The Student Room Group

The Merchants Tale

I need some help with The Merchants Tale, by Chaucer. I've found examples of Fabliau (but not very many, so any sugestions would be useful) but can anyone tell me any examples of courtly love (preferably line references cos I don't have many notes in my book)? Also any ideas how you can include Grice and Halliday, when writing about this poem?Any ideas will be v helpful cos it's not long now till the exam, and I really don't like this book!
Reply 1
well in terms of courtly love, chaucer writes satirically and with contempt for the whole idea. the main example of courtly love we are given is in damian and may's relationship. i haven't got my book to hand but the whole idea of damian lying around, 'ill' because may doesn't return his love is the image of a courtly lover.

chaucer's contempt for it can be seen when damian writes may a love letter and she throws it down the toilet - a clear indication of chaucer's view on the entire idea.

and that's all i can remember off the top of my head, i don't have my notes to hand, haha.
Yeah the way Damyan is descibed as being "sike" over "his faire fresshe lady May" is described using satire because whilst you have that language suggesting he is a courtly lover, Chaucer also uses references to Venus the goddess of lust and that he is "dieth for desir" - all which match a fabliau.
(lines 655 - 672)

Also, you have Januarie as the parody of a courtly lover in lines 610-652
These are some notes I made earlier on Courtly Love and Fabliau, I hope they are helpful:
Fabliau: short, comic or satirical tale. The language is usually colloquial and coarse (At certain points of the tale e.g. 1138, the Merchant is aware of the coarse language he is about to use and addresses the pilgrims). A standard theme is the adultery of a repressed wife. The repression of May seems true at the beginning of the tale, no opinion of hers is given and how she is taken up to the bedroom “as stille as stoon” (606). However later in the tale it is revealed that May becomes the adulteress as she gets involved with Damyan. Therefore it seems Chaucer has played with the conventions of Fabliau. Chaucer seems to use comic potential to address serious themes (this is reflected in the wedding night 637, and end of tale line 1141, consider a feminist reading)
Courtly Love: it is an elaborate code of conduct governing the actions and relations of aristocratic lovers. Regards love as the noblest passion and should be aspired to. The courtly lover (man) is a noble Damyan not. Suffers and endures pain and hardships in search of recognition from his beloved (Chaucer may have ridiculed this by Damyan’s ‘siknesse and his sorwe’ (line 798) as he miraculously recovers). May is not highborn, Januarie spotted May in a market place (371). Courtly love can be relevant to both marriage and adultery. Damyan and Mays relationship is based on lust instead of service, this contrasts with the conventions of courtly love.
macintosh
well in terms of courtly love, chaucer writes satirically and with contempt for the whole idea. the main example of courtly love we are given is in damian and may's relationship. i haven't got my book to hand but the whole idea of damian lying around, 'ill' because may doesn't return his love is the image of a courtly lover.

chaucer's contempt for it can be seen when damian writes may a love letter and she throws it down the toilet - a clear indication of chaucer's view on the entire idea.


i thought that the Merchant was the one who felt contempt towards courtly love - -;; correct me if i'm wrong