The Merchant's Prologue and Tale Key Quotes

When was Chaucer's Canterbury Tales written?

1387-1400, Chaucer died before he could complete the anthology of stories.

What is a Medieval Fabliau?

A short, usually comedic, coarse and cynical tale told in a poetic style.

What were some stock characters in fabliaux?

- the old cuckold and his young wife
- the "naughty" priest
- the lover

Which pilgrim tells the tale of Januarie and May?

The Merchant

How is The Merchant's duality shown in the general prologue?

"a forked beard"

How is The Merchant shown to be rich due to his clothes?

"motlee", "a Flaundrissh bever hat", "His bootes clasped faire and fetisly"

Quote which shows The Merchant is in debt

"Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette"

What does the narrator really mean when describing The Merchant as "a worthy man"?

This is ironic. The Merchant is actually deceitful and cunning, shown by his appearance.

What causes the Merchant to be "Weping and wailing, care and oother sorwe"?

His wife.

How does the Merchant explain that his wife is "the worste that may be"?

"For thogh the feend to hire ycoupled were,
She wolde him overmacche" (She would defeat the devil if she were married to him)

What word is missing from the quote, "We _____ men liven in sorwe and care" ?

wedded

Who does the Merchant wish his wife were more like?

"Grisildis"

Where is the Merchant's Tale set?

A "dwellinge in Lumbardye" called "Pavie", which is in Italy

Why is the setting important?

During Chaucer's time, the area was well-known for banks and brothels.

Why does Januarie, "sixty yeer a wyfless man", want to marry?

Januarie had followed "his bodily delit" and "appetit" for "wommen", and wants to marry "for hoolinesse or for dotage".

What does Januarie mean when he says "Noon oother lyf... is worth a bene..."

Any other state than married is worthless.

"wedlock is so esy and so clene", why is this ironic?

This is the exact opposite of the view that the Merchant suggests, and is proven to be a naïve view within the tale itself.

"it is a paradis", what type of imagery is this?

Prelapsarian imagery (imagery linked to Genesis and the Garden of Eden).

What type of narrator is the Merchant?

Intradiegetic

How does the Merchant emphasise his view of marriage as a form of entrapment?

He describes Januarie as "In libertee and under noon arrest"

What does "yok" connote?

It is often used to describe binding a horse or ox to a plough, therefore marriage binds a man.

How old does Januarie want his wife to be?

"mayde fair and tendre of age" and "nat passe twenty yeer"

What quote emphasises the theme of consumption by men?

"old boef is the tendre veel"

Young women are mouldable like...

"warm wex"

Why does Januarie really wish to marry a young maid?

to avoid committing adultery and going "straight to the devel" when he dies

Who are some of the biblical figures that Januarie mentions?

"Rebekke... Judith... Abigail... Ester..."

How does Placebo feel about contradicting those above him?

"I woot wel that my lord kan moore than I."

How does Placebo flatter Januarie?

He says that Januarie is "so ful of sapience" that he almost mirrors the word of "Salomon".

How does Justinus mirror the Merchant?

Justinus reveals that "I have wept many a teere" since he's been married.

What does Justinus warn Januarie about young wives?

Even young men struggle to control their young wives and "Ye shul nat plesen hire fully yeres thre".

Who does Januarie chose to listen to?

Placebo

How does Januarie's courtship remind Chaucer's audience of the Merchant's role as a consumer?

Januaries fantasises about his marriage as though "a mirrour, polisshed bright" were set up in "a commune market place" and he can imagine "many fair shap and many a fair visage" who pass it.

"For love is blind alday, and may nat see." How is this quote important?

Januarie is both literally blind later in the tale but also unable to see and accept May's adultery.

What is important about how May is described?

That Januarie "putreyed" her and that she was "his fantasye".

What background does May come from and what quote shows this?

Third Estate, "she were of small degree"

"no man han parfite blisses two... in erthe and eek in hevene." What does this show about Januarie's view of marriage?

Januarie is incredibly idealistic. He believes that his marriage with May will not only save him from Hell but will also bring bliss into his life.

What does Justinus say to warn Januarie?

"she may be youre purgatorie"

How does Justinus contradict Januarie's view of marriage?

"youre soule up to heaven skippe
Swifter than dooth an arwe out of a bowe"

What does "she was feffed in his lond" connote?

Her fertility, and her presence as an object owned by Januarie in Medieval times.

"hire be lyk Sarah and Rebekke". Is this complimentary?

Sarah and Rebecca were wise, long lived and faithful. However, they were also deceitful.

"tendre youthe hathe wedded stouping age". Who does this refer to?

May and Januarie

What effect does May have on the men in the Wedding?

She was like a "faierye" and "ravisshed" Januarie in a "traunce". Damyan similarly "swelte and swooned" over her as a result of Venus.

What does "perilous fyr" refer to?

Lust

"Lyk to the naddre in bosom sly untrewe". What does this compare Damyan to?

An adder, the only poisonous snake in England - potential prelapsarian imagery.

How is May described throughout this section and how is it ironic?

She is described as "fresshe May", which is ironic due to her later actions in the Tale.

How is May's passivity emphasised?

"as stille as stoon"

How is Januarie's repulsiveness emphasised?

"the skin of houndfissh", "the slakke skin about his nekke shaketh"

Is May impressed?

"She preyseth nat his pleying worth a bene"

What does Damyan do that is typical of Courtly Romance?

"a lettre wroot he al his sorwe" to May

How is Januarie's description of Damyan as a "gentil squire" ironic?

Januarie is unaware that Damyan has feelings for May and calls him noble, in reality Damyan is anything but.

Damyan feels tortured by love. What quote emphasises this?

"he siketh wonder depe and soore"

How does Damyan behave uncourageously?

He tells May that "I am deed if that this thing be kid".

How does May deviate from Courtly Romance?

She is completely attainable to Damyan, "she graunteth him hire verray grace", and wants to consummate their relationship, "she mighte unto his lust suffise".

How is May practical and therefore subversive?

She throws the letter "in the privee".

How does Damyan present himself as less than noble?

"eek to Januarie he goth as lowe
As evere dide a dogge for the bowe."

How does May exert her control whilst Januarie is bling?

Through "privee signes", "finger signes", "a signe"

How does May copy the key?

"In warm wex hath emprented the cliket"

How does May use her femininity to gain control over Januarie?

"she began to wepe" at the suggestion of her being unfaithful.

How does May suggest she be treated if she in ever unfaithful?

She should be treated as a witch, "strepe me and put me in a sak, AN in the nexte river do me drenche".

How does Januarie try to control May in the garden?

"walled al with ston"

How does Januarie symbolically have control over May's body?

Through being the only one to have a ket to the garden, "He baar alwey of silver a cliket".

How does Januarie lose some of his control?

He is "woxen blind and that al sodeynly"

How does Januarie attempt to keep control despite this?

"he had hond on hire alway" and "hadde a hand upon hire everemo"

What does May tell Januarie she wants from the tree and why?

"the peres" to "greet an appetit" suggesting cravings and pregnancy

What is important about the quote "in he throng"

It is crude and distasteful, reveals he is not part of the Second Estate as he wants to appear.

"if I wolde speke uncurteisly", how does the Merchant speak in a crude manner in this section?

"ye algate in it wente" and "He swived yee"

What is May's excuse?

May explains that as Januarie has just regained his eyesight he did not see clearly, "ne seen it parfitly".

May is not punished.

It is a fabliaux, for entertainment, and does not need to be moral. She succeeds in orchestrating her own fertility, "hire wombe he stroketh"

May is punished.

She must return to the indoor world of male control, "to his palays hoom he hath hire lad."