"That's true Dru," she replied, laughing at her own clever rhyming when clearly no-one else found it amusing. "Does anyone know the three features I'm talking about? They're all events, if that helps ... "

Martha raises her hand and answers, "The fabliau (the plural is fabliaux) is a short, comic tale in verse; the term is usually used with reference to medieval literature. The humor is often bawdy or even positively obscene. Among the most famous fabliaux is Chaucer's Miller's Tale. Fabliaux were often directed against marriage and against members of the clergy. The form was extremely popular in France during the Middle Ages. Excellent examples of fabliaux can be found in pre-Christian Oriental literature, in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, and in Boccaccio's Decameron. Some of the topics/features included are intrigue, irony, equivocation, intamacy, parody, and coemdy."

She raised her hand again. "Intrigue, irony, and equivocation perhaps?"

She shook her head at all of them. "You're going to kick yourselves when you hear it. The three main features include a second flood, a misdirected kiss and a branding. Can anyone think of a Canterbury Tale in which all three of these things happen?"

Vishu noted those down and looked up.

OOC - gotta go. bye xox

"They appear in The Miller's Prologue and Tale Professor."

Martha raises her hand and says, "I believe it was "Miller’s Prologue and Tale", by Chaucer. She puts her hand down, hoping her answer is right.

"Correct Cherry, five points for Ravenclaw. Now, please copy down the following notes."

The fabliau was a form of verse narrative in vogue in France in the thirteenth century, written by and for the entertainment of aristocrats. It poked fun at the customs and social-climbing habits of the urban middle class. The typical fabliau is racy in pace, often obscene in the focus of its action, and rarely ever stops to indulge in description of character or setting. It usually centres on a practical joke, often a rude one, as the focus of the action. Its chief purpose is to make its audience laugh. If there was a pure English tradition of fabliau-telling in the same period it was oral, for little or nothing written survives.

"What makes The Miller's Prologue and Tale, a part of the fabliau genre? Refer to the characters, setting, themes and events."

Dru copied down the notes on the board and raised her hand.

"The Miller's tale is about a carpenter/landlord and his wife. (The Reeve, another of the travellers, happens to be a carpenter, and urges the Miller not to joke about his profession; the Miller replies that he does not mean to insult carpenters in general, and tells his tale anyway.)

"The story is of a student (Nicholas) who persuades his landlord's wife (Alisoun/Alison) to spend the night with him, making that possible through an elaborate scheme in which he convinces the landlord that God has appeared to him, telling him that a flood of Biblical proportions is imminent. The solution, says Nicholas, is to wait overnight for it in a tub suspended from the barn rafters, and to cut the tub from the roof of the barn when the water has risen. This comic prank allows Nicholas and Alison the opportunity to be together.

"While Nicholas and Alison lie together, another suitor, Absolon, appears and asks Alison for a kiss. She sticks her bottom out the window, and he kisses it "with relish," pausing only when he feels bristly hair and considers that no woman has a beard. He realizes the prank and, enraged, disappears to get a red hot poker. Returning, he asks for another kiss. This time Nicholas, who had risen from bed to urinate, sticks his "ers" out the window and farts loudly; Absolon brands him in the rear for his trouble. He cries for water, awakening the landlord, who thinks that the second flood is come at last. He panics and cuts himself down, breaking his arm; the rest of the town awakens to find him lying screaming in the tub on the floor of the barn. After that, he is considered a madman and is Cuckold by the whole town."

She writes everything down and raises her hand again, "I think the Miller's own profession is one of the factors Professor, because he makes fun of carpentry. Nicholas's prank perhaps and the fact that the theme of a misdirected kiss is present in this case."


OOC: I have to go too I'm afraid. Bye bye!!

Martha raises her hand and answers "The tale appears to combine the motifs of two separate fabliaux, the 'second flood' and 'misdirected kiss', both of which appear in continental European literature of the period. Its bawdiness serves not only to introduce the Reeve's tale, but the general sequence of low comedy which terminates in the unfinished Cook's tale. Critics see many Christian symbols in the Miller's Tale. Parts of the tale are similar to the Annunciation, with Nicholas as the Angel Gabriel and Alison as Mary, while the clueless carpenter John is Joseph. Nicholas's singing of the 'Virgin's Angelus', a popular song about the annunciation, hints at the parallel. Also, Medieval scriptural critics associated Mary with the image of the Burning Bush, perhaps inspiring the eventual branding with a poker. The character of Absolon introduces another theme of the Tales, the corruption of the Church. The Nun's Priest's Tale and The Shipman's Tale deals with the same theme; the Summoner, Friar and Pardoner personify it. Absolon is a clerk, but thinks of little except wooing young women at church, and Alison is for her part perfectly willing to be wooed:
"3339: This Absolon, that jolif was and gay,

Gooth with a sencer (censer) on the haliday,
Sensynge the wyves of the parisshe faste;
And many a lovely look on hem he caste,
And namely on this carpenteris wyf."

A third theme, that of knowledge and science, appears in several marginal comments. Nicholas is an avid astrologer (as Chaucer himself was), equipped with, "His Almageste, and bookes grete and smale, / His astrelabie, longynge for his art..." John the carpenter and his servant Robin (also the Miller's name) represent unintellectual laymen; John tells Nicholas:
"3454: Men sholde nat knowe of goddes pryvetee [God's private affairs].

Ye, blessed be alwey a lewed [unlearned] man
That noght but oonly his bileve kan! [who knows nothing except the ]"

He also recounts a story (sometimes told of Thales) of an astrologer who falls into a pit while studying the stars. The issue of whether learned or unlearned faith is better is also relevant to The Prioress's Tale and The Parson's Tale." Out of breath, she realizes her answer may be too thorough, but hopes that it was informative as well.

Dru looked around the classroom and wondered whether anyone else would add their thoughts about Chaucer. She then raised her hand, "M'am, did Chaucer have another profession either before or whilst he was writing? I mean, what exactly did he do?"

"Perfect answer Dru, 15 points to Slytherin for your very descriptive answer."

"Thank you very much class. You've all been wonderful. You can check your homework on the board on your way out. Class dismissed."

Dru stood up. "Thank you professor." She said. Once more people had left she walked up to the front of the class where professor Shwmae was. "M'am, can I talk to you in your office please?" She asked. It was quite obvious that something was on her mind.

"You may. Please, come this way," she gestured, leading the student from the room, looking the classroom door behind her.