The Miller's Tale Quotes

Townspeople laughing at John

The folk gan laughen at his fantasye

Chaucer warning not to be too serious

And eek men shal nat make ernest of game

Alisoun is too young for John

For she was wilde and yong, and he was old
And demed him-self ben lyk a cokewold

Alison body imagery

As any wesele hir body gent and smal

Nicholas seduction

prively he caughte hir by the queynte

The scheme

And if so be the game wente aright,
She sholde slepen in his arm al night

John condemning astronomy

Men sholde nat knowe of goddes privetee

John worried for Alisoun

This carpenter answerde, 'allas, my wyf!

Absolon falling for joke

But with his mouth he kiste hir naked ers

The practical joke

And he was redy with his iren hoot,
And Nicholas amidde the ers he smoot

God imagery

As greet as it had been a thonder-dent

Pontious Pilot imagery

But in Pilate's voice he gan to cry

Mystery plays

For I will tell a legend and a life both of a carpenter and of his wife

Chaucer’s retraction ahhh

But that I must rehearse their tales all, be they better or worse,