Love and Lust (Vg1)
By Anne Rollag, 2016
Recent years’ most discussed TV shows include the HBO series Girls and NRK’s Skam.
Both series revolve around the lives of young girls and their daily struggles to find their
place in society and in relationships.
The two series have stirred up debate as they challenge the glossy Hollywood way of
portraying young girls and their sexuality. Some critics are baffled by the nudity and
excessive drinking; others claim the girls are compromising themselves to please men.
Clearly, the eternal themes of love, sex and gender roles are a recipe for success.
A humorous approach to society’s expectations is as classical as the works of Geoffrey
Chaucer and William Shakespeare. Chaucer grew up in England in the 14th century.
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This era is often called the Dark
Ages, marked by wars, diseases,
strict rules and religious
fanaticism. Surprisingly, many of
the most famous stories from this
era are filled with humour.
In medieval Europe, people did not
go on summer holiday like we do.
Instead, some set out for a
pilgrimage in spring. In Chaucer’s
The Canterbury Tales we meet a
group of pilgrims on their way to
Canterbury Cathedral. They are from all layers of society and are presented by their
profession or status e.g. the Monk, the Miller and the Wife of Bath. The travelers take
turns telling stories to pass time.
Each of the characters is introduced in the General Prologue and again in the prologue to
his or her tale. Many of their tales are about the relationship between man and woman.
Opposite to what you might expect from pilgrims, their stories often describe sexuality that
ignores the sexual restrictions imposed by the Church.
“The Miller’s Tale”
One of the first stories is “The Miller’s Tale”. The readers are warned about the explicit
content already in the prologue to this story. The miller excuses himself by saying that
he is so drunk that he cannot be accountable for the content of the tale. Besides, he did
not make it up; he is simply passing it on.
In “The Miller’s Tale” we are introduced to a young girl, Alison, who is married to a much
older carpenter named John, in Oxford.
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Canterbury Cathedral
The carpenter had newly wed a wife,
One whom he loved more than his very life;
Her age was eighteen years. He jealously
Kept her as if inside a cage, for she
Was one both young and wild, and he had fears
Of being a cuckold1, so advanced in years.
It turns out the jealous carpenter has reason to worry about his young wife’s fidelity. He
has lodgers2; one of them is a handsome, and vain, young student:
This student's name was Nicholas the Handy.
He led a secret love life fine and dandy ,
In private always, ever on the sly ,
Though meek as any maiden to the eye.
With Nicholas there were no other boarders,
He lived alone, and had there in his quarters
Some fragrant herbs, arranged as best to suit,
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2
cuckold = the husband of an adulteress, often regarded as an object of ridicule or mockery.
lodger (n.) = a person who pays rent in return for accommodation in someone else's house
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And he himself was sweeter than the root
Of licorice or any herb at all.
One day the carpenter goes out of town, to a small village called Osney, and his lodger
seizes the opportunity to make a pass at his lovely young wife, Alison.
Now sir, and sir again, it came to pass
That one fine day this Handy Nicholas
With this young wife began to flirt and play,
Her husband off at Osney (anyway
These clerks are cunning when it comes to what
They want), and slyly caught her by the twat3;
Nicholas holds her tight and says he will die if she does not answer his feelings. Then
Alison “like a colt inside a shoeing frame she tried to bolt.” She begs him to let her go or
else she will scream. However, Nicholas speaks softly to her and manages to persuade
her to meet him again. Alison is worried about her husband’s jealousy and tells him to be
secret and “keep this matter quiet”. Nicholas responds confidently:
A clerk has for his time not much to show
If he can't fool a carpenter." And so
The two were in accord and gave their word
To wait awhile as you've already heard.
When Nicholas got through with all of this
And felt her good below the waist, a kiss
He gave her sweetly, took his psaltery4,
And played it hard, a lively melody.
So, although she is unwilling at first, Alison lets him feel her up and agrees to meet him
later in secrecy from her husband. However, we will soon learn that Nicholas Handy is
not the only young man in the village to have an appetite for beautiful women; the
parish clerk, or priest, Absalon, is also a ladies’ man. He knows several tricks to attract
women that you would not expect from a priest:
Some twenty different ways the fellow knew
To demonstrate the latest Oxford dance;
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4
twat (n.) = a woman’s genitals
a psaltry is an instrument similiar to a harp.
