Franklin Notes

Ok, well I realize these notes are pretty late but I didn't see them up here and I figured I would add them. Not sure anyone will look at them but whatever.

General Prologue

-Accompanies the Man of Law
-Outgoing and Optimistic
-Loves to eat bread dipped in wine.
-Epicurean lifestyle hedonistic
-great landowner
-compared to St. Julian, for his hospitality.
-he owned great food and ale, and it snowed food and drinks in his house.
-his menus changed with seasons.
-coop populated with fat birds, and his pond has bream and pike.
-his table is always set and ready to eat.
-presides as lord at county sessions, and is member of Parliament for his county.
-social climber.
- has served as king's administrative officer and auditor for his county.
-A dagger and a silk pouch hangs from his white belt.
-He is a "Worthy Gentleman"
-A non noble land holder, lots of land with no noble title, franklins became more common as middle class buys more land.

Tale Prologue:

Franklin Interrupts the squire, but does so with obsequiously praises which takes skill to not offend them.
Franklin then is urged to tell his tale. He says he will try and relate an old Breton Lay.
Lay is a romance literature short rhymed tales of Love and Chivalry.
Then asks for forgiveness for his homely style and speech.

Tale

In Brittany a knight named Arveragus falls in love with a lady named Dorigen, who is of noble lineage and out of reach. However Dorigen agrees to marry him. Arveragus leaves for Britain, Dorigen becomes grief stricken and fears for his life. A squire named Aurelius has been secretly in love with Dorigen. He is one of the best conditioned men alive. He declares his love for her. Dorigen rejects him saying she will love if only if he can get rid of all the black rocks on the coast. ( so that Arveragus can return without crashing on the rocks, she knows that this is impossible and will certainly deter Aurelius from furthering his love for her). So Aurelius prays for a giant tide. But it doesn't work. Him and his brothers go to Orleans to meet a magician to make the rocks disappear. It works and Aurelius and Dorigen must become lovers. She goes to Arveragus and he says that truth is the highest thing and she must be Aurelius' lover. Aurelius lets Dorigen return to her husband because her love is so great for Arveragus. Frankling ends with a quest of who the most noble.

Thats everything I have on the Franklin. If you need the 140 tale summary I think pd. 6/7 has a good one to use =P.

-Matt

The parsons tale summary

a traditonal. 3 part church sermon on the "pilgrimage" though life to heaven and what must be done to achieve that.
He explains that penitence: contrition, confession, and satifaction;that they are what must be done to be free of sin and make it to heaven.
He then explains the types of sins and each of the 7 deadly sins: pride, envy, ire, sloth, avarice, glottony and lechery.
Lastly he discribles the perfect, burden free vison of heaven.

The parson-persentation notes

The Parson
A priest of an independent parish church, which is not under the control of a larger, monastic/ecclesiastical organization (not corrupt)
Who’s the parson, gen. prlg
Country parson
Poor, intelligent, and patient
Brother of the plowmen
Never gave tithes, shared his own money with those who needed it
Walked his large parish, rain or shine, to check on his parishioners
Wanted to set a good example
Teaches that he practices what he preaches
Lives his life by what he teaches others
says “if gold shall rust, what shall poor iron do?”
Travels by foot
Carries a stave

The parsons prg
The last to tell a tale
Won’t tell a story just to entertain
He wants to educate
Not a tale, a Church sermon
About the most perfect pilgrimage, the journey threw life to make it to heaven
Modestly says he’s not a learned man, and will happily accept corrections.
The host says that to end with something virtuous would be appropriate
He then thanks and blesses the parson
Tells him to finish before sundown
….it’s the longest tale of them all


The Parson’s Tale(sermon)
Relates life to a pilgrimage
From hard life on earth, to the stress free celestial world
God wants us all to continue on, to succeed in that pilgrimage.
there are many spiritual ways to make it to heaven
3 Part sermon
Part 1: penitence-contrition, confession, satisfaction.
Part 2: confession, sin and types of sin
Part 3: the seven deadly sins
3 Parts of Penitence Penance is repentance of sins
Contrition
mans sadness for sinning and intention of doing penance
Many, examples of what brings a man to contrition (ex. Fear of hell)
Confession
Admittance of sins to the priest
Satisfaction
living one’s life continuously without sin.



