The Canterbury Tales: The Merchant's Tale

Summary

In 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.