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In The Millers Tale Chaucer embraces the medieval genres of fabliaux and of mystery plays. This amusing tale builds to a ridiculous and complicated climax that hinges on an intricate trick within the story leaving the reader in almost fits of laughter at the outcome. However, when the more amusing side of the story is put aside one must ask oneself whether every character has received what he or she deserves or if a terrible miscarriage of justice has taken place. The tale is set around four main characters. The first of whom we are introduced to is John the carpenter. John is portrayed as a very foolish character.
He is married to Alisoun who is much younger than him at a mere 18 years of age. His jealous and controlling nature in how he acts towards Alisoun puts him in a very bad light, Jealous he was, and held hire name in cage. Another factor central to his character is his hypocrisy. This is in the sense that he constantly scolds Nicholas for his interest in Gods pryvetee, but as soon as Nicholas offers John the chance to benefit from his knowledge in the matter John immediately accepts. This, coupled with his gullibility eventually leads to his downfall. These vital flaws in his character perhaps suggest that his humiliation is just in the end.
However the selfless love he has for his wife, Which that he love moore than his life; in my opinion overshadows his flaws and result in his humiliation being much too harsh. However this is not something that relates to Nicholas, the poor astronomy student. Chaucer tells us of how he preferred to sing his time away and be supported financially by his friends which suggests a very lazy attitude and that he thinks he can survive off the effort of others. He goes on to sleep with Johns (his landlords) wife and the fact that Chaucer tells the reader of how he knows of secret loves suggests that it is not the first time that he has committed this particularly major sin. This deceitful nature that he has been accustomed to serves to justify that he ultimately ends up being branded on his behind with a hot poker. It is Absolon who brands Nicholas in response to his trick in which he is totally and utterly humiliated in that instead of kissing Alisoun on the lips as he assumed he was he actually ends up kissing her naked ers.
At first it seems that such a disgusting and horrible outcome could not possibly be justified for anyone but on further analysis of his character it seems that poetic justice does in this case actually prevail. Absolon is described as being quite childish by Chaucer and extremely vain. His supremely fashion conscious nature emphasises this vanity. The fact that he wears leather shoes decorated like the stained-glass windows of a cathedral typify this completely, With Poles window cover on his shoos. Chaucer also uncovers that he is a very boastful person as well and that he has been to a vast number of taverns showing off his musical talents. Through his voice and his attire the reader also learns of his effeminate nature.
Coupled with the fact that he pursues a lot of women through his seemingly pathetic manor of go betweens and intermediaries Absolon breeds a deep content for his character and his outcome in the end is merely poetic justice. However, unlike Absolon, Alison is not met with poetic justice. Although she lives a quite restricted life through her husbands possessiveness the fact remains that she cheats on her husband in the story. Her attempt to stay faithful to John in that she rejects Nicholas is pathetic. She doesnt take a great deal of persuading at all and as soon as Nicholas alters his approach she accepts. Considering this and the fact that she comes out of the the whole affair seemingly unscathed is a ludicrous perversion of justice.
This perversion of justice is experienced by half the characters in the tale. The two characters whose ambitions were to sleep with the married woman received what they deserved. But the two characters who were married received the opposite, with Alisoun emerging out of the story unscathed and with John coming out with a much undeserved humiliation. The latter poetic injustice is much greater however. For when John learnt about the flood his first thoughts were for his wife. The fact that his wife was only able to cheat on him because of the great love he had for her (he built the tubs primarily out of his wish for his wife to live) has to be the greatest injustice of the story.
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Research essay sample on Perversion Of Justice Chaucer Tells John