Penitence
3 functions of penitence
A man cannot be baptized and begin again if he’s not repentant for his prior sins
When a man sins after baptism
When you’re lifestyles adapted to day to day sins
3 Types of Penitence
Solemn- the church assigns him open penitence for an openly committed sin (Ex child slaughter)
Public- the church sends sinners in a group (ex. On a pilgrimage barefoot or in underwear)
Private- men do time for sins, penance in private
Penitence cont
3 things that anger the lord
Delight in what we think
Carelessness in what we say
Deeds that are wicked and sinful
True, perfect penitence
Contrition of heart
Confession of mouth
satisfaction
Confession
the act of admitting one’s sinfulness before a priest as part of penance in hopes of being absolved
Sin
the outcome of struggle for dominance between the mind and body
2 types of Sin
Venial- minor
Deadly-serious
The seven deadly sins
PRIDE
2 types
Can be visual
Garish clothing
Mental
Thinking your better than others
Remedy
Humility and meekness

ENVY
3 types
Sorrow over other’s goodness and prosperity
Joy over another’s misfortune
Belittling the goodness of his neighbor
Remedy
Loving god, your neighbor and yourself
IRE(anger)
2 types
Good
Man is angry at wickedness and against it
Wicked
Sudden anger for no good reason (venial)
Evil intent, anger seeking vengeance (mortal sin)
Remedy
Meekness, humility, and patience

SLOTH
Sluggish, moody, and peevish
Remedy
Strength, the despising of harmful things
AVARICE(covetousness)
Avarice- withholding what you have without real need
Covetousness- wanting what you don’t have.
These both Include land, goods, knowledge and glory
Remedy
Generous, mercy, pity

GLUTTONY
5 types
Drunkenness
Confusion as a result of drunkenness
Forgetfulness from being drunk
Devours food with no good manners
Eating until your sick
Remedy
Willing abstinence



LECHERY(lust)
6 types
premarital sex
Rob maiden of maidenhood
Man and wife regard sex as only a pleasure
Incest
Pollution(sex dreams)
Remedy
Chastity and continence

Conclusion
The parson describes the celestial world, a paradise.
Once foul dark body of man now brighter than the sun
No longer sick and fail, immortal and strong
Man no longer fears hell
Good company and happiness
No hunger, thirst, cold
All is replaced by the sight and perfect knowledge of god
Man my only reach heaven through spiritual poverty, the hardships of life until death and death of sin.

Analysis
Parson is the perfect priest, which contrasts to all the other church affiliated characters
Selfless, gives money doesn’t take
Truly all about god and living his life by the lords guidelines
Not corrupt
Like the plowmen and the knight they’re all the perfect image of what they're labeled
Both the parson and his brother are entirely devoted to God and are on the pilgrimage for no other reason than honoring their religion.
The story, being a traditional church sermon of that time period
People believed that life was pain and to be endured not enjoyed, to reach the ultimate goal of heaven.
was the perfect ending to their pilgrimage because it was about the great “pilgrimage” of life and what is required to achieve that goal
All the details he covers also augment the all the flaws in the other characters.

parson & plowman questions

92)what's Chauser's most obvious reason for including the parson
-To demonstrate the ideal clergyman against the other corupt characters

93) What character is most similar in nature to the parson?
-The Knight. He represents the perfect upperclass character, like the parson for the middle class. They have completely different statuses but they are the best at what they do.

94) What's the parson's position with regard to excommunication for unpaid tithes?
-He's opposed to it since he's apposed to the whole idea of tithes to begin with

95) What would he do for parishoners that could not pay?
-he would help however he could, even give his own money

96) What is the most obvious social critique offered by Chauser in the Parson's sketch?
- Of the 3 "ideal estates" the clergical ideal

97) What could the parson have done insted that would have earned him more money?
98) why doesnt he?
-He could have collected tithes, or scammed people with relics and forgiveness. Doing these things would not be what a good parson would do.

