Summary and Analysis of The Reeves Tale Essay -- Canterbury Tales The

Summary and Analysis of The Reeves news reportPrologue to the Reeves narrationThe reactions of the crusade to the Millers Tale were mixed, although objet darty laughed. Only Oswald, the elderly Reeve was offended. He claims that with age the qualities of boasting, lying, anger and covetousness fade away. He vows to repay the Millers Tale. AnalysisThe prologue to the Reeves Tale continues the pattern established with the prologue to the Millers Tale. Just as the Miller told his write up as a reaction to the Knights tale, the Reeve vows to tell a tale as a reaction to what the Miller has told, offended by his satiric interpretation of aged carpenter in comparison to the younger characters of the Millers Tale. He believes that the Millers Tale was an attack on him, and will so tell a tale that is an attack on the Miller. The Reeves TaleAt Trumpington, near Cambridge, there is a brook where nearby stands a mill. There is a moth miller who lived there once who wore ostentatious c lothing and could play the bagpipe, wrestle and fish. He ever so had a knife with him, and had a round face and flattened nose. His propose was Simon, and nicknamed Symkyn. His wife came from a noble family her father was the parson. Symkyn was a jealous man and his wife pretentious. They had a daughter who was now twenty and a toddler. The miller was dishonest in his business dealings. He cheated the college worst of all, and stole repast and corn from the dying steward of Cambridge. Two students, John and Aleyn, received leave from the provost to see the corn soil at the mill. Aleyn tells Symkyn that he is there to ground the corn and bring it back, since the sick steward cannot. While they ground the corn, Symkyn instal the students horse and set it loo... ...n this distinction is minor. Although they are students, they come from the to a greater extent plain northern area of England and show little of the savvy that Nicholas displayed in the foregoing tale. They are chea ted out of their corn and lose their horse through the millers deception. When they prepare the millers wife and daughter, they do so merely out of opportunity and jealousy, and their actions appear to be little better than rape. The two students even lack that government note of lust that is present in the Millers Tale and which might make the characters more sympathetic. In the end, more or less of the characters suffer some physical injury, but most of all the miller. For deceiving the students he found himself cuckolded, his daughter deflowered, and himself robbed and severely wounded. Even the inwardness by which he is wounded is comic his wife conks him on the judgment with his staff.