The Merchant (by Matthew Jones)

## The Merchant

A well kept man with many riches but is not considered wealthy.

This man is a trader of fur and other goods. He is a man of wealth but he is not royalty. Him being a merchant shows that he lives in a time where traders have an almost monopoly on the goods going in and out of a country. This man has acquired his wealth through many years of trading with others and with this wealth he is not in any way poor but he is not wealthy enough to be considered royalty. He Is a man of business so he spends his days in the markets haggling prices to try and get the best deal for himself. One of the details that Chaucer doesn't include is the characters name. His modern application could be a businessman or the ceo of a corporation. Because he runs he trade of his population and makes money off of it just like a business tycoon.

This man with a large beard and sits atop a large horse, he also wore a beaver hat and black leather boots. Though he trades with many people he does not waste anything. He spoke his opinions softly and bragged about his success. He new a lot of foreign money and traded with many people. He never had any debt and he knows how to haggle a price of anything.

“With a forked beard and a motley gown” “a flemish beaver hat and elegantly fastened boots.”

“He spoke his opinions solemnly and stressing the times when he won, not lost.” “this worthy man kept all his wits well set.”

1. ↑ “Geoffrey Chaucer.” Poetry in Translation, 2007,

www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/English/CanterburyTalesIX.php.

## His story (highly summarized)

He is a lonely 60 year old man, who has just decided to take a wife. He takes a wife but one of the squires has fallen in love with her. One day the merchant falls and looses his eyesight. He makes his wife lead him around all the time and he wants to be with her all the time. He has his beloved garden that only he has the key to. his wife makes a copy of the key and gives it to the squire. The squire climbs a pear tree, and hides from them. The wife goes over to the tree and she says she wants a pear, and asks her husband to step down so she can climb the tree. She goes up the tree and is fooling around wit the squire in the tree. Then the god Pluto grants the merchant sight to see what is happening. Then when his wife and the squire get caught, Proserpina (Pluto's wife) gives the wife a lot of excuses to have her get away with it. So after this the merchant has restored his sight and he is happy with his wife. Because of Pluto and Proserpina, he has his marrage and he has his sight restored.

1. ↑ sayoder11. “The Merchant's Tale Summary.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Nov. 2010, www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0nsGYUTR38.

## Chaucer's Opinion

I believe that Chaucer thinks that this character is a little gullible at times but is also witty when it comes to spending money. He has been all over the world on trading missions and when he finally settles down he finds a nice young lady to marry. However after marrying this girl one of the squires who was in love with the now wife of the merchant began an affair with her. Then the merchant lost his sight. He was completely blind and he made his wife lead him around anywhere. My point is that he had no idea these things were going on because he was completely blind and he trusted his wife. She however was not trustworthy and she cheated him.

1. ↑ “The Canterbury Tales.” Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1400) - "The Canterbury Tales" (in Middle English and Modern English), 1997, www.librarius.com/cantales.htm.