The Miller:Boisterous & Untamed

Role in Society

The Miller is one of the pilgrims in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales and makes a living by grinding grain and making flour. He also has a slightly higher status than the average peasant in the feudal society of Medieval Europe.

Physical Attributes

Meet The Miller

“His beard, like any sow or fox, was red / And broad” (554-55)

“A thumb of gold” (567)

“His nostrils were black as they were wide” (559).

“His mighty mouth was like a furnace door” (561).

“He wore a hood of blue and a white coat” (568).

“He had a sword and buckler at his side” (560).

“The Miller was a chap of sixteen stone” (547).

Like all people, the Miller was born as a simple and honest character; but because of his character and actions pertaining to greed, dishonesty, and chaotic intentions, he sins against God. Therefore, his sins not only manifest into undesirable features but also features that have negative connotations in Christianity; for example, red is used to represent sin.

The miller is compared to a sow and a fox, symbolizing how not everything about him is as it seems. While a sow typically represents finances and greed, a fox connotes slyness and dishonesty. This is a quite apt descriptor for the Miller as he is implied to have cheated some of his clients financially. By stealing some of the goods from his clients, the Miller gains more money than the sack of flour is worth. Because of his deceitful nature, the Miller’s thumb becomes even more significant.

“His beard, like any sow or fox, was red / And broad” (554-55).

“A thumb of gold, by God, to gauge an oat!” (567).

The Miller is gifted with a thumb that allows him to discern between high and low qualities of grain through touch alone. However, with his aforementioned dishonesty, he does not use his talent to enrich the lives of his customers; instead, he deceives them by weighing down the scales with his thumb, after milling the grain into flour, to increase profit and to keep some of the good flour for himself.

Supplementary:

The proverb “Every honest Miller has a thumb of gold” has many different meanings; thus, it is nearly impossible to pinpoint its true meaning. That being said, the multifaceted connotations allow you to have a choice in your meaning, which could be helpful to the focus of your essay. The meanings can be found in the very last slide.

On his nose is a large wart with tufts of hair protruding forth. Taking this physical deformity and examining it through the lense of physiognomy, one can say that the Miller, although an overall upstanding and religious man, still has a glaring sin he hasn’t repented for. Paired with nostrils “black as they [are] wide” and a “mighty mouth,” these physical features paint a very unpleasant picture (559, 561). As someone whose personality is very crude and has little to no verbal filter, these physical features inform anyone, who sees him at a glance, of his crass nature.

“He wore a hood of blue and a white coat” (568).

As a man who is fairly poor, it would make sense as to why his coat would be white; white is a natural colour from wool and would have been inexpensive. This reflects his slightly shabby living situation as a simple miller. However, his blue hood gives a more interesting look into the miller’s character. Blue dye is considered a luxury item as most of the plants used in the dying process would only be found in the tropics. This contrast in clothing illustrates that although the Miller is of low class, he still makes enough money to once in a while splurge on the occasional luxury.

In feudal society, the Miller is at the bottom of the hierarchy; yet, he lives a little more comfortably than other laborers. By producing food and providing services, sometimes military, to the nobles, the Miller receives land and protection.

The sword and buckler also suggest his lust for violence and his readiness for any opportunity to fight, where he can show off his strength and skills. His love for war also explains why he goes to taverns often, as those settings are where disputes and fights are more likely to occur.

“He had a sword and buckler at his side” (560).

“The Miller was a chap of sixteen stone” (547).

Although the Miller seems fat and lazy, he works out by grinding grain and going to wrestling competitions—both of which help him form a strong and healthy body. However, he is indifferent to taking care of his body by constantly going to taverns and drinking ale.

Non-physical Attributes

Pride

“he could go / And win the ram at any wrestling show” (548-49).

The Miller prides himself on winning rams and prizes at wrestling shows. This conveys his obsession for attention and for showing off his body to others. His hobby may radiate self-confidence in his abilities; but internally, he is insecure about his body and needs to compare himself with others in order to feel adequate, or superior.

“he would boast / He could heave any door off hinge and post, / Or take a run and break it with his head” (551-53).

In addition to wrestling competitions, the Miller also boasts about different scenarios to exercise his pride on his physical strength. His excessively proud and self-satisfied talk about his achievements and abilities to anybody he meets demonstrates his inability to socialize with others, which portrays him as the stereotypical low-class worker in medieval society.

Pride - cont.

“He liked to play his bagpipes up and down / And that was how he brought us out of town” (569-70).

This is another example of the Miller’s profound love for attention and pride in his abilities. Through frequent playing of his bagpipes, he attracts people towards him; with people around him, he is able to talk and share his stories.

“Nor give preference to any man out of courtesy” (Benson 3123). The Miller, who is so full of himself, does not regard any of the other pilgrims’ tales, neither in appreciation nor disagreement. In fact, as soon as the Knight finishes his tale, he intrudes by saying that his tale will be as noble as the Knight’s and pursues it despite the host’s dispute. This shows his discourteous behaviour and obstinacy, which are details that support the stereotypical low-class worker.

Love and Lust

“His mighty mouth [is] like a furnace door” (561). | “A wrangler and buffoon” (562).

