Tales Flashcards
The Franklin’s tale
Dorigen, the heroin, awaits the return of her husband Arveragus, who has gone to England to win honour in feats of arms. She worries that the ship bringing her husband home will wreck itself on the coastal rocks. She promises Aurelius that she will give her body to him if he clears the coast of rock. Aurelius hires a student who learned magic to create the illusion that the rocks have disappeared. Arveragus returns home and tells his wife that she must keep her promise to Aurelius. Aurelius is so impressed by Arveragus’ honourable act that he absolves her of her promise. The magician does the same for the owed money.
the Reeve’s tale
the reeve takes offense at the millers tale. Story of two students, John and Alayn, who go to the mill to watch the miller grind their corn, so that he won’t have a chance to steal any. But the miller unties their horse, and while they chase it, he steals some of the flour he just ground. Alayn seduces the daughter, John seduces the wife. When the miller wakes up and finds out what happens, he tries to beat the students. His wife, thinking that her husband is actually one of the students, hits the miller over the head with a staff. The students take back their stolen goods and leave
the Millers tale
the host asks the monk to tell the next tale, but the miller interrupts. He tells the story of a student named Nicholas who persuades his landlord young, sexy wife Alison to spend the night with him. He tricks John into thinking a second flood is coming, John spends the night in a tub hanging from the ceiling. Absolon stands outside the room Nicholas + Alison lay in and asks for a kiss. Absolon kisses Alison’s butt. He runs away, grabs a red hot poker comes back and asks again. This time Nicholas farts on Absolon –> Absolon pokes him with the red hot poker. Nicholas’ cry for water makes John think the flood has come, cuts the tub from the ceiling and breaks his arm.
the Nun’s Priest Tale
the NP tells of Chantecleer the rooster, who is carried off by a flattering fox who tricks him into closing his eyes and showing his crowing abilities. The fox closes his mouth on the cocks neck. Chantecleer turns the tables on the fox by persuading him into opening his mouth, by bragging to the barnyard about his feet. The cock falls out of the fox’s mouth and escapes
the Pardoner’s tale
the pardoner tells his company how he cheats people out of their money by preaching that money is the root of all evil. His tale describes 3 riotous youths who go looking for death, thinking that they can kill him. An old man tells them that they will find death under a tree, they find eight pieces of gold. The youngest goes into town to fetch food and drinks, but brings poison to try and kill the rest. His companions kill him, still eat the poison and die underneath the tree.
The wife of Bath’s tale
a young knight of king Arthur’s court rapes a maiden: to atone for his crimes, Arthur’s queen sends him on a quest ‘what women want most’. An ugly old lady promises the knight that she will tell him the secret if he promises to do whatever she wants. He agrees, and she tells him women want control of their husbands and their own lives. This is correct and now the old lady wants to marry him. The knight tells her she is ugly. Then she gives him the options: ugly + faithful or beautiful + unfaithful. The knight tells her to make the choice herself, and she rewards him for giving her control of the marriage by making herself both faithful and beautiful.
