The Morality in Medieval England from The Millers Tale by...

â€Å"The Millers Tale† in the Canterbury Tales provides insight into the morality of people of medieval England by showing the Miller’s views on religion, heroic ideals, and common morality. Religion at this time was defined by a religious code outlined in the Bible and the ten commandments. Even though all men were expected to live by these laws, those closely related to the church, like Absalom, were expected to never break from these codes. Heroism involved a set of ideals that were meant to guide men to a heroic state of being. A hero was supposed to seek revenge and never let a crime go unpunished. Common morality was the behavioral code all men were expected to follow and it is essentially what we now call common courtesy. This†¦show more content†¦After he is tricked and fooled by Alison and Nicholas he seeks vengeance. At this time retribution was heroically just, and did not allow their names to be dishonored. When Absalom takes the blacksmiths hot-po ker and brands Nicholas he receives the satisfaction of justice and is not further punished in any of the subsequent scenes of the story. He sought retribution from the shame felt by kissing Alison’s behind and though he does not brand Alison, who is the intended recipient of his revenge, he does harm Nicholas, who Alison loves. Absolon’s heroic qualities provided him with retribution to punishment inflicted upon him. The inability for men to follow social customs also caused negative repercussions. Some moral ideals highlighted within â€Å"The Miller’s Tale† are Cato, the idea that you should not trick other men, and the idea that you should not sleep with another mans wife. As Absaloms revenge is sought Nicholas is punished with a branded butt. If he had not slept with Alison and had been moral this would have never happened. His intended trickery of Absalom is what causes him to be branded and his unjustified love for Alison is what places him in this situation. The carpenter is also at fault for not following the social normalities of his time. Marrying Alison was in direct violation of Cato. Though unspoken it was not socially acceptable to marry below or above someone ones age range. The carpenter did so without apprehension. If he had followedShow MoreRelatedGeoffrey Chaucer s The Canterbury Tales867 Words   |  4 PagesAt the beginning of Geoffrey Chaucer’s â€Å"T he Canterbury Tales,† he opens with a description of twenty-nine characters who are going on a pilgrimage to Canterbury. Each character in the story represent a stereotype of a kind of person that would be seen in England during the Fourteenth Century. Every single character is unique, but also embodies physical and behavioral traits that would be common for someone in their profession. He writes each character so they have realistic qualities. However, whenRead More The Role of Quiting in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales Essay2759 Words   |  12 PagesThe Role of Quiting in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales  Ã‚   In Chaucer’s, The Canterbury Tales, many characters express the desire to pay back some other pilgrim for their tale. The function of quiting gives us insights into the ways in which Chaucer painted the social fabric of his world. The characters of the Knight, the Miller, and the Reeve, all seem to take part in a tournament of speech. The role of quiting in The Canterbury Tales serves to allow the characters themselves to transcendRead MoreHistory of British Literature3343 Words   |  14 PagesLate Medieval Period 14th Century British Literature 14th and 15th were period of transition from feudalism to pre-industrial era. A time of political, social and ideological conflicts; England was in war with France (the hundred year war 1337-1453 Edward’s claim to the French throne and attempt to bring England, Gascony and Flanders under unified political control). The defeats in France lead to deepening the internal crisis. The decline in agriculture together with the rise in the populationRead MoreThe Sonnet Form: William Shakespeare6305 Words   |  26 PagesPetrarch published a sequence of love sonnets addressed to an idealized woman named Laura. Taking firm hold among Italian poets, the sonnet spread throughout Europe to England, where, after its initial Renaissance, â€Å"Petrarchan† incarnation faded, the form enjoyed a number of revivals and periods of renewed interest. In Elizabethan England—the era during which Shakespeare’s sonnets were written—the sonnet was the form of choice for lyric poets, particularly lyric poets seeking to engage with traditional