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He'd kick his heels about and blithely5 prance6
And play some merry7 tunes upon the fiddle.
Loud treble8 he was known to sing a little
And he could play as well on the guitar.
In Oxford there was not a single bar
That he did not go visit with his act
If there was any barmaid to attract.
Absalon, who obviously likes women and booze, soon does everything he can to attract
Alison. He sends her gifts and mead, an alcoholic drink made with honey, but Alison
rejects him, not because she is already married to John, but because she is in love with
Nicholas.
Alison and Nicholas conspire to deceive her husband, John. They trick him into believing
that a flood is coming soon. To avoid drowning, Nicholas explains, they have to hang
three tubs under the ceiling in the attic; one for each to sleep in while awaiting the flood.
As soon as the water starts filling the room, they will cut the ropes and the tubs will
serve as life rafts.
When night falls, John climbs into his tub to keep from drowning, while Alison and
Nicholas, instead of climbing into their tubs, spend the night together in the carpenter’s
bed. In the early dawn, the love sick priest, Absalon, passes by their window hoping for a
kiss:
He cleared his throat and spoke in softest voice:
"What are you doing, honeycomb, my choice
And fairest bird, my sweetest cinnamon?
Awake and speak to me, sweet Alison.
How little do you think upon my woe;
I sweat for your love everywhere I go.
No wonder that I sweat and slave for it:
I'm longing as the lamb longs for the tit.
Yes, darling, I have for you such a love
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blithely (adj.) = happy or carefree
prance (v.) = move in a manner of pretentious or showy display; designed to impress (or (of a horse) move
with high springy steps)
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merry (adj.) = cheerful and lively
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treble (n.) = tones of high frequency
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You've got me mourning like a turtledove,
My appetite's that of a maid," he cried.
"Get from the window, jackass," she replied.
Poor Absalon, he does not get the response he hoped for. However, he is not
discouraged, so he tries to convince her by saying that if he only gets one kiss, he will
leave her alone. Alison gets a bright idea and makes a cunning plan. She says she will let
him have his kiss, but he has no idea what she has in store for him. When he makes his
nightly call and climbs up to her window, it is not her sweet lips he is offered to kiss:
She opened up the window then with haste.
"Come on," she said, "be quick, no time to waste,
We don't want neighbors seeing you've come by."
Absalon wiped his mouth till it was dry.
The night was dark as pitch, as black as coal,
And from the window she stuck out her hole;
And Absalon, not knowing north from south,
Then kissed her naked ass9 with eager mouth
Before he was aware of all of this.
Then back he started, something seemed amiss:
A woman has no beard, he knew as much,
Yet this was rough and hairy to the touch.
"O fie!" he said. "Alas! what did I do?"
"Tee hee," said she, and clapt the window to.
Let that be the cliffhanger for now, actually there is even more to this story for you to
explore.
Shakespeare’s sonnets
Approximately two centuries later, William Shakespeare’s
romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet is a perfect example of
the fate of a young couple who rebel against their parents
and against social control. This is Shakespeare’s best-known
treatment of the subject of love and sexuality (with plenty of
lust thrown in), but by no means the only one. In fact, it is a
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ass (n.) = buttocks or anus
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constant theme in nearly every play he wrote, and, indeed, in all his poems. In addition
to his plays, he wrote 154 sonnets.10 In many of these poems Shakespeare, just like
Chaucer, challenges our perception of romantic love.
Fidelity is considered one of the most important pillars in a relationship. In “Sonnet
138”, the poetic voice chooses to stay with his unfaithful younger girlfriend. Their affair
is one of mutual understanding. In contrast to the jealous and naïve carpenter in “The
Miller’s Tale”, he consciously chooses to turn a blind eye to her unfaithfulness as long as
she pretends to overlook his age.
When my love swears that she is made of truth
I do believe her, though I know she lies,
That she might think me some untutor'd youth,
Unlearned in the world's false subtleties.11
Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
Although she knows my days are past the best,
Simply I credit her false speaking tongue:
On both sides thus is simple truth suppress'd.
But wherefore says she not she is unjust?
And wherefore say not I that I am old?
