The Miller's Tale by Melissa Anderson https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj en-us 2022-09-28 02:27:24 UTC 2022-09-29 02:26:28 UTC hello@padlet.com The Miller's Tale Translation mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316698036 To start, here is a copy of the Miller's Tale in its original English as well as a translated version from The Harvard University Geoffrey Chaucer Website.]]> 2022-09-28 02:52:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316698036 Who tells the story? mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316700217 The narrator of this story is the Miller himself. He has had a bit to drink, but even so he has a humorous story to tell.]]> 2022-09-28 02:54:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316700217 Who does the Miller represent? mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316732538 In an article written by Katherine Zieman, in the 60th Volume of the book representations, the Miller is described as, "...a peasant-a "cherl"( Zieman).]]> 2022-09-28 03:20:11 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316732538 How does Chaucer portray them? mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316736100 In the same article, the Miller is believed to be portrayed as a lowly peasant by Chaucer with a learned academic discourse. "The Miller's Tale is not simply a badwy peasant story, it is a bawdy story told by a peasant that resonates ironically with the disparate literary and academic discourses." (Zieman).]]> 2022-09-28 03:23:29 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316736100 Classism depicted in The Miller's Tale mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316774519 In the story itself, the Miller is telling the story of a simple Carpenter and his wife. In an article written for the William Prize competition, Author Krystal Kaai believed the carpenter was meant to represent a fear of the lower class. "...common laborers-as embodied through the character of John the carpenter-were negatively depicted as ignorant, foolish, and submissive people in order to appease elitist fears..." (Kaai).]]> 2022-09-28 04:02:43 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2316774519 Classism during Chaucer's time mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2317357671 The Miller's tale was believed to be a jab at the class system. The miller was a peasant telling the story of other low income individuals in hopes of spreading fear to the nobles. Historically speaking, 1300's England was full of nobles, and peasants all trying to find a way to exist together. The miller's tale from a nobles perspective would be interpreted that those of the lower class were practically animals in comparison to their high class counterparts.]]> 2022-09-28 12:13:38 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2317357671 Plot Summary mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2317377754 -The drunken Miller must tell his humorous tale about the carpenter and his wife. He monologues that if he cannot, he will leave.
-His tale begins with the description of the carpenter, an older man, named John.
-John married the beautifully young Alison, and spent his days in paranoia at the thought of everyone wanting to sleep with his wife.
-The Miller goes on to introduce a tenant that lives with the carpenter, Nicholas, and later on a lowly parish, Absolon. Nicholas falls for Alison, who in turn reciprocates the scholars love under the nose of the clueless carpenter. Absolon, the poor fool, falls head over heels in love with Alison, making it a daily habit to stop at her window and attempt to woo her with gifts and song.
-In the grand scheme of things, Nicholas, the ever clever man, hatches a plan to trick the carpenter and finally have Alison to himself. Thanks to the carpenter's foolishness, he prepares for a flood to come, planning and taking the precautions he was told to take by his wise scholarly friend. At his  poor expense might I add. Absolon continues his attempts to woo Alison only to be made a fool of in the middle of the night, by both Nicholas and Alison.
-Absolon in true revenge fashion, gets back at Nicholas by scalding his ass with a fire poker, alerting the carpenter to the "flood" and causing the man to "release the latch" on the barrel he had barricaded him in. 
-The Miller's story ends with John being mocked and made a fool of, as Alison and Nicholas get away with their plotting and scheming by convincing the town the carpenter is actually mad.]]> 2022-09-28 12:26:20 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2317377754 Why the Miller's Tale? mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2318484020 "The Miller, who for drunkenness was all pale...began to cry, and swore, "By (Christ's) arms, and by blood and bones, I know a noble tale for the occasion...For I will speak or else go my way." (Chaucer). There was an order for the tales to be told. The miller, a cherl (peasant) cared not for order but simply wanted to be heard. I think Chaucer wanted the readers to feed into the stigma that peasants were in fact rude and uncouth based on the drunken actions of the miller himself.]]> 2022-09-29 01:15:28 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2318484020 Cultural Commentary mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2318571454 The overall message, in the Miller's tale, is that lust and greed lead to Karma and revenge. While the carpenter loved his wife, the scholar, his friend pursued and usurped her love away from her husband. Although he ended up with Alison in the end, it caused him bodily harm at the hands of the heart broken Parish. Some researchers can argue that the Miller's tale was used as a fear tactic for nobles to think less of peasants; I think it was simply a means to bring about joy to the audience.]]> 2022-09-29 02:25:31 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2318571454 MLA Bibliography mhanderson17 https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2318572514
Chaucer, Geoffrey. “1.3 The Miller's Prologue and Tale.” 1.3 The Miller's Prologue and Tale, https://chaucer.fas.harvard.edu/pages/millers-prologue-and-tale. 


Kaai, Krystal. “Sympathy and Revolt in the Miller's Prologue and Tale.” Williams Prize, https://lsaw.lib.lehigh.edu/index.php/williams/article/view/144/31. 

Zieman, Katherine. “Chaucers Voys.” Online.ucpress.edu, Univeristy of California Press, https://online.ucpress.edu/representations/article-abstract/doi/10.2307/2928806/82532/Chaucer-s-Voys?redirectedFrom=PDF. 
]]> 2022-09-29 02:26:19 UTC https://padlet.com/mhanderson17/osqtybxxbjwwwtnj/wish/2318572514