The Canterbury Tales: The Merchant's Tale
Summary
TLDRIn the 'Merchant's Tale' from the 'Canab Tales,' an older knight named January, seeking to fulfill God's promise, marries the young May despite his friends' warnings about her potential infidelity. As January becomes blind, May and her lover Damien, a squire, use the knight's garden as their trysting place. When January's sight is restored by Pluto, he catches them in the act but is deceived by May's clever excuse. The tale concludes with the host expressing his disdain for women's trickery and a humorous plea to keep his own wife's shortcomings a secret.
Takeaways
- 🎎 The Merchant's Tale from the Canterbury Tales explores themes of marriage, fidelity, and the dynamics between older men and younger wives.
- 👵 The story features a 60-year-old knight, January, who decides to marry a much younger woman named May, despite his friends' warnings about the potential for infidelity.
- 💔 January's friends express skepticism about the marriage, suggesting that young wives are likely to be unfaithful, but January is convinced of the sanctity of marriage.
- 💍 May is depicted as beautiful and desirable, and January is infatuated with her, while she is less impressed with him but hides her true feelings.
- 💔 A young squire named Damien, who works for January, is secretly in love with May and communicates his feelings to her through a poem.
- 📜 May initially rejects Damien's advances but later falls in love with him and they begin an affair, using January's blindness as an opportunity to meet in secret.
- 🌳 The couple's secret meetings take place in a beautiful garden, which is locked and has a key only January possesses, symbolizing the hidden nature of their affair.
- 👀 January's blindness and his fear of May's infidelity lead him to keep her close, which ironically prevents her from seeing Damien, causing her distress.
- 🔑 May and Damien have copies of the key to the garden, indicating their cunning and the lengths they go to maintain their secret relationship.
- 🌐 The tale concludes with a twist where January's sight is restored by Pluto, the god of the underworld, and he catches May and Damien in the act, but May cleverly convinces him that what he saw was not real.
- 🏰 The story ends with the host of the tale expressing his own desire to avoid women like May, and a humorous plea to keep his own wife's flaws a secret.
Q & A
What is the main theme of 'The Merchant's Tale' from the 'Canab Tales'?
-The main theme of 'The Merchant's Tale' revolves around the nature of marriage, fidelity, and the potential for deception and trickery in relationships.
How long has the Merchant been married at the beginning of the tale?
-The Merchant has been married for a little over two months.
What is the Merchant's opinion of his wife?
-The Merchant does not care for his wife and believes her to be unfaithful, even suggesting that she could outwit the devil.
Why does January, the old Knight, decide to get married?
-January decides to get married to fulfill God's promise and his role in life, hoping to have a son and ensure that God smiles upon him.
What is January's age and what criteria does he have for a potential wife?
-January is 60 years old and he is looking for a wife no older than 30 years old, believing that someone younger will be more malleable and able to bear children.
How does January's friend Justinian react to the news of his marriage plans?
-Justinian is not happy with January's decision to marry and warns him that his wife could be his earthly purgatory, sent by God to prepare his soul for heaven.
Who is the woman that January falls in love with and decides to marry?
-The woman that January falls in love with and marries is named May.
What happens to January that leads to May having to hold his hand at all times?
-January goes completely blind, and in fear that his wife will cheat on him, he makes her hold his hand at all times to ensure she is always by his side.
How do May and Damian manage to meet secretly in the garden?
-May and Damian manage to meet secretly by using a key to access the garden, where they engage in intimate activities, unbeknownst to January until the end of the tale.
What happens when Pluto decides to restore January's sight?
-When Pluto restores January's sight, January catches May and Damian in the act of infidelity in the pear tree. However, May convinces January that what he saw was not real, comparing it to the confusion of waking from a deep sleep.
How does the host of 'Let's Get Lit' feel about May's character and women in general after hearing the tale?
-The host expresses a desire to stay away from women like May, who he perceives as being full of trickery and deceit.
