The Merchant's Tale

Question 1

Women

Burchmore

Answer 1

“In the most extensive description of her appearance Chaucer will say no more of May than (four lines)”

“She is less an individual than a type, or a state of mind”

Question 2

Women

Pittock

Answer 2

“If the Merchant wanted to expose marriage and the infidelity of wives, one would have expected him to choose a less equivocal situation: a marriage in which the motives and behaviour of the injured husband were not open to criticism”

Question 3

Love/Lust/Marriage

Kittredge

Answer 3

“The Merchant’s Tale is a contribution to a marriage debate by a disillusioned and cynical husband”

Question 4

Love/Lust/Marriage

Wentersdorf

Answer 4

“transcends the traditional medieval criticism of women for their seductive powers

and inconstancy in love; equally important is the tale’s demonstration of the reprehensive folly and lechery of men”

Question 5

Blindness

Wagenknecht

Answer 5

“the regaining of his sight wipes out even the alertness to danger which accompanied the blindness”

Question 6

Blindness

Beidler

Answer 6

“January’s folly is that he sees what he wants to see”

Question 7

Blindness

Pittock

Answer 7

“Are we ourselves blind to Chaucer’s intention?”

Question 8

Deception

Jane Bathard Smith

Answer 8

“the life-blood of a Courtly Love relationship is deceit”

Question 9

Morals

Pittock

Answer 9

“the tale so clearly condemns January, and in doing so, make May’s infidelity, if not excusable, at least understandable”