99) by what motto does the parson live by?
-"if gold rust, what shall poor iron do", if even the church is corupt than the citizens stand no chance.

100) what is the relation of the parson and plowmen.
-brothers

101)How are they similar in attitude?
-they are both completly worthy to god, the plowmens the perfect working class, like the parson the perfect clergimen

102) how does the plowmen express his religious nature?
- he's poor but does whatever he can to pay his tithes fully.an ideal, church devoted, everyday man.



~Adrienne s.

The Tale Summaries

I know this is late so I don't know if this will actually be helpful for anyone, but not everyone posted their tale summaries on the blog so I was studying a did some of the other ones and thought that other people could use them to study too.

The Knight't Tale
Palamon and Arcita were both exiled from Thesus's kingdom. They fall in love with Emily Thesus wife's sister and they fight for her love. They all pray for certain things on the day of the battle and in the end Emily ends up with Palamon, but everyones prayers are answered.

The Yeoman's Tale
The tale is about a cannon who uses the illegal practice of alchemy to scam a priest.

The Prioress's Tale
The is a little boy who learns and continues to sing the song o Alma Redemptoris. The Jews kill him for singing this song. The towns people kill the Jews for killing the boy. The Boy becomes a martyr.


The Cook's Tale
There was an apprentice named Perkin who like girls and gambling. His master fired him for his unlawful behavior. He left his master's house and ended up at a whorehouse with theives.

The Physician's Tale
Is about Virgina, Appiusm and Virignius. Appius loves Virgina. Virignius gives Virgina the option to die as an honerable virgin or marry Appius. She decides to die an honerable virgin. Appius kills himself- sin has no good ending.

The Squires Tale
Takes place at a party for king or Sarai. At the party a knight presents Canacee the kings daughter with three gifts. She uses the gifts to help a falcon who feels useless because her husband left her for a kite.

I hope somebody can use this.

Kiera

Man of Law's Tale

The tale is about a perfect Christian girl, Constance. She is framed of murder, almost raped and sent to sea, but uses prayer to keep her alive and out of trouble.

The Reeve's Tale

Simkin, a rich miller, steals from two students, who were trying to trick him. They get their revenger on Simking by seducing his wife and daughter and then beating him.

-Kara Schroeder

My bad for being late but here are the two summaries.

Merchant’s Tale

The Merchant’s Tale is a story about an old knight who marries a young beautiful girl. The young girl is viewed as evil and cheats on her husband and then tricks him.

Shipman’s Tale

The tale is about a merchant who has an expensive wife. He goes off to do business and his best friend cheats on her. Then the merchant has to submit to her authority.

-Sebastian Jaskowski

questions and tale summeries

The Student

53. The student is really really thin/ skinny and threadbare, even his horse is thin and frail looking.

54. & 55. The student doesn't care. He doesn't care about his apperence or his horses apperence because all he cares about is books and learning. He is poor but when he does get money from friends he spends it on books and learning, not food or cloths.

Student's tale summery-
Walter a marquees needs a wife. He marries poor girl Griselda. Everyone likes her shes perfect. Walter tests her pretending children killed. She finds out, happy end.


The Miller

103. He is big, rudy, and coarse. He has red hair and a full red beard, he even has a wart on the tip of his nose with red hair sprouting from it. Red hair people where considered to be hot tempered people(devil sign). HE has big black nostrils and a big loud mouth.

104. Wrestling

105. The miller breaks through doors, he walks though them by running into them with his massive head.

106. He likes to talk about himself

107. He has a gold thumb. A gold thaumb is when he weighs grains for customers he slyly rests his hand/thumb on the scale so that it weights more then it really does. This way he gets a little more money. If he does this all the time to everybody he's making alot more money. The Millers dirty and peasenty apperence as well as the loud way he acts is pretty much a big huge fake. People would never expect him to be smart and a good business man, but he is, and that's the whole point.

