The Merchants Tale Critics

Question 1

Derek Pascall quote. HINT- lust and greed.

Answer 1

“Chaucer’s tale can be boiled down into lust and greed.”

Question 2

Edward Wagenknecht quote. HINT- Blindness = ignorance.

Answer 2

“Januaries blindness is the physical counterpart of the ignorance of marriage.”

Question 3

Nevill Coghill quote. HINT- Januarie has multiple personalities.

Answer 3

“Januarie appears both helpless and romantic, but also tragic and lustful.”

Question 4

Stephanie Tolliver quote. HINT- inability = refusal.

Answer 4

“Januaries inability to analyse May’s deceit is essentially his refusal to accept it.”

Question 5

R. A. Shoaf quote. HINT- Januarie’s private property… bad.

Answer 5

“His private property has betrayed him - one gathers that his wife was something more than wax.”

Question 6

Martin Stevens quote. HINT- Deceit = women.

Answer 6

“It is a story intending to show the deceitfulness of women.”

Question 7

Laura Varnam quote. HINT- garden = lust.

Answer 7

“Chaucer’s garden in this tale is no longer a place of courtly love, but of lust and sexuality.” - link to Damyan invading Januaries Hortus Conclusus.

Question 8

Priscilla Martin quote. HINT- romance = Fabliaux.

Answer 8

“Januarie believes he is inhabiting a romance which is finally bitterly exposed as a fabliau.”

Question 9

Beidler quote. HINT- Januaries folly.

Answer 9

“Januaries folly is that he sees what he wants to see, rather then what is actually before him.”

Question 10

Elaine Hanson quote. HINT- Adam = Januarie.

Answer 10

“May is devised out of Januaries thoughts, just as Eve is out of Adam’s.”

Question 11

Sephanie Tolliver quote. HINT- shopping

Answer 11

“Januarie shops for his bride.”