The miller’s tale• summary of the tale• Analysis of major characters•Comparison to the knight’s tale•5 questions

Summary of the tale• An old carpenter has a young wife, they live

with Nicholas the Gallant. Nicholas sleeps with a lot of women. One day when the old carpenter is away, Nicholas began to make a pass on the carpenter’s wife: Alison. They fall in love, but Alison is still married to the carpenter. Nicholas tells the carpenter that there is a flood coming, and that he should tie tubs under the roof. He also says that the carpenter can’t see Alison, so there is no sin. Absalom notice the

carpenter has not been around, so Absalom goes to Alison’s house, because he likes her. Alison tells him that she loves another man. He gets angry, and goes to Gervase the blacksmith and asks to borrow a hot coulter. Absalom goes back to Alison’s house, and Nicholas opens the door and farts in Absalom’s face so Absalom pokes Nicholas with the hot iron in the rear end. Nicholas yells in pain and the carpenter think that it’s the flood coming. He cuts the ropes where he tied the tubs and faints. Alison and Nicholas

Tell everyone that the carpenter is crazy, because he thinks the flood is coming. Everyone in the town laughs at the carpenter.

the end

Analysis of major characters• Nicholas the Gallant: He was a poor student

and studied the arts, astrology and geomancy. He had charming looks and slept with a lot of women. He lives with the carpenter and falls in love with the carpenter’s wife. He tricks the carpenter into believing there is a flood coming ,so that he can be with Alison.

• The carpenter: He was rich and old, and he took in Nicholas to live with him. He married a young wife, and locked her in the house out of jealousy. His wife falls love with Nicholas and they trick him into thinking there is a flood. At the end of the story, everyone thinks he is crazy, for thinking there is a flood coming.

• Alison: She is the carpenter’s young beautiful wife. She falls in love with Nicholas. Absalon falls in love with her, but she tells him that she is in love with Nicholas.

• Absalon: he notices that the carpenter hasn’t been around, so he tries to talk to Alison, because he loves her. She tells him that she loves someone else, so he gets angry and goes to the black smith. When he goes back to the Alison’s house, Nicholas opens the door, and he farts in Absalon’s face. Absalon in rage pokes Nicholas in the butt with a coulter.

Comparison to the knight’s tale• Similarities: 1. there are men fighting over a

woman, there is courtly love. • Differences: 1. there are gods in the knight’s

tale and people have chivalry. 2. In the knight’s tale there is a battle for who gets Emily. 3. The knight’s tale is more proper, while the miller’s tale is more inappropriate.

Five discussion questions

1. What are the themes of the miller’s tale?2. Why do you think the miller’s tale is more

inappropriate than the knight’s tale?3. How do you think the carpenter feels at the

end of the tale?4. Why doesn’t anyone want the miller to tell

his tale?5. What events led to the carpenter acting crazy

at the end?

The end

• Carrie Basch• Thomas Pennington• Shusu WuAll the pictures are from Google.