The Canterbury Tales

“The Miller’s Tale”

Prologue It’s time for the

monk to tell about Knight’s Tale

The miller came and interrupted them.

He told a story a clerk and his wife.

The Miller’s TaleSetting:

OXFORD

Characters: John

husband of Alison a carpenter old rich easily get jealous

Characters: Alison

wife of John 18-year-old beautiful woman

Characters:Nicholas

a scholar rents in carpenter’s house secret lover of Alison

Characters:

Absalon parish clerk in love with the carpenter’s wife

Plot Summary

The carpenter named John married a young woman

He’s so afraid that Alison, his wife might leave him

John went to a nearby town to work.

Nicholas grabbed the opportunity to seduce Alison.

At first, Nicholas asked Alison to kiss him but she refused to do so.

At last, she granted what he wished for.

Alison went to a parish church where she met Absalon.

Absalon liked the young lady so much and courted her.

He sang a song under the full moon and gave gifts.

Despite all his efforts, Alison refused him to become her lover.

Nicholas planned to stay in his room for the whole day.

John begins to worry.

He went to Nicholas’s room and called him but no one answers.

One of John’s servant peeked through the hole and saw Nicholas sitting upright and gaping.

Nicholas asked the servants to leave them because he wanted to talk with John privately.He said that there will be a Great Flood just like in Noah.

He instructed John to fasten three tubs to used for the flood.He also said that they will slept there on Monday night.

Nicholas and Alison went back to the house and slept together in the carpenter’s house.

Absalon passed by and asked Alison to kiss

him.

She asked him to wait for she’s coming out to the window.Alison put her butt out in the window.

Absalon heard the he was fooled by the two.

He borrowed a poker from the blacksmith.

He returned to he house and asked for another kiss.This time, Nicholas put his butt out in the window and farted in Absalon’s face.

Absalon branded with the hot poker.

In great pain, Nicholas cried out for water.

John woke up thinking that it was the flood, he released the tub and fell on the ground.Everyone saw him even his wife and Nicholas and they all thought that he was crazy.

END