The Merchants Tale - Context

Question 1

What did marriage represent

Answer 1

The union between Christ and the Church

Question 2

Sex outside of marriage

Answer 2

It was seen as sinful and one of the 7 deadly sins

Question 3

Sex in marriage

Answer 3

• Both the husband and wife owed each other marriage ‘dette’
• The consumption of the marriage was required and failure to consummate said marriage was one of the few grounds for divorce
• Sex was solely for procreation

Question 4

Love Triangles (Januarie - May - Damyan)

Answer 4

Influenced by Boccaccio’s Decameron:
(Pyrrus - Nicostratus - Lydia)

Influenced by Helen of Troy:
(Paris - Menelaus - Helen of Troy)

Question 5

Courtly Love

Answer 5

Conventionalised medieval tradition –> love between a knight and a married noblewoman
Damyan:
- In love with another man’s wife
- He is sick with love for her and can only be cured if she returns his love
May:
- Scarcely notices Damyan, then starts to feel pity for and interest in him after receiving his letter

Question 6

Chaucer’s attitude towards courtly love

Answer 6

Influenced by the Ten Commandments which forbid adultery:
- Christian interpretation might suggest that they are self-indulgent
- Chaucer reduces our sympathies for them by making Januarie blind therefore making him a more sympathetic character thus increasing our condemnation of May

Question 7

Medieval morality plays

Answer 7

Commedia dell’arte theatre:
Januarie represents Zanni - an idiot character

Question 8

Golden Book of Marriage - Theophrastus

Answer 8

Preaches that women lead men to their doom
Januarie rejects the Golden Book of marriage as he doesn’t want to think too much about choosing his wife

Question 9

Women in the 14th Century

Answer 9

Limited opportunities for women
The place of women was often dictated by biblical writings:
–> The apostle Paul emphasised men’s authority over women
–> Forbidden from teaching and making them remain silent

Question 10

Expectations of women in the 14th century

Answer 10

Expected to marry and have children –> primary role of being a mother and wife:
–> Did not have much say in who they married
–> They were the keepers of the house

Question 11

Marriage in the 14th Century

Answer 11

• Easy to get married, only verbal consent was required
• Money, land and family names were very important and key factors in getting married
• Divorce was not allowed
• Marriage was seen as a union between families and not just individuals, important for:
  –> Social status
  –> Religious belief
  –> Political alliances
  –> Economic reasons
  –> Deemed necessary for salvation

Question 12

Why was it important to be married

Answer 12

Marriage was important for salvation
- Heaven and Hell were real places
- The next life mattered more
(Caster, 2013)

Question 13

Semex Amans

Answer 13

• An older, sexually feeble, impotent man
• Januarie is 60 (old considering the life expectancy of a 14th Century man)
• A stereotypical character of a classical Roman or Greek fabliau
• Stock Figure of January

Question 14

Setting

Answer 14

• Set in Pavia, Lombardy in Nothern-Central Italy
• Lombardy was a town full of brothels and banks which reflects both The Merchant’s and Januarie’s personalities
• Chaucer visited Lombardy on royal duties in 1378

Question 15

Calendrical Months

Answer 15

Januarie connotes wintery impotence and death

May connotes spring-like fertility and youth

Question 16

Marital debt

Answer 16

Created by St. Paul
- Written in the Bible “For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does” (1 Corinthians 7: 3–5)

Question 17

Pluto

Answer 17

Ref. to Pluto is ‘Deus ex machina’
- Used as divine intervention
- Chaucer’s commentary about importance of religion

Even though she has no voice, Pluto believes May is untrustworthy - highlighting the stereotypical image of the medieval women as being dishonest.

“Amonges a thousand men yet foond I oon, But of wommen alle foond I noon”