The Portrayal of Courtly Love in Chaucer's the Miller's Tale

A detailed Summary of The Portrayal of Courtly Love in Chaucer's the Miller's Tale

Literature, regardless of its genre revolved around a popular theme during the medieval times. Writers tended to make courtly love an important aspect of the plots of their works. Good examples are Chaucer's The Miller's Tale and its counterpart De France's Guigemar. He uses the importance of class hierarchy as a main element of courtly love whereas she uses love as a driving force on the journey to it.

Contrary to writers of his time Chaucer used average middle class characters to depict the courtly love tradition rather than nobility. Moreover the lover is the counterpart of the traditional knight. Absalom is the local parish clerk that fancies Alison and woos her in her husband's presence. John the Carpenter is present throughout the story but does nothing to stop him. De France however portrays the lovers alone and the King absent till they are discovered. In both scenarios the authors portray the rightness of extra-marital affairs and the main difference being the level of the husband's jealousy. John's jealously of Alison is not as great as that of the King's regarding his wife. He is aware of all of Absalom's doings yet leaves him and allows Nicholas a poor astronomy student to be near Alison. However in Guigemar the

Alison, Chaucer's imprisoned wife, is less of the ideal than her counterparts in Marie. She is "graceful and slim like weasel." This comparison makes her seem to be dirty and untrustworthy. Morally the comparison between Alison and her counterparts

in Marie is more confusing. Chaucer describes her as having a "wanton eye." De France's imprisoned wife is beautiful, noble and chaste with the exception of her love

Alison keeps him awake at night and his attempts at winning her love are more traditionally romantic. He sings under her window, sends her gifts and even money to try to earn her love whereas Nicholas professes his love to her and goes to farther lengths to make her his. Contradictory to this De France's Guigemar knows not what love is until he is taken to a faraway land by ship. There he is inflicted by the internal wound love. "But love had now pierced him to the quick and his heart was greatly disturbed. For the lady wounded him so deeply he had completely forgotten his homeland .The knight remained alone, mournful and downcast. He did not yet realize the cause, but at least he knew that, if he were not cured by the lady his death would be assured." It becomes the most important thing to him and he goes to severe extremes such as

Some common words found in the essay are:
France's Guigemar, De France, Absalom Nicholas, Alison Guigemar, Nicholas Alison's, Alison Chaucer's, Miller's Tale, , Alison King's, De France's, courtly love, de france, imprisoned wife, de france's, miller's tale, de france's guigemar, counterparts marie, france's guigemar, driving force, love tradition, john carpenter, courtly love tradition,

Approximate Word count = 844
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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