The Miller's Tale

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

The Miller's tale

A student lesson by Maria, Evelien, Noan and Anouk

Content

• Plot Discussion
• Character Analysis
• Literary Devices
• Genre
• Style
• Features of the Period

Plot discussion

• The prologue
• The trick
• A vision from god
• Tubs to the roof
• Absolon
• Crazy

Character Analysis

John

• Nicest person
• Suffers the most
• Extremely jealous but devoted to Alisoun
• Stupid and naive

Alisoun

• Young and beautiful
• Narrator compares her to wild animals
• Always kept home because of her jealous husband
• Prevent that she will find another man of her own age

Nicholas

• Poor, young scholar
• Studies astrology and wants to predict the future
• Described as quite feminine: "like a mayden meke for see" and "as sweete as is the roote/of lycorys"
• Wants to spend the night with Alisoun -> tricks john
• Is punished for his actions

Absolon

• Parish clerk
• Also portrayed quite feminine (extremely tidy and pays great attention to his personal grooming
• Disgusted by farting (important for the plot)
• Artistic man
• Determined to get Alisoun
• True motive is lust instead of love

Is Alisoun responsible for cheating on John with Nicholas or can't she be blamed because she's so beautiful and married to a man who is much older?
Give your opinion and explain why.

Literary Devices

• Imagery
• Allegory 
  
• Symbolism

Which literary device do you recognize in this sentence?
"Ah Sunflower, weary of time. Who countest the steps of the sun; seeking after that sweet golden clime, where the traveler's journey is done."

1. Symbolism
2. Allegory
3. Imagery

Which literary device do you recognize in this sentence?
"The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe shows no one escapes death."

1. Symbolism
2. Allegory
3. Imagery

Which literary device do you recognize in this sentence?
"He felt like the flowers were waving him a hello."

1. Symbolism
2. Allegory
3. Imagery

Which literary device do you recognize in this sentence?
"Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is showinng the Devil's staff being used to defy God and eat the forbidden fruit."

1. Symbolism
2. Allegory
3. Imagery

Which literary device do you recognize in this sentence?
"Black is used to represent death or evil."

1. Symbolism
2. Allegory
3. Imagery

Which literary device do you recognize in this sentence?
"He could hear the footsteps of doom nearing."

1. Symbolism
2. Allegory
3. Imagery

Genre

• Fabliau
• Medieval literature
• Love triangle
• Parody

Style

• Late middle English
• Twisting sentences "Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages"
• Avoids targeting specific audience
• Vocabulary
• Language

Features of the Period

• Sex and sexuality
• Earthy
• Nature Imagery: "thakked hire aboute the lendes weel"

Final Exercise

On your handout