'His Paradis terrestre and his disport. So buxom and so
vertuous is she They moste needes live in unitee:'
It is pride and vanity on behalf of the Merchant to believe
that the perfect wife is one who would agree with
everything he says, which is to avoid the shame of having
a disobedient wife. This sets up a distorted idea of
women only to be subverted during the actual tale.
Greed - Merchant's Tale
Quotes
'For Goddes sake, thenk how I thee chees, Nought for no coveitise, douteless'
January tells May that he didn't choose her out of covetousness, which is a blatant lie to the readers, who
have just read about him choosing a wife based upon their most attractive features, using mirrors in a
marketplace. Think Anna Nicole Smith.
'To love him best of any creature, Though he namore hadde than his sherte'.
May doesn't show the greed that January initially presents. More so she is flattered
by Damian's 'honest' advances and that alone is why she chooses to love him the
most, rather than January who essentially bought her as a wife with his
possessions.
'And whan he wolde paye his wif hir dette'
The idea of marital debt became popular in Medieval times as it was introduced
in canon law of Europe. It was the concept of sexual debt in marriage, and both
husband and wife had the right to demand from each other.
May would probably much rather have a payment
of money than sex with January but it can be
implied that these two go together, just as another type of transaction.
'“Freendes, I am hoor and old, And almost, God woot, on
my pittes brinke'...'And bet than old boef is the tendre
veel: I wol no womman thritty yeer of age—'
January's greed is presented here through him first declaring the unattractive features of himself,
followed by his demands for a young and attractive wife. In this way, it is avaricious of him to demand
things from a woman that he himself cannot provide in return.
The greed of the
Merchant
January's Greed
He treats the acquiring of a wife as a market transaction - even going so far
that he goes to the market to scout for potentials. The Merchant doesn't
appear to shun this action, for evident reasons - the Merchant works in
transactions and he seems to believe marriage is just another type of.
January's decision for marriage “which has its foundation in greed and lust. No longer young, attractive, or able to have sex with any woman
he desires, he now determines to "buy" a young and beautiful woman, who, as his wife, will have to obey him
in all things" - Rosalyn Rossignol
Envy - Merchant's Tale
Quotes
'And though that I be jalous, wite me nought: Ye
been so deepe emprinted in my thought'
'And therwithal the fir of jalousye, Lest that his wife sholde falle in som folye'
Cuckolding and Jealousy
The Merchant's pride is mentioned in the General Prologue - he dresses well, appears to be the
dandy of the group 'And motley dress, high on his horse he sat', and also appears to be in debt
as a result of shady dealigns, which he attempts to keep hidden