Summary Ultimate essay plan for the Merchant's Tale for Eduqas (WJEC) English Literature
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Course
The Merchant\'s Tale
Institution
WJEC
includes 4 critics; and analysis as well as relevant context; useful as a base essay plan for almost all essay questions in the A -level Eduqas English Literature Paper for Chaucer.
Behaviour of Januarie
An embodiment of the senex amans - traductio - Begins as a character
entrenched in ‘Heighe fantasee’ - ‘Wedlok is so esy and clene’ - the ease
at which Januarie is able to enter marriage - ‘In Chaucerian comedy,
there are no values….more important than survival or satisfaction’ -
Saywood - his bodily appetite takes precedence over religion - Religion
endorsed its exploitation due to the toxic misinformation inculcated within
society around the separation of the Catholic and Orthodox branches. - a
rift in papal authority, known as the Great Schism. The interference of
Roman Gods throughout - ‘Venus fyrbond’ - echo this - mixture of biblical
figures and Roman Gods and Goddesses - depiction of Januarie’s true
intentions
‘Warm wex’ Priscilla Martin notes the ‘female use of sexuality as a
commodity and male exploitation of economic power for erotic
purchase.’ - ‘Broght abedde as stille as stoon’ - simile - the plosive
alliteration accompanied with the sibilance highlight the non-consenual
and sinister nature of the marriage - reinforce the notion of blindness -
the wilful blindness towards the bride’s reluctance to consummate the
marriage - seen as a commodity with the sole purpose of sanitisating
and satiating lust - however, this blindness is also noted in the character
of the Merchant who observes no redeeming qualities in marriage -
reflecting the nature of the tale as a frame narrative - ‘feend’ - ‘weeping
and wailing’ - imparting the audience with his stagnated view on
marriage - Moreover - ‘His freshhe May, his paradys, his make’ -
consumption; paradise and self-deification - through marriage, Januarie
is able to sate his fantasy and hence his lust. - lust one of the Seven
deadly sins - personal possessive pronoun - tricolon of metaphors -
echoes Januarie’s intention to optimise his use of May - Chaucer’s
critique of the exploitation of the Church
Behaviour of May
Her sexual liason with Damyan - expresses her lust - Subverts the
portryal of courtly love
‘He stoupeth doun, and on his bak she stood’ - “May transcends the
economic and religious nexus within which she has been sold and
violated.” - religious nexus of marriage as a veil to disguise her pursuit of
lust - Aers - it is through Januarie’s decension, May’s elevation occurs -
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