The Shipman's Tale
The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Summary
The monk then pays the wife, in exchange for a night in bed with her; she accepts. The next morning, when the merchant returns, the monk informs him that he gave the loaned money to the merchant's wife. The monk promptly leaves town after this. When the merchant asks his wife for the money she 'received' from the monk, she says that she spent it on clothes, and that she would pay the money back to him, but in bed and not in cash.
Background Information
Moral of the Tale
The second is to never be greedy, otherwise you could be punished.
This tale reveals that the Shipman is a very crude and not very chivalrous person. His crude sense of comedy is shown through the monk conning both the merchant and his wife without getting in trouble either way.
Researched Information
Vocabulary Words
2. Abbot: a title given to the superior of a community of twelve or more monks
3. Monastic: of or relating to monks, nuns, or the buildings in which they live
4. Breviary: a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church
5. Wantonly: in a licentious and promiscuous manner
Essential Questions
2. How would the tale seem different if another pilgrim told the Shipman's tale?