108. The Miller plays the bagpipes. They are a loud instument and he is deffinetly a loud guy. He is at the front of the line leading the way and playing the bagpipes out of town. The Reeve is far behind him at the end because they can't stand each other and the Reeve wants to be far away from the Miller.

Miller's tale summery-
John, Nicolas, Absalon love Alison. John, Alisons husband falls, Absalon kisses but, gets farted on, Nicolas cheats with Alison and gets burned on butt.

Sophia Meyers

Summoners Tale

A selfish friar begged for more food than he could eat. He tried to get and old ill man to give him money and the old man refused because the friar had never truly helped him. 137 characters

Marc

2nd Nun's Tale

Saint Cecilia converted many people to Christianity during Roman times. She spread the word of Christianity and died for her cause and was made a saint by Pope Urban.    137 characters

Marc

The Wife of Bath's Tale

The Wife of Bath’s tale is about a man who committed the crime of rape. His punishment was to go and find out what women most desire which is sovereignty.

128 characters

Sorry I waited so long to do this. I am going to try to put up the questions for the monk and wife of bath sometime later today.

Kiera

The Monk's Tale

The monk’s tale is a collaboration of 17 different stories about 17 different men who were all once great but eventually lost everything.

117 characters

Kiera

The Pardoner and the Nun's Priest

The Pardoner
Flemish dunk idiots go out to kill death. A sad old man tells them where death is. They find gold underan oak tree. They all get greedy and end up killing each other.
135 Characters

The Nun's Priest
Chanticleer has a premonition of his own death. A fox tricks him and Chanticleer almost gets eaten. He tricks the fox and escapes and flies up a tree to safety.
130 Characters

~Justin

Manciple Presentation

Ok, sorry for taking up 3 posts today... This one is just the link for my presentation just in case you lost/ didn't get my packet. Please let me know if the link doesn't work.

Link

-Matt

Friar and Manciple Tale Summaries

Friar's Tale Summary: (138 Characters)

A summoner goes to a widow's house. Finds a Yeoman along the way. The Yeoman turns out be the Devil. The widow curses the summoner to hell. The Devil takes him to hell.

Manciple's Tale Summary: (139 Characters)

Apollo has a crow and wife. Crow can talk like man. The wife cheats on Apollo, the crow watches. Crow tells Apollo. Apollo kills wife. Turns Crow black and makes him caw.

Ok, hope these make sense. They are short and choppy but we don't have much space to work with.

-Matt

Friar and Manciple Answers

The Friar:

41. How does Chaucer describe the behavior of the Friar? Forgiving, kind, courteous and humble.

42. How is the Friar supposed to spend his time? Hearing confessions and helping the poor.

43. What easy service does he provide for the people in the towns he visits? Confession

44. What does he expect in return? Money or Sex

45. Why does he feel he can do this? He's greedy, and if they don't hell make them have a worse penance, and they have a fear of hell.

46. What does he carry to give to pretty young wives? Why? Knives and Pins; to get laid.

47. In what location does he prefer to spend his time? Taverns

48. With what people is he supposed to work? Lepers

49. What does his dress say about him? He likes money, he's an excellent beggar and that he's not following the law of the friar.

The Manciple:

109. What is the Manciple's handicap? He's illiterate.

110. For whom does he work, and what does he do? What made him successful at it? He works an Inn of Court (Lawyer's Association). His job is to buy food and supplies for the court. He is street smart and very deceiving. He is able to get the price lower by being the first one at the market and buying bulk of lower quality food and then telling his bosses that it was high quality.

111. Asking about tomorrow!

112. What could they show him how to do, if he would only ask? They would teach him how to be literate.

113. With what other character does he share an occupation relationship? How? I believe it is the Cook. He gives the food and supplies to the cook for him to make the meals.