O, love's best habit is in seeming trust,
And age in love loves not to have years told:
Therefore I lie with her and she with me,
And in our faults by lies we flatter'd be. 12
The last lines are a pun on words; “lie” means both “to go to bed with” and “to tell lies.”
Shakespeare depicts a relationship that is neither romantic nor pragmatic; the lovers
seek each other in pure lust and let themselves be deceived by not asking any questions
that would jeopardize13 their relationship on moral grounds.
This spring the whole nation held its breath trying to keep track of who made out with
whom in Skam and the debate columns in the newspapers and on social media fumed
sonnet; from sonetto, Italian for «little song”.
subtlety (n.) = something complex and understated
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http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/138.html
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jeopardize (v.) = Put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or
failure.
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with discussions about the morality of these intrigues. The humorous, and perhaps more
cynical, Chaucer and Shakespeare would probably just roll their eyes!
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Resources for The Canterbury Tales
There are several versions of the text. You can read one in Middle English
(http://english.fsu.edu/canterbury/miller.html) and then a modern version
(http://ummutility.umm.maine.edu/necastro/chaucer/translation/ct/03milt.pdf).
Questions: The Canterbury Tales: “The Miller’s Tale”
The questions below should first be discussed in pairs or groups and then in full class.
1. How is Nicholas described? What does he do to make himself attractive?
2. There are some examples of “explicit lyrics” here. Can you find an example of
these in the first stanza about Nicholas and Alison?
3. Try to describe in your own words the first meeting between Alison and Nicholas.
4. Nicholas claims that “[a] clerk has not much to show if he can’t fool a carpenter.”
What attitude is expressed here, and what do we learn about the social classes of
the time?
5. In the same stanza we learn that he “felt her good below the waist, a kiss he gave
her sweetly, took his psaltry, and played it hard, a lively melody.” What
impression do you get of Nicholas in this scene?
6. In the next excerpt we are introduced to Absalon the parish clerk. Do you think
his behaviour is what you would expect from a priest?
7. Initially, in the first stanzas cited in the article, we primarily learn about Alison’s
looks and how she reacts to men’s treatment of her as an object. Finally, in the
two last stanzas, she is empowered and becomes the subject of the situation.
Compare and contrast her looks and her actions.
Close reading
See full text: http://english.fsu.edu/canterbury/miller.html
1. Read the full text of “The Miller’s Tale” (take turns reading the stanzas).
2. In groups of four divide the four main characters between you: John, the
carpenter, Alison, the young wife, Nicholas, the student, and Absalon, the
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parish clerk. Describe your designated character in your own words. Find at
least five characteristics. Present and share your findings in groups.
Comparison of “The Miller’s Tale” and Skam
1. If you know the Norwegian TV series Skam, compare the characters in “The
Miller’s Tale” with the characters in the TV show. Consider looks, behaviour,
choices and actions. You might consider starting with looking at similarities
between the following characters: Alison – Noora, Nicholas – William, Absalon –
Nikolai.
2. Compare the first meeting between Alison and Nicholas with the beginning of
Noora and William’s relationship.
3. Skam and “The Miller’s Tale” explore many of the same themes like love, lust,
guilt, infidelity and jealousy. Discuss how these themes are treated in the two
stories.
Creative work
1. Imagine that you are a journalist who is in Oxford to cover the story for a national
newspaper. You can focus on one character, or you can include several characters
in the article. Use the attached template to structure your news article.
2. Make a comic strip based on “The Miller’s Tale”.
More resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Y62CIF3II
Legomation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nDCrmO-Weg
Tasks for “Sonnet 138”
1. Divide the sonnet into sections and separate what the speaker actually says and
what he thinks.
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2. Reporter: Make a tabloid story about this couple. Who are they? Where do they
live? What do they look like? Are they married or are they having an extramarital affair?
For inspiration, here is an example of a mock tabloid report about Shakespeare’s
Macbeth:.
Talking about an adaptation
Watch the video clip from NRK with the introduction to The New Shakespeare Songbook
and Ane Brun’s adaptation of “Sonnet 138”, and discuss how she has altered the text and
how the artistic devices used in the video emphasize the feelings expressed through the
song: https://tv.nrk.no/serie/hovedscenen-tv/MKMF11011816/08-05-2016#t=50s
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