Miller

1. Miller Miller

2. The Miller's Prologue After the Knight’s story, the Host calls on the Miller to tell a story. But the Miller, who is very drunk, announces that he will tell a story about a carpenter. The Reeve, objects because he was once a carpenter. Miller

3. Millers Miller Chaucer then warns the reader that this tale might be a bit vulgar, but he must tell all the stories because a prize is at stake. Thus, the Miller begins his tale.

4. The Miller’s Tale John, an old and very jealous carpenter who is married to an 18-year-old girl named Alison, rents a room to a young astrology student named Nicholas, who can supposedly forecast the likelihood of rain showers or drought. Miller

5. Nicholas soon falls in love with Alison and one day grasps her around the groins and cries, “Love me all-at-once or I shall die.” At first Alison resists, but the clerk soon overcomes her resistance, and together they conceive a plan whereby they will play a trick on the jealous husband. Miller

6. Alison also has another admirer—Absalon, an effeminate incense swinger at the church. Very dainty and fastidious, Absalon is, in fact, so fastidious that he cannot tolerate people who expel gas in public. Miller

7. Although Absalon demonstrates his feelings for Alison by serenading her outside her bedroom window, she finds him a nuisance and is interested only in Nicholas, who conceives an elaborate plan to get John out of the house for the night. Miller

8. Nicholas convinces John that the town is soon to be visited with a flood like the one that visited Noah in the Bible and that, to survive, he must build and fasten three boat-like tubs to the rafters and store within them provisions.

9. John follows Nicholas’ instructions, and the evening before the predicted flood, all three—John the carpenter; Alison, John’s wife, and Nicholas, Alison’s paramour—climb into the boats. When the carpenter sleeps, Alison and Nicholas quickly descend to Alison’s bed where they spend the night making love.

10. Later that night, Absalon, discovering the Miller’s absence, goes to Alison’s window. Denied access to her room, he begs for one kiss. Afraid that the bothersome clerk will arouse the neighbors, Alison agrees to kiss him, but instead of her mouth, she extends her rear out the window. The fastidious Absalon “kissed her naked arse, most savorously.” As he leaves, Absalon overhears the young lovers laughing at him.

11. Cured of his love sickness, Absalon borrows a red-hot poker from the blacksmith, returns to Alison’s window, and tells her he has a golden ring for her: “I’ll give it to you for one more kiss.” But Nicholas, trying to one-better Alison’s treatment of Absalon, opens the window instead and “stuck out his arse … buttocks and all” and farts in Absalon’s face. Absalon recovers quickly and thrusts the red-hot poker up the middle of Nicholas’ arse.

12. Nicholas shouts, “Water, help, Water, Water,” startling John from his sleep. Thinking that the flood is coming, John cuts the rope that holds his boat suspended and crashes to the floor. The neighbors, hearing all the ruckus, rush in and, when they hear of John’s preparations for a flood, laugh at his lunacy.

13. Pardoner

14. The Pardoner's Prologue The pardoner describes his preaching techniques and confesses his sinfulness to his fellow pilgrims. The theme of his sermons, he says, is always the same--"the love of money is the root of all evils."

15. One thing very terrible of him is that he not only knows his avarice clearly, but also takes pride in his evil and greed.

16. His vicious triumphs over those weak and superstitious minds and his insulting vanity at the end of the tale in addressing as if they were credulous fools combine to form the psychological complexity of his character.

17. The Pardoner's Tale In Flanders, a group of three men did nothing but engage in riotous and irresponsible behavior. One night in a tavern they saw other men carrying a corpse to a grave. A young onlooker told the rioters that the dead man was one of their friends who was slain by a thief named Death. They claim that Death has killed thousands and they vow to slay Death by themselves.

18. As the three riotous drunkards journey to slay Death, they come across an old man clothed in robes who claims that Death will never take him away. He tells them that they will find Death himself under a nearby tree. The three men find a bushel of gold under the tree instead of Death and agree to divide it equally among themselves.

19. They realize that they will look like robbers when they arrive in town with their newfound wealth and there upon draw straws to see who will go into town to procure food and drink for the three. They plan to stay in the forest with the gold until it is safe to leave in the middle of the night. The youngest of the rioters drew the shortest straw and went into town.

20. While away, the two remaining men decide to kill the third upon his return so that they could split the money in two, instead of three. While he was in town, the young man bought poison for the wine bottle, which he planned to give to the two others so that he could keep the money for himself. When the three men were reunited in the forest, the two older rioters stabbed the youngest and then drank the wine. All three men died.

21. The story that Pardoner tells illustrates his preaching.  The three men drink, fool around all day, curse to God all the time and they are greedy.  The three men are led to death by their avarice.  If they are not that greedy, they will happily share the money.  The story really illustrates what the pardoner preaches: Avarice is the root of evil. 

22.   When they first decide to find death , they agree to live and die together.  We can see in the text. However, after they find the gold, they forget all about their brotherly love.  All they want is to take the money as their won.  The story really illustrates what the pardoner preaches: Avarice is the root of evil.