Miller's Tale By Geoffrey Chaucer The example essay topic

Unit 2 Assignment 4 1. Beginning with a consideration of lines 680 to the end of the tale, 'He cog heth first, and knokketh therewithal / Upon the window, right as he did er', explore the ways in which Chaucer uses language to create a comic effect and consider how effectively the Tale is drawn to its conclusion. In your answer you will need to make detailed reference to the form, style and semantic, phonological and lexical features of language which help to shape the meaning of the text. 2.

How effectively do you feel Chaucer maintains the reader's interest through his particular narrative style? In your answer you should make detailed reference to the form, style and use of semantic, grammatical and phonological features. The Miller's Tale By Geoffrey Chaucer The Miller's Tale is a Tale of adultery and humour. Written by Geoffrey Chaucer around 1390 it is a small part of a much larger collection of tales called The Canterbury Tales.

When looking at the form and style of The Miller's Tale we can see that Chaucer is using iambic pentameter- that is the ten-syllable line. This was the form normally used in Chaucer's time. Chaucer also chooses to write in rhyming couplets which creates a kind of sing-song rhythm to the piece, giving it a musical quality when read out loud 'My love-longing, for yet I shall not kisse, That at the leste way U shall hir kisse. The tale beings with The General Prologue, the Knight has just finished his tale and the Monk is next in line due to social preference to go next but a very drunken Miller interrupts and starts to tell his tale. He apologises and explains not to blame him for the foulness of the tale instead blames the ale he is drinking. 'And therefore if that I miss peke or saye, Wite it the ale of South werk.

Here the Miller is showing the first signs of humour by making a joke about his daytime drunkenness. The Miller begins to tell his tale of an old, gullible carpenter called John who married a young girl called Alisoun who was only eighteen years of age. The carpenter is a very foolish old man and is scared of Alisoun betraying him so he keeps her trapped in a loveless marriage. Humour is present here because we can see the carpenter's fault that if he keeps his wife trapped she will betray him. A student called Nicholas takes up lodgings in one of the carpenter's spare rooms, he takes a liking to Alisoun and begins to try and woo her with his intelligence and knowledge of astrology. A young parish clerk called Absolon also takes a liking to Alisoun and makes his affection known to her.

Alisoun decides to fall for Nicholas and they plan to have a secret affair. Nicholas pretends to John that a flood is coming and that he must attach three tubs to the roof in order for them all to be saved. Here Nicholas is making a fool of the carpenter and he is falling for it, Nicholas shows his ruthless side and we tend to think that maybe Nicholas has experience in this situation before and he is aware of secret love affairs and deception. The carpenter rushes and assembles the tubs and while the carpenter is asleep in his tub Alisoun and Nicholas spend the night together. Throughout the Tale, Chaucer uses many styles, techniques and phonological features to enhance the humour and sexuality of the Tale. The Miller's Tale is a poem that is full of action and its fast narrative pace reflects this.

Chaucer does this by using short and snappy sentences 'hir body gent'. In the description of Alisoun we will see that Chaucer uses animal imagery. We are told, 'As any wesel hir body gent and small. Its ironic that Chaucer has got away with liking her to a animal as today it would be see as an insult.

Line 680 to the end of the tale really brings the tale to a close and contains the punch line to an on going joke. The end of the poem also shows how the poor old carpenter is made a mockery of as his neighbours laugh at his misfortune. Absolon goes to visit Alisoun to declare his love for her and calls at her window asking her for a kiss 'This wol I yi ven thee, if thou me kisse'. Naughty Alisoun agrees to the kiss as long as he agrees to leave her alone, she sticks her backside out of the window and Absolon kisses it. Feeling very angry and humiliated Absolon swears to seek revenge and goes to the Blacksmith and borrows a red-hot poker.

Here Absolon questions his faith and swears himself to Devil. Absolon goes back to the window and asks for another kiss this time Nicholas sticks his backside out of the window and farts in Absolon's face nearly blinding him 'This Nicholas anon let flee fart'. Here Chaucer uses comic effect to add yet more humour to the poem, he does this by describing Nicholas's outrageous behaviour with vivid description's of the fart which he likens it to a thunder clap 'As greet as it has been a thunder-dent'. Absolon angry as ever, sticks the red-hot poker in Nicholas backside which makes him scream and wake up the carpenter, who panics and thinks the flood has come so he cuts himself down from the roof and crashes to the ground breaking his arm, Chaucer here uses the noise of the crash of the tub to signal ise the end of the poem but also the end of the joke and the joke is on him.

All of his neighbours gather round and have a good laugh at his expense.