The Merchant (Canterbury Tales) - Jessica

## The Merchant

The Merchant is one of the many characters from the Canterbury Tales.[1] He is a very cynical man who has hatred for his wife. He is a worthy man that could keep his wits. He is a very wealthy man due to his business but is well known to be in debt. He has been described as wearing a motley gown, a Flemish beaver hat, and boots that were fastened neatly and elegantly. He was a worthy man but was not memorable enough for the narrator to recall his name.

### Status

The Merchant is a wealth fur and clothing trader, allowing him to be in the high earning class.

### The Character's Story

The merchant's story starts with an old knight that went by the name of January. After years of being a knight, he decided to marry. His reason was that he wanted to fulfill God's wishes, that a man and women marry one another, he also wanted a son that would inherit his estates. January calls a bunch of his friends up, asking for their advice on his plan. His closes friend, Justinius, argues against the plan, saying that women were unfaithful. The other friend, Placebo, argues that January should make up his own mind. He left to survey the country to find someone, only to come across a beauty named Mary. January has a handsome young attendant that went by the name of Damian, who instantly fell for May at sight. Damian's love was so powerful that he felt physically ill. January was partial to Damian's handsome young self, leading him to send his wife notes to May, in which he says his undying love for her. May replies back with a note, Damian acknowledging her desire. January is stricken blind, believing that May is by his side at all times. May at some point gives Damian a wax impression of a key to January's secret garden, telling Damian to climb up the pear tree. Later on. May leads January to the pear tree, pretending that she had an insatiable hunger for a pear, telling her husband to bend over and let her stand on his back. May was taken into the tree by Damian, where they partake in the act of "swyving"[2] . At this moment, while the couple was in bliss, January was given sight, thanks to Pluto, allowing him to catch sight of the young couple. However, May was able to come up with the excuse that Januaries eyes were faulty. The same when waking up from a deep sleep where the eyes aren't used to seeing bright lights and seeing strange things dimly. May then jumps down from the tree and January clasps her in a fond embrace.

## Symbolism

The tale that the Merchant tells has symbolism within it. The names of the character's in his name is a part of the symbolism. The guy that is named January, a month that can be associated with the cold. January was also represented as white, that could reveal how he was old. May is the month where spring began, a month of new life. Their names revealed a lot about their personalities since named after a season. Damien was to be represented as the devil in this tale, being presented with temptation, lust, and sin to those who fall to them. There was a pear tree near the end of the tale, those meaning to show a failing and or breached marriage.

## Middle English

The difference in spelling betweeeeeeen the old version and the translated version was highly noticeable. You would have words that would sound the same but were spelled differently. You would have words that were completely different from its translation. Middle English seems to also be more expressive.

## Resource

https://user.phil.hhu.de/~holteir/companion/Navigation/Authors/Chaucer/WorksChaucer/CT/the\_merchant.html

http://www.librarius.com/canttran/genpro/genpro001-042.htm

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/c/the-canterbury-tales/summary-and-analysis/the-merchants-prologue-and-tale