The Merchant’s Tale A Moral Tale January & May Riley Garrison Rosemary Ishmael

The Prologue  This tale is told by the Merchant.  He uses his two month experience of marriage to portray his negative views of marriage.  This tale gives a more positive view of marriage leaving the reader confused.

Story’s Summary  The story is about a wealthy, elderly, knight who wants to marry, his name is January.  He wants to marry because it is God’s will and he wants an heir to his estates.  January chooses May, a very young woman.  Damian is one of January’s attendants who sees May and falls in love.

Story’s Summary  Damian unending love for May makes him ill.  January sends his wife and other women to comfort him.  Damian passes May a note that professes his love for her.  May replies with the same feelings.

Story’s Summary  January goes blind and demands May must stay by his side at all times.  If May wants to leave, she must hold his hand.  May gives Damian a key to January’s secret garden.  She signals Damian to climb the tree.

Story’s Summary  Meanwhile, the god Pluto and his wife Proserpina discuss the situation.  Pluto promises to restore January’s sight, but it waiting until the right moment.  Proserpina will provide May with a believable excuse for her actions.

Story’s Summary  January and May go to the pear tree because May is craving a pear.  January thinks she is getting a pear when really Damian pulls her up and they begin to make love.  Pluto then restores January’s sight, and at that moment January screams because he saw May cheating on him.

Story’s Summary  Thanks to Proserpina, May gives a credible excuse to January that his sight is faulty because his vision has just been restored and he is seeing odd things.  May got down from the pear tree and they embraced.  January believed May and acted like nothing had ever happened.

Foreshadowing  An example of foreshadowing is when the goddess Proserpina says she will give May a credible excuse for her actions when the time comes for January’s vision to be restored.  Another example is when Damian gives May a love letter and she responds with the same feelings, leading up to her troubles.

Irony  Dramatic irony is used when we know that May is cheating on January with Damian, but January is unaware of her actions.  Situational irony is used when May cheats on January and we expect him to be mad, but they fell back in love.  Verbal irony occurs when Damian becomes ill and January sends his wife and women friends to comfort Damian. Then, January becomes blind and demands May to be at his side at all times.

Epilogue  The Merchant explains he is happy that he does not have a wife like May.  The Merchant shares about his wife’s faults, but does not continue because he is afraid he will find out.  The Merchant loves his wife and she has her faults, but he is happy because he knows that she will not cheat on him like May did.

Reflection  I found this story to be like any other story, about a woman forced to marry a wealthy man, but she really loves someone else. I was surprised at how easily January believed May’s excuse about what he saw. I also found it peculiar that the place of sin was a pear tree not an apple tree, because usually British literature was tied with Biblical times and in the Bible, the sin was from and apple tree. -Riley  I thought this story was interesting because the choices May made did not effect her and January’s relationship. Also, I think the Merchant’s view on marriage is contradictory to what actually occurs in the story. -Rosemary