Book Review Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales The Reeves Tale

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One of the bawdiest tales in English Literature, and one of the finest, funniest bedroom farces available. It is told by the Reeve, who was angry at how the Miller’s Tale was a humorous one having a dig at the reeve’s profession. His story turns the tables by making fun of a Miller. The Miller is a despised individual, given to violence, and with no qualms about over-charging his customers. Despite his fierce reputation, two mischievous male students decide to rip him off by trying to take more of his ground corn than they pay for. The Miller knows his trade well, and he quickly sees through their scheme. He turns the tables on them by swapping much of the grain they take for cheap bran, and in order to pull off the switch, he allows their horses to escape so they have to spend most of the day chasing after them. They students capture the horses, but it is late at night, so they request a room at the Miller’s own house. While there, one of the students decides to try and make love to the Miller’s wife. To achieve this, he moves the furniture in the bedroom, to lure her to his bed, as without lights on, she will have to use the position of a cradle to get her bearings in the dark. A result of the confusion caused leads the Miller to get into bed with the other student, and the men fight viscously when they wake up to find that they are embracing each other. The Miller comes off worse on the deal, with a bloody nose. The students escape and ride off, taking their grain with them. The sense of poetic justice against the appalling man is superbly handled. Arthur Chappell