Outlines
🎭 Introduction to 'The Merchant's Tale'
The script begins with a lively introduction to an episode of a show discussing 'The Merchant's Tale' from the 'Canab Tales'. The host sets the stage for a story that explores themes of marriage, fidelity, and the secrets that can be hidden behind closed doors. The tale is introduced through the perspective of a merchant who has been married for two months and is already disillusioned with his wife, feeling that she is cunning and unfaithful. The merchant contrasts his wife with Griselda from 'The Clerk's Tale', expressing a desire for the freedom of bachelorhood. The host invites the merchant to share a story, leading into the main narrative about a wealthy, older knight named January who, despite his age and successful life, decides to marry to fulfill what he perceives as God's command for him to have a son. January is particular about his choice, seeking a young wife under 30, believing that older women would be less faithful and more set in their ways. His friends warn him of the potential for infidelity, but January remains steadfast in his decision, emphasizing the sanctity of marriage and his youthful spirit despite his age.
💔 Unfaithfulness and Deception in Marriage
The narrative continues with January's marriage to a young woman named May, whom he falls deeply in love with. The couple enjoys a lavish wedding and reception, after which January is eager to consummate the marriage. Despite January's infatuation, May is less impressed and keeps her true feelings hidden. The story then shifts to a young squire named Damien, who is secretly in love with May. Feeling unwell due to his unrequited love, Damien writes a passionate poem for May and secretly gives it to her. May, after initially rejecting the note, later realizes she shares Damien's feelings and responds with a letter. The plot thickens as January, now blind, suspects his wife's infidelity and demands she hold his hand at all times. May, with the help of a copied key, continues to meet Damien in a secret garden. The tale reaches a climax when January, restored to sight by Pluto, catches May and Damien together in a compromising position. May cleverly convinces January that his sight is still deceiving him, and he believes her, allowing the deception to continue. The episode concludes with the host reflecting on the tale, expressing a desire to avoid women like May and inadvertently revealing his own wife's flaws, humorously asking the audience to keep his comments confidential.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Merchant's Tale
💡Faithfulness
💡January
💡May
💡Infatuation
💡Blindness
💡Damien
💡Garden
💡Sanctity of Marriage
💡Deception
💡Epilogue
Highlights
Introduction to the Merchant's Tale from the Canterbury Tales, exploring themes of marriage, fidelity, and secrets.
The Merchant's disdain for his wife and his longing for bachelorhood, contrasting with the idealized Griselda.
January, a wealthy 60-year-old knight, decides to marry to fulfill God's promise and secure his legacy.
January's friends warn him of the potential infidelity of a younger wife, but he remains confident in the sanctity of marriage.
May, a young woman, captures January's heart and they get married in a grand ceremony.
Damien, a squire in love with May, struggles with his unrequited feelings post-wedding.
May's secret encounter with Damien, where he slips a love note into her bosom.
January's blindness and his attempt to keep May close to prevent her from cheating.
May and Damien's secret meetings in the garden, facilitated by a copied key.
Pluto, the god of the underworld, decides to restore January's sight to reveal May's infidelity.
May's clever excuse to January after he regains his sight and catches her with Damien.
The Host's closing remarks on the tale, expressing his desire to avoid women like May.
The Host's humorous plea for secrecy regarding his comments about his wife.