-Matt

Mr. Laz's Notes

The Yeoman and The Canon's Yeoman

The Yeoman

• Yeoman translated means "Young man"
• In the middle ages, yeoman was a term to describe a middle class rank
• The Assize of Arms of 1252 required all Yeoman to be trained and armed with a bow and arrow, sword buckler and dagger.
• Yeoman were often used as armed guards and front-line infantry troops for members of nobility
• Given higher duties than the servants and peasants
• Think of them as the equivalent to the modern day "blue collar" work force

The Yeoman in the general prologue

• one of the knight's followers
• introduced as a forester (wood craft, hunting and wilderness survival)
• Carries a bow in one hand and has a sheaf of peacock feathered arrows, which are all well kept and ready for battle (this marks him as professional)
• wears a green coat and hood
• wears a bracer (forearm guard) and carries a sword and buckler (small shield) on one side, on the other side he carries a dagger
• wears a Saint Christophers medal
• also has a horn hanging over his shoulder on a green baldric (belt)

The Canon's Yeoman

• Canon, an ordained member of the clergy assigned to a cathedral (accompanied by his yeoman- different yeoman than the general prologue yeoman)
• Arrive later than the general prologue, They hurry to catch up to the rest of the group on the pilgrimage
• the canon is asked to tell a tale right when he gets there, the yeoman responds with that if they knew the canon and how great he was then you know he can tell a great tale.
• the canon is an alchemist (an individual who practices the medival pseudo- science that sought to transform base metals into precious ones)
• Alchemy was banned by the church, punishable by death
• The canon doesn't want everyone to know this
• Soon the Canon runs away because he is ashamed and he left the Yeoman to tell the tale.
• The canon is a con-man who works for the church

2 parts

Part 1

• Yeoman has worked witht he canon for 7 years
• he describes many attempts to succeed at alchemy
• The Canon tried to create the Philosopher's stone, but failed and lost all their money
• The Canon blames an invisible demon for breaking the pot and therefore that was his failure

Part 2

• he describes an unscrupulous Canon who scams a priest into buying a recipe that will turn quicksilver and coal into silver
• the canon asks the priest for a loan of gold, the priest insisters on prompt repayment
• the Canon returns the next day with the loan amount
• the Priest wants to know how to create his own gold, after finding out the Canon's secret
• The Canon sets up a scam, hollows out one of the coals and fills it with silver and fools the priest.
• the priest says he must have the recipe so the canon agrees to sell it to him
• the priest borrows the money from anyone he can and gives it to the Canon
• Then the Canon promptly leaves town before the priest realizes that he has been scammed.
• The Yeoman ends his tale with.. "Men should not try to cheat others because it will only come back to hurt them in the end"

-Kara Schroeder

(thats everything i had written down, if i left anything out just add it on)

Meeting to do the review?

Hey, so just following up with the idea that I had in class... do you guys wanna meet up and go over the questions or just write the answers to the questions for your character... just trying to make it easier for everybody.. lemme know...

--- Molly

The Shipman

General Prologue
Physical Description
- Rode a hackney (riding horse)
- Wore a gown with thick clothing hanging to his knees
- Dagger on a chord around his neck
- Dark colored face
- Lived out west in Dartmouth town
- Chaucer describes him as “Certainly he was a good fellow

Other Facts
- He drank wine while the trader slept (merchant)
- Liked to fight and get the upper hand against people
- His job sailing was dangerous, been involved in a tempest (storm)
- He was wise, could navigate using the stars, and seen many places
- Named his ship Madeleine

Shipman’s prologue-
- Host applauds the previous tale
- Asks the priest to tell a tale
- Parson does not want the priest to tell a tale
- Shipman says that he doesn’t need to hear the gospel and no one else because they all believe in God
- Says that he will tell a happy story

Shipman’s Tale
- A rich merchant lived in Saint Denis
- Had a very beautiful wife that was social and happy
- She was very expensive, he bought he clothes and other fine things so that she looked more beautiful
- He was a generous man and had a noble house
- There was a young, handsome monk named Dan John of about 30 years
- The monk was over the merchant’s house often, they were really good friends, like a brotherhood
- Monk was generous tipping the pages (servants) and giving gifts to the merchant

Merchant leaves
- Merchant was ready to leave for Bruges where he was going to trade
- Invited Dan John over to Saint Denis to see the merchant and his wife before he left
- He drank and ate with the monk for two days
- On the third day he goes to his counting house to check his books on trades to see what he spent the last year and if it was good
- Was not disturbed when he was reading his books on trade

