THE MILLER’S TALE

Jenisha Chand

MAIN CHARACTERS

Handy Nicholas: A poor scholar who lives with John and who studied arts but has interest in astrology .

Alisoun: Young wife of John, the carpenter and who likes Handy Nicholas.

John: A rich old carpenter who runs a boarding house where Handy Nicholas lives.

Absolon: A parish clerk who works really hard to win Alisoun’s heart but she doesn’t care about him.

LOCATION

Oxford

GENRE

Fabliau: A medieval verse tale characterized by comic, ribald treatment of themes drawn from life.

CONFLICT

Alisoun has a secret lover, Handy Nicholas.Absolon wants to make love with Alisoun but

she fools around with him.

SUMMARY

Since Alisoun and Nicholas want to make love, they convince John by telling him that there will be a great flood and they can prevent it by spending night in a tub tied to the roof.

When John was in the tub, Nicholas and Alisoun secretly go to bed.

SUMMARY

The same night when they are making love, Absolon appears in front of their window asking for Alisoun’s kiss.

Absolon thinks he is kissing her lips but she fools him making him kiss her bottom.

Absolon comes back the other night with a hot iron to take revenge on her, but he ends up roasting Nicholas's butt.

THEMES

DishonestyDesire is masked as true love.

The End