The Knight's Tale Courtly Love Analysis

Prompt 2: Why does the Miller choose to satirize the knight’s tale?

The Miller chooses to satirize the Knight’s tale in order to expose how the upper class glorifies courtly love and often tells tales unrealistically. In the Knight’s tale, Arcite and Palamon, two men who claim to be in love with Emily, bicker over who should be able to marry her. Initially, Palamon states, “‘The fairness of that lady that I see / In yonder garden, roaming to and fro, / Is cause of all my crying and my woe’” (1098-1100). Palamon confesses his love for Emily to Arcite and is depressed since he believes that he will never have the chance to be with her, as he is currently imprisoned in a guarded tower. Immediately after Palamon states that he is in love with Emily,

In general, courtly love is meant to be passionate love between two people who are already married to other individuals. However, as seen through the Miller’s tale, courtly love is usually not as ardent as it is made out to be. In his tale, Absalon “[kicks] his heels about and blithely prance / And play some merry tunes upon the fiddle” in an attempt to make women love him (3330-31). However, when he does this for Alison, she “[makes] poor Absalon an ape, / [Makes] all his earnest efforts but a jape” (3389-90). Alison does not fall for Absalon, even though he tries to express his love toward her on multiple occasions. He follows the ideals of courtly love by singing for her and complimenting her, but Alison rejects him nevertheless. Her rejection, despite his efforts, displays how courtly love is not always successful. After being rejected for the first time, Absalon returns to try to win over Alison. However, when he attempts to kiss her, she tricks him into kissing “her naked arse with eager mouth / Before he [is] aware of all of this” (3734-35). Angered by this, Absalon obtains a hot iron to “smite” Nicholas “right in the groove” (3810). Absalon and Nicholas fight with one another over Emily. They do not obey the rules of chivalry when doing so, and their battle is not fair. Absalon attacks Nicholas while he is unarmed, and Nicholas attempts to trick Absalon while he is trying to charm Alison. They do not have an equal opportunity in attempting to get her to fall in love with one of them. Therefore, the Miller displays through his vulgar tale how courtly love and chivalry, despite their definitions and purposes, are often completely