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Essay / A clerk and an astrologer in The Miller's Tale
Alison in "The Miller's Tale" is described as young and wild, like an animal: "For that she can jump and make game/Like any kyde or calf follows his lady", and we know that she would be willing to follow any idea as long as it is "fun". We observe her childish immaturity in the scenes where she allows herself to be "kissed" by Absolon. Likewise, it doesn't take much persuasion on Nicholas' part to convince Alison to have an affair with him, because the idea of cheating on her husband is a game to her. With mischievous delight, she conspires with Nicholas to create a far-fetched plot to convince her husband that a great flood is coming, and with her husband ensconced in a bathtub hanging from the roof, Alison successfully toys with Nicholas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay. The differences between Nicholas and Absolon emerge early on, but although both men compete against each other and with John for sexual access to Alison, true to type, the male rivals actually demonstrate less interest in the female object of their supposed desire than in their own gender and class identity and, therefore, their relationships with each other fall within a closed sphere of masculine objectivity. Nicolas, with his blend of esoteric learning, outrageous sense of humor and relentless pursuit of love is a type still recognizable today. He is introduced as "hende Nicholas", but his conduct is not at all in the usual sense of the adjective, which implies great courtesy, but rather a suggestion of approval, which is repeatedly invoked when Miller refers to its protagonist with this formula. We also immediately learn that he is scholarly, that he is an "expert in art" and that he is interested in astrology. Astrology was considered a respectable branch of knowledge and Nicholas was aware of its power to impress others. The imaginary flow that Nicolas tells Jean about shows us his cunning, his ingenuity, his contempt for the obtuse merchant and his confidence. His reputation (earned through real astrology in the past) is the keystone of his plan to help Alison cuckold John. However, in carrying out his plot, Nicholas must convincingly play the role of someone who is briefly mute by what he has planned. Although he later mocks John's gullibility, before he has had his night of bliss with Alison, he resists the temptation to betray himself through laughter or facial expression. Although John's comments about the clerk falling into the marl pit, "he said nat that", primarily reflect his own lack of foresight, they can be applied to Nicholas, who, in his overconfidence, receives the punishment that Absolon imagined. for Alison. Nicholas' ability as an astrologer is not compromised by this, however, as he acts impulsively, having "got up to pee", rather than after consulting his "astrelabie" or "stones of augrim.” Although Nicolas takes astrology quite seriously, he is otherwise cynical, unscrupulous and blasphemous. He has no honorable intentions towards Alison, although, to be fair, he is not cheating on her, as his attitude comes out frankly in his direct approach towards her. As a scholar of the university he belongs to the minor orders and must be celibate. Although John loves him, albeit with condescension, he considers his host to be an imbecile whom he does not hesitate to cuckold. He is crude and uses blasphemous oaths, and a far greater blasphemy lies in his claim to divine authority for his ".