Conversation
- Dan John woke up and prayed in the garden
- Wife asks why he woke up so early
- He is worried about the wife that she didn’t get sleep
- She was having sex with the merchant and reveals that she has no lust for the merchant
- John promises to keep this a secret between them
- They made an agreement to keep secrets and they kissed
- Complains about her husband and says that she loves him
- Describes an ideal husband for herself, “Hardy, and wise, and rich, and therewith free, Obedient to the wife, and fresh in bed.”
- Says that she owes a hundred francs and begs John for the money and agrees to do he wants with her (sex)
- He feels bad for her and says that he will give her the money
- He grabbed her by the flanks (around the hips) and kissed her
- They depart and the wife goes to her husband in the counting-house
Affair
- She asks him to leave his accounts to go to Mass, he refuses telling her that two of twelve merchants survive
- That night the three dined together and after dinner the monk pulls the merchant aside and asks him for one hundred francs
- He lends the monk the money (only the two of them knew about the loan) telling him to pay it back when possible
- The monk goes back to the abbey and in the morning the merchant travels to Bruges to do his trading
- The first Sunday back the monk went to Saint Denis
- He came with a freshly shaved head and beard
- And in turn for lending the wife the money he got to have sex with her all night which he did
- He left her house at dawn and no one suspected them

Merchant Returns
- After a successful trip, the merchant came home from Paris
- He is happy to see his wife and tells her about the successful trip
- He then goes to see the monk who is happy to see him
- The merchant says that he left the money with his wife
- The merchant goes home to find his wife waiting for him and has sex all night
- The wife doesn’t tell the merchant that she received money from the merchant and becomes angry thinking that other people in debt may have given her money without him knowing
- She then answers that she did receive money from the monk and should get to keep it
- Because she is really spending it for him, to look good for his honor
- So she says that she will give her body to the merchant if she gets to keep the money
- So the merchant sees that there is no option so he agrees to this
- But asks her to conserve their money

--SEBASTIAN JASKOWSKI

The Merchant

General Prologue-

Physical Description- forked beard

- Wore motley (multi-colored, varied) gown with a belt around it

- Flemish beaver hat and boots

- Sat on a high horse

Mentioned-

- Speaking straight to the point

- Speaks of times where he won (confidence)

- Smart man and looked after all his trading

- Was a “worthy man”

Merchant’s Prologue-

- Merchant hates his marriage

- She is referred to as a “foul Fiend” and “shrewd in all”

- He is trapped and cannot escape referred to as a “snare”

- Swears and reaches out to St. Thomas of India “and he shall truly find I tell the truth, by Saint Thomas of Ind,”

- Says that he has been married two months

- Says that the only time a man is alive is when he is not married “And yet I think that he whose days alive have been all wifeless

- The host wants to hear of his marriage

- The merchant says that he cannot say anymore about his life because it is too sad, but he will tell a tale of marriage

Merchant’s Tale

- Once there was a worthy knight named January that live in Lombardy

- When he turned sixty he wanted to get married, might have been for piety or dotage (growing old)

- Says how having a wife is a glorious thing, a symbol of wealth and glory that will last after he dies

- Says an unmarried man lives in freedom and not under arrest

- A married man lives an ordered, moderate, but a happy life because of his wife

- Says that wife is God’s gift and will last longer than any Fortune

- Says how Adam was made and needed a partner for him, so God man Eve

- Describes marriage as a “earthly paradise and means of sport”

- States other biblical examples of marriage like Abigail saving her husband Nabal

- Issac and Rebecca, how Rebecca deceived Issac into blessing Jacob rather than Esau which he favored

- Mentions good and bad stories to create a good and bad side of marriage

- So January is convinced to get married, preferably a young, beautiful wife

- Spent a day to listen to what his friends have to say about getting married

- Says how he way growing ill and old and wanted a wife younger than twenty years old

Argument between Placebo and Justinus

Placebo-

- Cites Solomon “Do everything by counsel, and then thou hast no cause to repent thee.” Saying that he should do exactly what he wants to be pleased

