The Miller’s Tale
Nicholas and Absolon desire Alyson, John’s wife. Nicholas, whom is living in John’s house, makes up a flood so he can sleep with Alyson every night. Absolom, a parish clerk, instead of doing his job he checks girls out including Alyson. This criticizes the church, how parish clerks are corrupted. Absolom wear fancy clothes and doesn’t collect money from the women. When he’s supposed to help the poor instead of being selfish. It also criticizes religion. Nicholas uses John’s religion to trick him by using Biblical references to Noah’s flood. John is gullible in believing there’s going to be a flood because of his understanding of what is in the Bible.
The Wife of Bath’s Tale A knight rapes a women and is condemned for death, however the queen gives him a chance to survive by telling him that he has a year to tell her what women want most in the world, if he doesn’t he dies. The knight travels all over but can’t seem to find the right answer until he meets an old crone that tells him the right answer. He returns to the queen and grants his life back, however he is obligated to marry the old woman in return. He is miserable and the old lady asks him if he rather has and old and faithful wife or a young and unfaithful one. He tells her whatever she wants, and she turns in to a beautiful young girl. This criticizes that ugly or pretty; their husbands should obey women in all things. It shows how even old women can display beautiful quality. It criticizes the phrases it matters what’s inside rather than what’s outside.
The Pardoner’s Tale These three drunken men were trying to find men but instead they find an old man that can’t seem to die. The old man tells the three drunken men where he thinks death is. The three men find