Summary:
The Merchant's Tale explains the relationship of women and men in marraige at that time. January's obsessive quest for a wife, rationalizing that a man must be married so he can enjoy the luxury of being taken care of and granting God's wish of a woman being submissive to her husband, finally bears fruit and he marries a young woman, May. May is a young, vivacious, attractive girl, but falls in love with another man, Damian. Due to his old age, January goes blind and his condition makes May and Damian's relationship impossible, for January will not allow May to go anywhere without his hand upon her (the essence of patriarchal manipulation and suppression). May finally finds a way to see Damian by accompanying January into a garden and asking fervently for a pear from the tree in which Damian is perched. May climbs on January's back to get into the tree and she begins fornicating with Damian. The God Pluto sees this injustice and grants January his eyesight. January glances into the tree and sees this idoltary act and becomes understandable upset, but May, being a rather devious scoundrel, proclaims that she committed the alduterous act just so January could see again. She just loves him so much. So January accepts this claim and they live together again.
Character in relation to "The Prologue":
January sharply contrasts the sentiments expressed in "The Prologue." Rather than fearing the restrictive nature of marriage, as marriage is illustrated in "The Prologue," January is almost obsessed with finding a wife to take care of him. The wife in "The Prologue" is depicted as a shrew, an extremely harsh, commanding, domineering, controlling woman, but January does not feel that a wife would display such characteristics, but instead be always becoming and sensitive and willing to bow to each and every request. He seems very self-confident in his ability to rule his young lover, and he does not express any sense of inferiority, or being treated as such, as does the man in "The Prologue."
Chaucer's feelings:
Chaucer seems to be satirizing the weakness and gullibility of noble men and women. He presents January as a knight who is very free in love and spirit, or in other words, a womanizer, and a very egotistical man. Chaucer symbolically blinds January to show the extent of the man's ignorance and patheticness, and to further signify January's weak character, Pluto grants him his eyesight and he witnesses his wife fornicating with another man, but quickly grants clemency after his wife says she did it just so he could see again. Chaucer gives off an air of distaste for nobility and the values upper-classmen hold and expresses this dislike through his satirical and symbolic portrayal of January and his quest to be pampered and doted upon.
Any reasons why Chaucer paints such a picture of nobility? Kingsley
Chaucer creates a face of wealth and power in the Merchant's story to satirize the level of strength that nobility is often assumed to exemplify. Stereotypical nobility should be strong in conviction and let no other person, especially one of a lower status, dictate their actions, but this man allows himself to be convinced and lets his guards down for the sake of an adulterous woman. Chaucer denounces this assumption and shows his opinion on the true nature of nobility.
The Merchant's Tale explains the relationship of women and men in marraige at that time. January's obsessive quest for a wife, rationalizing that a man must be married so he can enjoy the luxury of being taken care of and granting God's wish of a woman being submissive to her husband, finally bears fruit and he marries a young woman, May. May is a young, vivacious, attractive girl, but falls in love with another man, Damian. Due to his old age, January goes blind and his condition makes May and Damian's relationship impossible, for January will not allow May to go anywhere without his hand upon her (the essence of patriarchal manipulation and suppression). May finally finds a way to see Damian by accompanying January into a garden and asking fervently for a pear from the tree in which Damian is perched. May climbs on January's back to get into the tree and she begins fornicating with Damian. The God Pluto sees this injustice and grants January his eyesight. January glances into the tree and sees this idoltary act and becomes understandable upset, but May, being a rather devious scoundrel, proclaims that she committed the alduterous act just so January could see again. She just loves him so much. So January accepts this claim and they live together again.
Character in relation to "The Prologue":
January sharply contrasts the sentiments expressed in "The Prologue." Rather than fearing the restrictive nature of marriage, as marriage is illustrated in "The Prologue," January is almost obsessed with finding a wife to take care of him. The wife in "The Prologue" is depicted as a shrew, an extremely harsh, commanding, domineering, controlling woman, but January does not feel that a wife would display such characteristics, but instead be always becoming and sensitive and willing to bow to each and every request. He seems very self-confident in his ability to rule his young lover, and he does not express any sense of inferiority, or being treated as such, as does the man in "The Prologue."
Chaucer's feelings:
Chaucer seems to be satirizing the weakness and gullibility of noble men and women. He presents January as a knight who is very free in love and spirit, or in other words, a womanizer, and a very egotistical man. Chaucer symbolically blinds January to show the extent of the man's ignorance and patheticness, and to further signify January's weak character, Pluto grants him his eyesight and he witnesses his wife fornicating with another man, but quickly grants clemency after his wife says she did it just so he could see again. Chaucer gives off an air of distaste for nobility and the values upper-classmen hold and expresses this dislike through his satirical and symbolic portrayal of January and his quest to be pampered and doted upon.
Any reasons why Chaucer paints such a picture of nobility? Kingsley
Chaucer creates a face of wealth and power in the Merchant's story to satirize the level of strength that nobility is often assumed to exemplify. Stereotypical nobility should be strong in conviction and let no other person, especially one of a lower status, dictate their actions, but this man allows himself to be convinced and lets his guards down for the sake of an adulterous woman. Chaucer denounces this assumption and shows his opinion on the true nature of nobility.