Merchants Tale Quotes Flashcards
this quote tells us how old January is, and how he used to spend his time..
Sixty year a wyflees man was he,
And followed ay his bodily delit,
On wommen, ther was his appetit.
January assumes that a wife will always be faithful and comply to his wishes
For, who kan be so buxom as a wyf?
view of the Merchant, on a womans woman’s purse
mighte engendren him an heir
Merchant’s view, security and deception
his lyf is set in sikernesse
he may nat be deceyved
a short quote which reminds us of the role of women in medieval society
to love and serve
this quote reminds us of what January believes a wife will be- reference to the garden of eden
His paradis terrestre
this quote is a comparison between women and the creation of Eve for Adam. What January forgets is how Eve was the one who tempted Adam and thereby led to the first sin and sownfall of mankind.
That womman is for mannes helpe ywroght
An apostrophe which describes wedlock as blissful and (precious)
O blissful ordre of wedlok precious
this description of marriage is once again far from the truth- it is not sweet
marriage hony sweete
January explains that he is on the edge of his grave, yet fit for marriage
pites brinke
January refuses to take a wife who is older than 20
I wol noon oold wyf han in no manere
this disgusting comparison of a woman to meat contrasts starkly with the previous description of marriage as “hony sweete”
Oold fissh and yong flessh
animalistic, objectified view of woman
tendre veel
phallic connotation
And blosmy tree is neither drye ne deed
Justinus, the voice of reason in this marriage debate, argues that marriage needs deep consideration before taking the plunge, so to speak. It’s not as easy as a game
I warne yow wel, it is no childes pley
Justinus argues that nothing in this world is perfect, and that wedlock is therefore not as perfect as January thinks. However, this quote sounds more like the discussion over a property up for sale than over a woman
Noon in this world that trotteth hool in al
sexual fantasies
Heigh fantasye and curious bisynesse
contrast his idea, serious and responsible
have beaute in hir face…. hire sadnesse and hire beningnitee
his wife and the consequences of marriage are his responsibility
his owene auctoritee
love is blind
For love is blind alday
appearance has more importance
Hir fresshe beautee and hir age tendre
repetition of the word to emphasise the severity of his choice, creates connotations of suspense
Choys
although May was beautiful, she was not riich
which that of beautee hadde greet renoun, Al were it so she were of smal degree.
January’s squire, Damian, is a traitor
O servant traitour
another reference to the Garden of Eden in the sex scene between January and May. Control and ownership
His fresshe May, his paradis, his make
A man cannot rape his own wife, nor hurt himself with his own wife. This is clearly Chaucer’s way of subtly criticising this idea.
A man may do no sinne with his wyf. Ne hurte himselven with his owene knyf
the way January describes the idea of having sex with May- like trespacing
I moot trespace
misogynistic, as it is saying that all woman take the opportunity to be adulterous
To any womman, for to gete hire love
ownership, January wants to retain the garden for himself and May
no wight suffren bere the keye
Although January is old, he thinks he is young and agile
Thogh I be hoor, I fare dooth a tree/ That blosotheth er that fruit ywoxen bee
First time May speaks she concetrates on money and being faithful, which establishes her hypocrisy
a soule for a kepe as well as ye, and also myn honour.
We are positioned to agree with Pluto, as he shows evidence of the unreliability of woman
Alle wommen after…
