Morgan Holmes
English 12 H
Ms. Muckian
2/19/13
Do People Just Go Too Far With Things? When people watch the shows like Ridiculousness and Tosh.O they laugh at the people that do these crazy stupid things and possibly getting hurt from their actions in the long run. It is unbelievable that people do these things and get hurt doing them, but end up still posting them on these shows for people of the rest of the world to laugh at. Physical harm is pretty hilarious in some ways, but also cruel because those people that had the harm put on them or put it on them could have actually gotten hurt, both physically and mentally. In the Canterbury Tales the “Miller’s Tale” shows that physical harm can be cruel or sometimes funny depending on whom it is done to, what had happened or what it is, and what the people that had the harm done to, their reactions. Physical harm is usually funny only because of the stupidity of the people who do it. In the “Miller’s Tale” Nicholas puts his butt out for Absalom to kiss, even after they had already done it to him once before. Absalom knew this was going to happen again so he went to the local smith to borrow a brander. This is funny because Absalom is getting his revenge on Nicholas and the wife from the first time they did it to him. “This red-hot coulter in the fireplace here, lend it to me, I have a need for it, and I will return it after just a bit” (591-593). Absalom knew this would be the only way to get back at Nicholas pay back by branding his butt the next time he put his butt out the window. Physical harm is funny this way because by Nicholas putting his butt out the window, he got the revenge from Absalom in a very painful and dreadful manner. Physical harm is cruel because that person could have actually been hurt. In the “Miller’s Tale”, after Nicholas had gotten branded, the old carpenter that was preparing for a “flood” had fallen out of the trees when someone had shouted, “’Water!”,”Water!”,”Water!” The old man then cut his rope and fell straight to the ground where no water laid. By falling the old man broke his arm and was embarrassed by everyone. This could be considered cruel because, Nicholas had told the carpenter that there was going to be a flood and really that was never supposed to happen. He had lied to him just to get with his wife. “’Now, John’, said Nicholas, ‘I will not lie; but I’ve found out, from my astrology, as I have looked upon the moon so bright, that now, come Monday next, at nine of night, shall fall a rain so wildly mad as would have been, by half, greater than Noah’s flood. This, he said in less time than an hour, shall be drowned, so terrible is this shower; thus shall all mankind drown and lose all life’” (327-335). What Nicholas was doing was trying to trick John the carpenter that there was going to be a terrible flood that was to be worse that Noah’s flood from the Bible. What Nicholas did was very rude; he did not need to be so cruel by telling John a complete lie. Nicholas deserves to get hurt or get revenge put on him, because he lied to John to get him away while Nicholas went to be with his wife. Why hurt an old man’s feelings by lying to him, which led to him getting hurt. Physical harm might be funny to others but to the person it could be cruel. In the “Miller’s Tale”, Nicholas and the carpenter’s wife devised a plan to make Absalom stay away from her. Absalom had been singing and trying to be with her, but she was in love with Nicholas. So what Nicholas and the wife did was that they planned to tell Absalom to come up to her window and she would give him one kiss. Absalom went to the window ready to kiss his true love, but instead of kissing her, she stuck her butt out the window for him to kiss instead. Absalom was so disgusted he freaked out and tried all he could to sanitize his whole face. Nicholas and the wife plotted a terrible and rude plan. “’And unto Nicholas’ said she, low and still: ‘Be silent