The episode's conclusion with a call to action for viewers to like, share, and subscribe.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
hello and welcome back to let's get lit
in today's episode we're going to be
going over the Merchant's tale from the
canab tales in this tale we're going to
see a man marry a woman if women truly
are faithful in the Merchant's eyes and
what kind of things happen behind
people's backs without them knowing
let's Dive Right In and see what goes on
shall
we the prologue for the Merchant's tale
starts off with the merchant saying that
he has been married for a little over 2
months now and that he really doesn't
care for his wife he actually goes on to
State as an example that his wife and
the devil were to make a pack she would
even be able to get the better of him he
says that his wife is completely
opposite of that of Griselda from the
student Tale the merchant wishes he
could just be a single man again and
after saying all of this the host asks
that he would tell us a story and the
merchant says he would be glad to and
this is where the prologue for the
merchant ends the story starts off with
a merchant telling about a rich older
Knight named January he is 60 years old
and he has had a great life being a
wonderful Knight throughout his 60 years
he has been unmarried and single he gets
it into his head one day that he wants
to marry and fulfill God's promise and
his role in life that is that he should
be married and have a son and that way
God can smile upon him he gathers a
bunch of his friends together and tells
him exactly what he's going to be doing
and what he's looking for he tells his
friends that he wants a wife but that he
will not settle for just anyone to be
his wife he's looking for someone that
is no older than 30 years old he says
this because he thinks that someone
older than this will have ulterior
motives and will be too set in their
ways to be a good wife whereas someone
younger will be able to still bear
children to him and he would be able to
help mold her and shape her into a great
wife one of his friends says this really
is a stupid idea because women are so
unfaithful to begin with that they are
likely to cheat and um to look at other
men specifically especially if they're
younger than him January says nonsense
and then it goes on to give a big spiel
about the importance of sanctity of
marriage and how right it is he says
that though he is old and his physical
features are old as well he's still very
young at heart and still very Green in
love January and his friends begin to
look for a suitable wife for him finally
after some searching he finds the one
woman who steals his heart and her name
is May after January finds her he then
calls a meeting with all of his friends
to tell him of the news when hearing
this news Justinian is not happy with it
he goes on to make a speech about how
January thinks wetted life is going to
be so Blissful but January really should
be careful because his wife could be the
Earthly Purgatory that God gave him and
so that way his soul can go to heaven
after hearing this Outburst from
justinius January is still convinced
that he's going to marry May so without
further fighting everyone gets
everything ready and they all prepare
for the wedding on The Wedding Day
January is very excited and when he sees
May coming in she looks so beautiful as
if Sarah or Rebecca from the Bible
beautiful the priest goes on through all
the rituals and they are ceremoniously
married after this they have a nice
lavis reception with many great
instruments in food the merchant then
goes on to say that January looks upon
May and is completely enraptured by her
looks he also states that January cannot
wait until the party is over that way he
can fulfill his husbandly duty and
please her on many levels the merchant
then also uh talks of a young Squire
called Damien who has worked for January
for a long period of time and how Damien
also is in love with may as the party is
winding down January gets his friends to
clear the castle out so he may go to bed
with his wife the friends all agree and
promptly everyone from their Castle
exits and goes home happily the priest
blesses the bed before they get into it
the merchant then goes on to describe
that January fully and passionately
makes love to his wife all night and in
the morning when the break of day comes
he finally stops and gets some rest
January is fully infatuated with his
wife and is fully in love with her she
however not so thoroughly impressed with
him but she keeps that to herself the
merchant then jumps back to Damian and
how he hasn't been feeling well since
the wedding because of his love
stuckness the merchant says that Damen
writes out a poem of all of his love
that he has for me and he folds it up
and puts it into a purse close to his
heart under his under his shirt the next
day goes by and January and may are
sitting in the Hall feasting January
then quickly realizes that he has not
seen Damian for quite some time the
other squir who were there tell him that
he is sick and is stayed in bed January
tells his wife that she should go to his
bed chamber and go visit him and make
sure he feels better and comfort him and
to also tell him that he will come by
and visit him as well in due time May
agrees and shortly after she goes to the
chambers with her chambermaids and she
tries to cheer him up and give Damien
