Canterbury Tales

In writing The Miller’s Prologue and Tale, Chaucer uses comedy to challenge of the social hierarchy and rules of the society of his day.  His mocking begins in the prologue when the innkeeper turns to the monk to tell a story after the knight has just finished his romantic tale.  Before the monk can get a word out, the drunken miller interrupts and insists on telling his story that will supposedly best that of the knight.  This would most likely be highly inappropriate for a commoner like the miller to interrupt the monk and try to outdo and insult the knight. By allowing the miller to barge in with his crude tale that is basically the antithesis of the knight’s tale of romance, Chaucer shows his contempt for the social hierarchy and its rules.  As the miller gets into his tale, the society’s rules are represented by Absolon, the parish clerk, who tries to court the beautiful Alison by using traditional methods of wooing her with his guitar and song.  Even when she refuses his advances, he continues to come to sing to her from beneath her window.  As must be the custom of traditional courting rules, Absolon requests a kiss from Alison in acknowledgement of his guitar playing and singing even though Alison has made it clear that she has no interest in his advances.  Again, Chaucer shows his contempt for the traditional social hierarchy and its practices by having Absolon unknowingly kiss Alison’s rear end instead of her face.  He goes so far as to have Nicholas, Alison’s lover, pass gas in Absolon’s face when he returns for a second kiss.  The commoner’s show of disrespect for society’s traditional methods of courtship speak mirrors Chaucer’s own views on the subject.