LITERATURE QUESTIONS
MEDIEVAL LITERATURE AND CULTURE
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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The knight had not finished his tale.
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The miller did not ask politely.
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A member of the clergy should have spoken next.
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The miller was far beneath the knight in social order, so the miller should have deferred to the person who ranked above him.
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Detailed explanation-1: -The Miller’s tale reflects the Miller’s negative character as two unchivalrous men fight for the love of a woman who is already married to an outside man–John. They do not try to win her through bravery or honorable battle; instead, they sneak and plot their way into her life.
Detailed explanation-2: -Chaucer describes the Miller in a particularly blunt fashion. The Miller is an exceedingly large man: “Ful byg he was of brawn, and eek of bones” (Line 546.) The first characteristic Chaucer ascribes to the Miller is his physical strength, saying that he would be capable of easily tearing a door off of its hinges.
Detailed explanation-3: -This tale also strongly rivals the Knights Tale in its approach to love. The Knights Tale idealizes love with the virtues of chivalry, courteousness, and courage. The Millers Tale, on the other hand, introduces to the Canterbury Tales the existence of lust, abuse of power, revenge, trickery, and obscenities.
Detailed explanation-4: -The narrator apologizes to us in advance for the tale’s bawdiness, and warns that those who are easily offended should skip to another tale.