kind's words and thoughts while she's
doing this he quickly slips the note
from his purse into her bosom after a
little while later May goes back to her
husband who is sitting in bed waiting
for her he asks her to take off her
clothes so that he may once again enjoy
each other's company they both enjoy
each other's company for the afternoon
and once they are finished she gets back
and puts her clothes on and she goes
away into a smaller room to read the
note Damian had written for her after
she reads this note she immediately
tears it up into little pieces and
throws it away not long after she reads
the note she realizes that she actually
reciprocates the same feelings for Damen
she quickly writes a letter to him and
goes to his room and slips it under his
pillow for him to read the merchant then
jumps back to January and how he is
completely full of bliss still in love
with his wife and how he wants to make
sure that his dwelling place is fully
furnished it even talks about a great
Garden that had been constructed and all
of its beauty the King was so in love
with the garden that he actually had it
locked away and the only person who had
a key for this Garden was January
himself the merchant also says that the
garden was so nice and lovely that
January and may would do things there
that were meant for the bedroom but they
did them in the garden the merchant goes
on to say that very soon after this
January goes completely blind and
January being in fear that his wife will
cheat on him makes her hold his hand at
all times to make sure she's right
beside him this upsets May because she
fully fell in love with Damen and under
these new conditions she was never able
to see him uh this also caused Daman
great distress because he could not get
any time with may as well the author
also gives the audience the information
that may has had a mold made of the
king's key for the garden and that she
had a key for herself it's also stated
that Damien had a copy of a key to get
in the garden himself and that's where
they often would meet up one day January
gets up and he has it in his mind that
he wants to go with May into the garden
and enjoy the day May finds this
alarming because she already told Damien
to sneakily go into the garden and wait
for her there so that the two can play
together Damen is able to get into the
garden unseen and unhe hurt and crouches
beneath a bush to wait for her January
and may make their way to the Garden to
and lock the doors behind them he tells
his wife they are in the garden and that
he wants to make sure that because she's
uh been such a great and honorable wife
that he gives her everything he could
think of he tells her that when they
were wedded they were joined together
and that he knows he's getting older and
will possibly die soon so he's going to
make sure that everything that he owns
is given to her during this conversation
May looks over and can see Damian
underneath the bush their eyes meet and
she gives him a signal to climb a pear
tree he does and after this January and
may begin to roam around the gardens the
merchant then shifts over to Pluto and
his wife who were sitting in the Garden
nearby the two of them have witnessed
everything going on and Pluto decides
he's going to give January his sight
back so that way he can see all the
terrible things may is doing behind his
back Pluto's wife says that men are so
leous that if Pluto does give January
his sight back she will give May a
really credible excuse for her actions
the merchant then shifts back to January
and May and they make it to the pear
tree that Damian is sitting in she tells
January that she really wants a hair or
else she will just die January says that
unfortunately he doesn't have a squire
nearby who can get one down for her to
which may says that's not a problem if
he can help her up she will get inside
the tree and grab one herself January
agrees and she gets on top of his back
and climbs up to the tree where Damen is
waiting for her once she is in the tree
Damen and may begin to have sex upon
this Pluto instantly gives the sight
back to January where he is immediately
filled with anger at what he sees and
just like Pluto's wife says she gives
May a great excuse for her action she
tells January that what he saw was not
actually what he saw she Akins it to
more of like when someone wakes up from
a really deep sleep and how they can't
trust the first thing they see and that
it takes about a day or two for their
sight to fully come back and make proper
sense of what's happening January
believes her and she climbs down out of
the tree and he Embraces her and they go
back to the castle this is where the
Merchant's tale ends in a small epilogue
after the Merchant's Tale the host says
that that he wishes to stay away from
women like May and all their trickery he
goes on to say that he is married to a
woman who is somewhat of a shrew and a
gossip after he says that he immediately
regrets it and says please don't tell
her please don't tell my wife he's like
these things somehow end up finding
their way back to her so let's just keep
it between us this is where the
Merchant's tale ends and the epilog ends
thank you so much for joining us for
today's episode have a wonderful rest of
your day please remember to like share
and subscribe and as always stay
lit
[Music]
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