Chaucer

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Knight's Tale: be mindful that the Knight loves Greek literature. This story Boethius' dramatize Boethius' idea about a wheel of fortune that plays a role in our lives. He writes about it in his famous book, The Consolation of Philosophy, which was written while he was in prison.

Be careful what you pray for:

• Palamon prays Venus (god of love);
• Arcite prays Mars (god of war); deus ex machina; click here for explanation. Earthquake (fury) throws him off his horse.
• Parliament rules that Palamon and Emily can marry. Finally, peace!

Miller's Tale: prereading tip: be mindful that romantic comedies play up the kiss scene. Click here for a youtube scene from Cinema Paridso, in which a film maker views all the romantic kiss scenes that were cut from his local theatre when he was a little boy. The young (fatherless) boy was mentored by a father figure in the village who was in charge of running the movie machine on Sat. nights. The boy grows to be a successful movie maker in Rome. Watch the movie to see how he comes to terms with neglecting his mentor and roots.

Reeve's Tale Comic Situation:

Aleyn wants revenge and goes to bed with the daughter; John, keeping up w/revenge, moves the baby cradle so that Wife return to wrong bed after bathroom run.

In the morning, Aleyn returns to the wrong bed and ends up with the Miller; fight ensues, and the Miller is brutally beaten.