The Canterbury TalesThe Canterbury Tales“The Merchant’s Tale”“The Merchant’s Tale”

Gary DuongCassandra Naguiat

Andre NghiemRohun Patel

Lindsay Schick

Gary DuongCassandra Naguiat

Andre NghiemRohun Patel

Lindsay Schick

Brief Description CharactersBrief Description Characters

• The merchant’s sourness of marriage and wife set the stage

• January is a lecherous old man with chauvinist tendencies

• May is cunning and promiscuous

• Damian is someone with whom May can have an affair.

• The merchant’s sourness of marriage and wife set the stage

• January is a lecherous old man with chauvinist tendencies

• May is cunning and promiscuous

• Damian is someone with whom May can have an affair.

Characters (2)Characters (2)

• Justinius advises old knight not to rush into marriage

• Placebo supported January’s decision

• Pluto gives back January’s sight after “May and Damian”

• Proserpina blames men for problems that women are blamed for

• Justinius advises old knight not to rush into marriage

• Placebo supported January’s decision

• Pluto gives back January’s sight after “May and Damian”

• Proserpina blames men for problems that women are blamed for

SettingSetting

• “She shall not be over twenty” (249)

• “Tree that blossoms before the fruit is grown” (251)

• “Tree full of fruit” (287)

• “Day was bright, sky was blue” (287)

• “She shall not be over twenty” (249)

• “Tree that blossoms before the fruit is grown” (251)

• “Tree full of fruit” (287)

• “Day was bright, sky was blue” (287)

Plot SummaryPlot Summary

• Opens with scathing attack on wife of two months

• January tells friends of his plan to marry

• January selects May and sleeps with her

• When day arrives, January bends over to allow May to climb over him into the tree

• Opens with scathing attack on wife of two months

• January tells friends of his plan to marry

• January selects May and sleeps with her

• When day arrives, January bends over to allow May to climb over him into the tree

Summary (2)Summary (2)

• As January comes to, he is shocked to see his wife having sex with Damian

• May uses her god-given tongue to get herself out of the situation

• January agrees and he hugs his wife lovingly

• As January comes to, he is shocked to see his wife having sex with Damian

• May uses her god-given tongue to get herself out of the situation

• January agrees and he hugs his wife lovingly

Theme/MoralTheme/Moral

• God– Governs all laws– Frowns upon (May’s

affair with Damian)

• Love– Christian love versus

passionate love

• Youth/Beauty– Temptation to sexual

desires– Immaturity/immorality of

the youth

• God– Governs all laws– Frowns upon (May’s

affair with Damian)

• Love– Christian love versus

passionate love

• Youth/Beauty– Temptation to sexual

desires– Immaturity/immorality of

the youth

Genre of the TaleGenre of the Tale

• Mock-romance• Mock-romance mocks

the affairs of a romance in an often satirical, humorous way

• Intended for entertainment purposes

• Mock-romance• Mock-romance mocks

the affairs of a romance in an often satirical, humorous way

• Intended for entertainment purposes

Support Evidence (Classify)Support Evidence (Classify)

• Merchant’s “honest” marriage; selfish motives become clear

• Mock-romance reveals distaste in wife and marriage

• “She would master him” (241)

• Desires her for sex• “he asked her to strip

naked” (275)

• Merchant’s “honest” marriage; selfish motives become clear

• Mock-romance reveals distaste in wife and marriage

• “She would master him” (241)

• Desires her for sex• “he asked her to strip

naked” (275)

Source of the TaleSource of the Tale

• “The Merchant’s Tale” is based off Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron

• Nicostratus marries Lydia, who eventually falls in love with Pyrrhus

• However, they cannot express their love for each other

• “The Merchant’s Tale” is based off Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron

• Nicostratus marries Lydia, who eventually falls in love with Pyrrhus

• However, they cannot express their love for each other

Source (2)Source (2)

• The couple fools Nicostratus into climbing a pear tree

• While Nicostratus is in the tree, the two engage in sex

• When he climbs down, he sees the two sitting innocently. After cutting down the evil tree, he stops watching his wife

• The couple fools Nicostratus into climbing a pear tree

• While Nicostratus is in the tree, the two engage in sex

• When he climbs down, he sees the two sitting innocently. After cutting down the evil tree, he stops watching his wife

Contemp. CounterpartsContemp. Counterparts

• The Awakening by Kate Chopin

• Edna commits adultery with Robert, without knowledge of husband

• Both stories/couples have age differences and the husbands are unaware of wives’ affairs

• The Awakening by Kate Chopin

• Edna commits adultery with Robert, without knowledge of husband

• Both stories/couples have age differences and the husbands are unaware of wives’ affairs

Teller’s Social StandingTeller’s Social Standing

• The merchant is the seventh of twenty-two pilgrims to be described, a relatively high social standing.

• Merchant is actually in terrible debt

• He portrays himself as being very wealthy, but is actually a poor man.

• The merchant is the seventh of twenty-two pilgrims to be described, a relatively high social standing.

• Merchant is actually in terrible debt

• He portrays himself as being very wealthy, but is actually a poor man.

Teller’s DescriptionTeller’s Description

• General prologue: the merchant is manipulative and deceiving.

• Internal prologue: the merchant’s description of his wife and the pain she causes him demonstrates his feelings towards women and marriage.

• General prologue: the merchant is manipulative and deceiving.

• Internal prologue: the merchant’s description of his wife and the pain she causes him demonstrates his feelings towards women and marriage.

Tale’s Relations to TellerTale’s Relations to Teller

• January's social status reveals what the merchant wishes he had.

• He is sixty years old, demonstrates advice to hold off to maximum extent

• Blindness and gain of sight demonstrates ignorance to the troubles of marriage

• January's social status reveals what the merchant wishes he had.

• He is sixty years old, demonstrates advice to hold off to maximum extent

• Blindness and gain of sight demonstrates ignorance to the troubles of marriage

Works CitedWorks Cited

• The Canterbury Tales: “The Merchant’s Tale” Chris Garneau, 01 Nov. 2009. Web. 01 Nov. 2009.

• The Canterbury Tales: “The Merchant’s Tale” Chris Garneau, 01 Nov. 2009. Web. 01 Nov. 2009.