Key Quotes for The Merchant's Tale

Question 1

How does January describe young women?

Answer 1

A yong thing may men gye, Right as men may warm wex with handes plye

Question 2

How does the Merchant begin his tale of marriage?

Answer 2

Weping and wailing, care and oother sorwe

Question 3

What is the subversion of the proverb about loving your wife?

Answer 3

If thou lovest thyself, thou lovest thy wyf

Question 4

How does a wife relate to the wheel of Fortune?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

What happens when Januarie goes blind?

Answer 5

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

Question 6

What is the difference between Griselda and the Merchant’s wife?

Answer 6

Ther is a long and large difference bitwix Grisildis grete pacience and of my wyf the passing crueltee

Question 7

What does May say when she wants a pear?

Answer 7

A womman in my plit may han to fruit so greet an appetit that she may dien, but she of it have

Question 8

What is the situation as Damyan sits on the tree and Januarie is blind?

Answer 8

his owene man shal make him cokewold, lo, where he sit, the lechour, in the tree

Question 9

What is May’s comparison between blindness and sleep?

Answer 9

A man that waketh out of his sleep,
til that he be adawed verraily

Question 10

What does Prosperina respond to Pluto’s listing of authorities?

Answer 10

What rekketh me of youre auctoritees?

Question 11

In the garden, when Januarie is blind and says a speech to May, what does the Merchant describe?

Answer 11

Swiche olde lewed wordes used he, On Damyan a signe made she,

Januarie, as blind as is a stoon

Question 12

How does May respond to the idea that she may be false?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What does May do with the warm wax?

Answer 13

In warm wex hath emprented the clicket

that januarie bor of the smale wiket,

Question 14

How does Januarie make his fantasy physical? What does he build?

Answer 14

He made a gardyn, walled al with stoon;

things whiche that were nat doon abedde, he in the gardyn parfourned hem

Question 15

What suggests that May has agency and drive in her treatment to Damyan?

Answer 15

She taketh him by the hand, and harde him twiste

Question 16

How does May respond to Damyan’s ‘love’? Does she act like a tyrant?

Answer 16

This gentil May, fullfilled of piteee

she graunteth him hire verray grace

Question 17

What does Januarie tell May about sex in marriage?

Answer 17

a man may do no sinne with his wyf, ne hurte himselves with his owene knyf.

Question 18

How does Januarie’s and May’s marriage night go down? What does Januarie view of May as he takes her in his arms?

Answer 18

The bride was broght abedde as stille as stoon

Januarie hath faste in armes take his fresshe May, his paradis, his make.

Question 19

Before Januarie’s and May’s consummation, how does Januarie display characteristics of a tyrant?

Answer 19

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

Question 20

How does Damyan display qualities of the Courtly Lover as he desires May?

Answer 20

This sike Damyan in Venus fyr so brenneth that he dieth for desir

Question 21

At the wedding festivities, which pagan gods invade and how are we brought back to reality?

Answer 21

Venus laugheth upon every wight, for Januarie was bicome hir knight.

Ymeneus, that god of wedding is

Whan tendre youth hath wedded stouping age

Question 22

How does the priest bless the bed?

Answer 22

Seyde his orisons, as is usage,

and made al siker ynogh with hoolinesse

Question 23

What does Justinus say to Januarie about a wife, in relation to the afterlife?

Answer 23

Paraunter she may be youre purgatorie

Question 24

In the marriage enconium, how does Januarie describe marriage in relation to heaven?

Answer 24

I shal have myn hevene in erthe heere

Question 25

What is Januarie's authority in choosing a wife?

Answer 25

And chees hire of his owene auctoritee? Again his choys, this was his fantasye

Question 26

How is May conveyed as a blank for Januarie rather than the ideal wife?

Answer 26

smal degree suffiseth him hir youthe and hir beautee

Question 27

When Januarie lies down at night, how does he choose who he'll marry?

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Justinus on advice and wives?

Answer 28

I warne yow wel, it is no childes pley to take a wyf withouten avisement

Question 29

Even though he is old, how does Januarie still see himself as virile?

Answer 29

Though I be hoor, I fare as dooth a tree that blosmeth

Question 30

What does Januarie do at the start of the tale- how is he introduced?

Answer 30

Folwed ay his bodily delit on wommen, ther as was his appetit

Question 31

What does Januarie say about lifestyles and beans?

Answer 31

'Noon oother lyf,' seyde he, 'is worth a bene; for wedlok is so esy and so clene

Question 32

How does the tale end?

Answer 32

This Januarie, who is glad but he? He kisseth hire and clippeth hire ful ofte, and on hire wombe he stroketh hire ful softe

Question 33

I holde youre owene conseil is the best

Answer 33

i have now been a court-man al my lyf i woot wel that my lord kan moore than I

Question 34

she saith nat ones

Answer 34

'nay,' whan heseith 'ye.' 'do this,' seith he; 'al redy, sire,' seith she

Question 35

so buxom and

Answer 35

so vertuous is she, they moste nedes live in unitee