- Completely agrees and wants January to marry such a young girl

- Says how “Christ Himself your counsel would have praised and truthfully,”

Justinus-

- Cites what Seneca would say, “To take a wife without much advisement. Men must inquire, and this is my intent, whether she's wise, or sober, or drunkard, or proud, or else in other things forward, Or shrewish, or a waster of what's had, or rich, or poor, or whether she's man-mad …”

- Disagrees with January and Placebo, does not want him to marry a young wife

- January takes Placebo’s advice

- Starts preparing for a wedding and find a match out of the many women available, a woman named May

- She was known for her beauty but was “of small degree” (low social rank)

- January asks his friends again for arguments against his wish

- His concern of that if he is happy on earth he will not be equally happy in heaven

- Justinus says that being married will help him get t heaven but will be like purgatory on earth

- So January decides to marry May regardless

- The ceremony was joyous and lavish

- Venus the goddess of love laughs because January had become her knight

- There is such mirth (laughter) because “tender youth has married stooping age”

- At the end everyone cast spices around the wedding house

- Everyone was happy except for Damian, January’s squire who was in love with May

- January drank some wine and medical mixtures and took May home and had sex all night with her

- May found his sexual nature unless

Affair

- Damian wrote a love letter for May that he pinned to a silk purse next to his heart

- One day Damian was not attending January and the other squires covered for him saying that he was sick

- January sends May to tell Damian that January would soon visit him

- Damian gives the letter to May and she keeps it in her bosom afraid to get caught

- She reads the letter tears it up and flushes it in the toilet

- She relied to Damian by writing him a letter, putting it under his pillow and giving hima a secret handshake

- The next day Damian returns to serving January

- The narrator describes the beauty of January’s garden

- And how he only had the key to it and would have sex with May in the garden

- At this time January had gone blind and very possessive of his wife

- But May and Damian stayed in touch through letters and signs

- May imprinted the key to January’s garden in hot wax and Damian made a secret copy of it

- One day January wants to have sex in the garden so they go in the garden where Damian is already waiting

- She tells him to climb up into the tree full of fruit

- Tells a story of how Pluto and Proserpina are arguing about marriage

- Pluto wants to restore January’s vision and show him the betrayal

- Proserpina wants Damian to have sex with May because she talks about the evils which men do

- Pluto wants to restore his sight to prevent it but Proserpina ends the argument

- Damian is up in the tree and May says to January how she wants to pick and eat a pear

- January helps May into the tree and Damian and her start having sex

- When Pluto saw this he restored January’s sight

- When January saw this he asked what his wife was doing

- So May says that she had been told the best way of restoring his vision was to struggle with some man in a tree

- January says that she was having sex with a man

- May tries to plead her false medicine on January and that he isn’t seeing clearly

- January says that he can see perfectly

- So May rejoices and says how it worked and persuades January that she wasn’t having sex with Damian in the tree

- January is delighted, hugs and kisses her and strokes her stomach leading her home

- End with calling out to Holy Mary

Merchant’s Epilogue

- Host is disturbed by the story

- Says how women seem busy to deceive men

- Says how he has a shrew wife that talks a lot

Analysis-

The merchant is a wealthy man by the way he is dressed and is described to be skilled in his trade. In the prologue you find out how the merchant hates being married even though he has been married only a year. Shows how this character hates marriage and describes it through his tale. Chaucer isn’t really being negative about the merchant but he is exist towards women through this tale. Saying how they are evil in some aspects through his biblical mentions in the tale. Chaucer sees some good aspects of marriage but mostly negative. The main focus was on January and how he was faithful and less on May how she was wicked and evil. There is a sense of irony how the character may has sex with is Damian, which is the devil’s name. Also the have sex in a fruitful tree which is a symbol of fertility. So when January hold May’s stomach at the end she might be pregnant with Damian’s (devil) child.

-Sebastian Jaskowski

Friar Presentation

Since I didn't have a hand out I figured I would place the link to download my powerpoint.

I hope this works, let me know if anyone has problems with it.

Link : Presentation

-Matt