Key Quotes for The Merchant's Tale Flashcards
How does January describe young women?
A yong thing may men gye, Right as men may warm wex with handes plye
How does the Merchant begin his tale of marriage?
Weping and wailing, care and oother sorwe
What is the subversion of the proverb about loving your wife?
If thou lovest thyself, thou lovest thy wyf
How does a wife relate to the wheel of Fortune?
All been yiftes of Fortune, that passen as a shadwe upon a wal.
A wif wol laste, and in thyn hous endure, wel lenger than thee list, paraventure.
What happens when Januarie goes blind?
This noble Januarie free, amidde his lust and his prosperitee, is woxen blind, and that al sodeynly.
He wepeth and he waileth pitously
Fyr of jalousie
What is the difference between Griselda and the Merchant’s wife?
Ther is a long and large difference bitwix Grisildis grete pacience and of my wyf the passing crueltee
What does May say when she wants a pear?
A womman in my plit may han to fruit so greet an appetit that she may dien, but she of it have
What is the situation as Damyan sits on the tree and Januarie is blind?
his owene man shal make him cokewold, lo, where he sit, the lechour, in the tree
What is May’s comparison between blindness and sleep?
A man that waketh out of his sleep,
til that he be adawed verraily
What does Prosperina respond to Pluto’s listing of authorities?
What rekketh me of youre auctoritees?
In the garden, when Januarie is blind and says a speech to May, what does the Merchant describe?
Swiche olde lewed wordes used he, On Damyan a signe made she,
Januarie, as blind as is a stoon
How does May respond to the idea that she may be false?
That I be fals; and if I do that lk, so strepe me and put me in a sak and in the nexte river do me drenche.
And with hir finger signes made she that Damyan sholde climbe upon a tree
What does May do with the warm wax?
In warm wex hath emprented the clicket
that januarie bor of the smale wiket,
How does Januarie make his fantasy physical? What does he build?
He made a gardyn, walled al with stoon;
things whiche that were nat doon abedde, he in the gardyn parfourned hem
What suggests that May has agency and drive in her treatment to Damyan?
She taketh him by the hand, and harde him twiste
How does May respond to Damyan’s ‘love’? Does she act like a tyrant?
This gentil May, fullfilled of piteee
she graunteth him hire verray grace
What does Januarie tell May about sex in marriage?
a man may do no sinne with his wyf, ne hurte himselves with his owene knyf.
How does Januarie’s and May’s marriage night go down? What does Januarie view of May as he takes her in his arms?
The bride was broght abedde as stille as stoon
Januarie hath faste in armes take his fresshe May, his paradis, his make.
Before Januarie’s and May’s consummation, how does Januarie display characteristics of a tyrant?
that night in armes wolde hire streyne harder than evre Paris dide Eleyne. But nathelees yet hadde he greet pitee that thilke night offenden hire moste he
How does Damyan display qualities of the Courtly Lover as he desires May?
This sike Damyan in Venus fyr so brenneth that he dieth for desir
At the wedding festivities, which pagan gods invade and how are we brought back to reality?
Venus laugheth upon every wight, for Januarie was bicome hir knight.
Ymeneus, that god of wedding is
Whan tendre youth hath wedded stouping age
How does the priest bless the bed?
Seyde his orisons, as is usage,
and made al siker ynogh with hoolinesse
What does Justinus say to Januarie about a wife, in relation to the afterlife?
Paraunter she may be youre purgatorie
In the marriage enconium, how does Januarie describe marriage in relation to heaven?
I shal have myn hevene in erthe heere
What is Januarie’s authority in choosing a wife?
And chees hire of his owene auctoritee?
Again his choys, this was his fantasye
How is May conveyed as a blank for Januarie rather than the ideal wife?
smal degree suffiseth him hir youthe and hir beautee
When Januarie lies down at night, how does he choose who he’ll marry?
Many fair shap and many a fair visage ther passeth thurgh his herte night by night,
tooke a mirour, polisshed bright, and sette it in a commune market-place,
thanne sholde he se ful many a figurepace by his mirour
Justinus on advice and wives?
I warne yow wel, it is no childes pley to take a wyf withouten avisement
Even though he is old, how does Januarie still see himself as virile?
Though I be hoor, I fare as dooth a tree that blosmeth
What does Januarie do at the start of the tale- how is he introduced?
Folwed ay his bodily delit on wommen, ther as was his appetit
What does Januarie say about lifestyles and beans?
‘Noon oother lyf,’ seyde he, ‘is worth a bene; for wedlok is so esy and so clene
How does the tale end?
This Januarie, who is glad but he? He kisseth hire and clippeth hire ful ofte, and on hire wombe he stroketh hire ful softe
