I believe those three words sum up how the Millers Tale is played out. Its nice to see Chaucer take a totally different route in the Millers tale. This tale is vulgar and funny. This type of material normally makes readers more interested in the story. The Miller makes this story his own and relates it to his own Character. the Miller is drunk so you can get an idea from the start, that his tale is going to be unique, have comedy, and be differnt than your average love story with happy endings. Chaucer does point out in the Prologue before the tale starts that to not blame him for the words being spoken. Lines 66-73 "Hir tales alle, be they bettre or werse, Or elles falsen som of my matere. Or else falisify some of my material. And therefore, whoso list it nat y-here, turne over the leef, and chese another tale; For he shal finde ynowe, grete and smale, Of storial thing that toucheth gentillesse, And eek moralitee and holinesse. Blameth nat me if that ye chese amis." Not only is he warning the readers of what to expect of this tale but also maybe he is warning the other pilgrams also. They can choose to listen or not. With this being said it makes you want to read it. This is the outcome I believe Chaucer was hoping for.
As for the tale, It deals with lust, jealousy, and adultry, It makes for an interseting plot and outcome. John was a jealouse and protective man. I think he could have been a little more wise. Here you have John who is a very old man married to Sexy yr old Alisoun. When young Nicholas the astrologer comes to stay it seems John would have been a little more watchful of his wife and of this young Nicholas. Its funny how he can sleep through his wife being serenaded to by Absolon and of Nicholas and Alisoun making love; but yet when he is in the tub he heres Nicholas loud and clear when he is yelling Help, Water, Water!! LOL
With this story came alot of trickery; The making up of the 2nd flood was well thought out plan by Nicholas. With this aspect you can see where Chaucer had to be a religious man to know the Bible and to know of Noahs Flood. Even though this makes the plot funnier the use of pertraying the flood in this way; I feel to be wrong and normally is something I do not read. I do not feel that
stories from the Bible need to be made as a joke.
as far as the end of the tale; What happens to Alisoun? John is left to be thought as a crazy man Lines 738 "That he was holden wood in al the toun." So I do not see Alisoun returning to John. Do her and Nicholas go off to live together? I do not believe she wanted to be with Absolon. He was probably long gone after poking Nicholas with the poker. The tale could keep going....Overall this tale was different from anything I normally read, but its good to see how and what was written long ago.
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