A wrangler is someone who engages in lengthy and complicated quarrels or disputes. The diction illustrates the Miller’s passion for talking: whether it is bragging or sharing stories about himself, prattling under the influence of alcohol, or arguing with others, his mouth will never stop moving. The fact that he engages in lengthy disputes also reinforces his persistence of his ideas.

A buffoon means a ridiculous but amusing person, or a clown. Although the Miller is perceived to be self-centered and foolish, he provides entertainment to other people, which compensates for his lack of dignity. Though his appearance and personality make him dishonourable, his stories become the gateway to people’s hearts.

Love and Lust - cont.

“he had a store / Of tavern stories, filthy in the main” (562-63).

When the Miller combines his two loves, stories and drinking, the consequence is filthy and vulgar tales, appropriate to a tavern’s setting. His ability to produce and tell such sensual stories could imply his own lust and desire for intense sexual activities.

Supplementary: Miller’s TaleThe tale begins as we are introduced to the key characters. Nicholas is an oxford cleric with a love of

astronomy living with John, an old carpenter and his beautiful teen wife, Allison. One day, Nicholas makes a move on Allison who refuses at first, but eventually agrees to sleep with Nicholas. Nicholas is not alone in desiring Allison, however, as a church clerk by the name of Absalom often comes around to try and woo her but Allison does not return his affections.

Nicholas hatches a plan to get him and Allison alone and lays prone on his bed. When John comes to check up on him, Nicholas tells him about a vision he had received about a great flood that would come next monday and wash away all life. Believing this vision, the old carpenter worries but Nicholas assures him that there is a way to survive. By strapping three tubs full of provisions to the roof and sleeping in them, they would be saved from the flood since they wouldn’t drown or be swept away by the water. And when the water does come, all they need to do is cut the tubs free and they would safely float above the wreckage. Nicholas warns John that all they can do while in the tubs is pray and not make a sound. On the day of the supposed flood, the three members of the household climb up to the roof and sleep in the tubs. As soon as they hear the carpenter begin to snore, Allison and Nicholas slip back into the house and sleep on the carpenter’s bed.

The next day, Absalom comes to the house in yet another attempt to court Allison. But this time, Allison harshly tells Absolom that she loves another. Undeterred, Absolom continues to try and beg for a kiss, or maybe something more. Finally fed up, Allison offers one kiss on the cheek and Absalom jumps at the opportunity. When he leans in, however, his lips meet Allison's bare ass, not her cheek. Both Allison and Nicholas laugh over this and Absalom is thoroughly embarrassed. Instead of sulking away, Absalom obtains a hot poker from the local blacksmith and returns asking for another kiss. In response, Nicholas sticks his ass out and rudely farts at Absalom. Absalom brands Nicholas’s buttocks with the poker who loudly cries for someone to bring water to cool his burning behind. The carpenter is awoken by the loud commotion and hearing Nicholas’s words, assumes that the flood has come. Following Nicholas’s instructions, John cuts the tub free but comes crashing down attracting the attention of the rest of the towns people. When he tries to explain what he had heard, Nicholas and Allison feign ignorance and say that the man is beginning to go mad with age. The townspeople laugh and the Miller ends by asking God to save the company.

(Go to the Miller’s Twitter page)

Works Cited

● Chaucer, Geoffery. The Prologue to The Canterbury Tales. Translated by Nevill Coghill. Adventures in

English Literature, Athena ed., Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1996, pp. 57-79

● Benson, Larry D. “Chaucer: The Miller's Prologue and Tale -- An Interlinear Translation.” Chaucer:

The Miller's Prologue and Tale -- An Interlinear Translation, Houghton Mifflin Company,

http://sites.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/milt-par.htm.

Bibliography● Fri, Mandy Bayton. “What Sowing and Reaping Means for the Christian.” Christian News on Christian Today,

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/what-sowing-and-reaping-means-for-the-christian/130274.htm.

● “Geoffrey Chaucer. The Miller's Portrait.” Luminarium, http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/millport.htm.

● Krauszer, Michael. “What Does The Color Red Mean or Symbolize in The Bible.” Christian Crier, Patheos Explore the World's Faith through

Different Perspectives on Religion and Spirituality! Patheos Has the Views of the Prevalent Religions and Spiritualities of the World., 3 Nov.

2014, https://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/11/03/what-does-the-color-red-mean-or-symbolize-in-the-bible/.

● Rinehart, Holt. Adventures in English Literature. Athena Ed. ed., Austin, [Tex.] : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1996.

● The Miller in the Canterbury Tales, for Mature Readers Only., http://www.angelfire.com/folk/molinologist/reeve.html.

● Pollard, Alfred W. Chaucer's Canterbury Tales: The Prologue, London: Macmillan, 1903

https://tigerweb.towson.edu/duncan/chaucer/notes-miller.html

● SparkNotes, SparkNotes, https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/characters/.

● “What Impression of the Miller Does Chaucer Create in the Portrait? Essay Examples.” What Impression of the Miller Does Chaucer Create

in the Portrait? Essa, https://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=100006.

The Proverb’s Meanings

“Every honest miller has a thumb of gold.”

● Honest millers came as rare as men with thumbs of gold.● Millers cheat by putting their thumbs on the scales when they weigh flour.● Millers can turn flour into gold with their thumbs.● There are no honest millers.● A clever miller grows rich.