A Merchant's Tale Critics

Kelly on medieval marriage

“mutual love between spouses is notably absent”

Tolliver on January looking for a wife

“January shops for his bride”

Stevens on the tale as a whole

“dimly misogynistic and bitter”

Shores on the nature of the tale

“cynical condemnation of courtly convention”

Tatlock on religion

“religion itself if bemocked”

Thorne of January’s selfishness

“'January's bending of religious authority to his own selfish purposes”

Varnam on the garden

“Chaucer's garden in this tale is no longer a place of courtly love or intellectual debate but of lust and sexuality”