, begged for a kiss, and what he kissed was Alison's arse. After being mocked for his love he felt it no more and decided to pay her back for what she had done. Absalom went and borrowed a hot poker from the blacksmith with only revenge on his mind. He returned to Alison's window and told her that if only he might have a kiss he would give ...
