Table of Contents
The Knight’s Tale: Chivalry and Fate
As the highest-ranking pilgrim, the Knight tells a high-style chivalric romance. It is based on Boccaccio’s Teseida(Asked in Exam). The story follows two cousins and sworn brothers-in-arms, Palamon and Arcite, who are imprisoned in Athens by Duke Theseus.
From their prison window, both knights fall instantly in love with Emelye, Theseus's sister-in-law. Their friendship turns into a bitter rivalry. After Arcite is released and Palamon escapes, they eventually duel in a forest. Theseus interrupts them and arranges a magnificent tournament to decide who wins Emelye’s hand. Before the battle, Palamon prays to Venus (Goddess of Love) for victory, while Arcite prays to Mars (God of War).
Ironically, both prayers are answered: Arcite wins the battle but is fatally wounded in a freak accident immediately after. On his deathbed, he selflessly urges Emelye to marry Palamon. The tale concludes with Palamon and Emelye’s marriage, illustrating the medieval philosophy of divine providence and the "First Mover."
The Miller’s Tale: The Bawdy Fabliau
Immediately after the Knight’s noble story, the drunken Miller interrupts to "quite" (repay/match) the tale with a vulgar fabliau. This story features Nicholas (a clever student) and Alison(Asked in Exam), the beautiful young wife of an old, jealous carpenter named John.
Nicholas tricks John by fabricating a prophecy of a second Noah's flood, convincing the gullible carpenter to sleep in a tub suspended from the roof. Meanwhile, a squeamish parish clerk named Absolon also tries to woo Alison. In the famous climax, Absolon is tricked into kissing Alison's backside in the dark. He returns with a hot branding iron for revenge; Nicholas farts in his face and gets branded. His scream for "Water!" makes John think the flood has arrived, causing him to cut the ropes and crash to the floor, where he is mocked by the entire town.
The Reeve’s Tale: Revenge in Northern Dialect
The Reeve, who was a carpenter by trade, feels insulted by the Miller's story and responds with a vengeful tale about a dishonest miller named Symkyn. This tale is linguistically significant because it is written in a distinct Northern dialect(Asked in Exam) for the characters of the two students, John and Aleyn.
When Symkyn steals grain from the students, they stay the night at his house to take revenge. Through a series of bedroom mishaps involving a moved cradle, they end up seducing both the miller’s daughter and his wife. The tale follows the classic fabliau moral: the deceiver is ultimately deceived.
The Cook and The Man of Law
Following the Reeve, the Cook’s Tale begins but survives only as a short fragment about a dissolute apprentice named Perkyn Revelour. Chaucer seemingly abandoned it to move toward more substantial narratives.
The Man of Law’s Tale shifts back to a serious, pious tone. It features Constance, an Emperor’s daughter who suffers through multiple exiles and false accusations across the sea. Guided by divine providence, she survives every trial. Scholars note that this tale influenced other Middle English romances like Emaré(Asked in Exam).
Match the List Checkpoint
Boccaccio's Teseida
The primary Italian source text for the Knight's Tale, detailing the rivalry of Palamon and Arcite.
Fabliau
The genre of the Miller's and Reeve's tales: short, funny, and often vulgar stories about trickery.
Northern Dialect
The specific regional English used by the students in the Reeve's Tale to distinguish them from the Miller.
Constance
The central suffering heroine of the Man of Law's Tale, representing endurance and faith.
Active Recall: Check Your Mastery
- Q: Which tale in The Canterbury Tales is based on Boccaccio's Teseida?
A: The Knight's Tale. - Q: In the Miller's Tale, what natural disaster does Nicholas convince John the carpenter is coming?
A: A second Noah's flood. - Q: What is the linguistic significance of the Reeve's Tale?
A: It contains the first deliberate use of a regional Northern dialect for characterization in English literature. - Q: Which pilgrim tells a tale featuring a heroine named Constance who is set adrift at sea?
A: The Man of Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean when the Miller says he will "quite" the Knight's tale?
To "quite" meant to repay, match, or counter. The Knight told a story of high-born nobility and courtly love. The Miller, being drunk and disruptive, "quites" it by telling a "low" story of common people and vulgar lust. This creates a structural pattern of counter-balanced stories throughout the collection.
What is a Fabliau?
A fabliau is a short, humorous, and cynical verse narrative that originated in France. It typically features common people (students, carpenters, millers) and focuses on sex, trickery, and bodily functions. It is the absolute opposite of the noble, idealistic Chivalric Romance.
Why did the Reeve tell a story about a Miller?
The Miller's Tale featured a foolish, cuckolded carpenter. Since the Reeve was a carpenter by trade, he took this as a personal insult. He retaliated (or "quited") by telling a story about a dishonest, foolish miller who is physically beaten and tricked by students, proving that "a miller is a thief by nature."
Why is the Cook's Tale unfinished?
Scholars aren't entirely sure. Some believe Chaucer felt the collection was becoming too heavy with vulgar fabliaux (Miller, Reeve, and then Cook) and wanted to shift the tone. Others think he simply never got around to finishing it before his death in 1400.
