The Merchant's Tale
By Elias Ashooh
Who is the Merchant?
His Tale
January falls for a young, stunning girl named May. The have an extravagant wedding filled with love and happiness. The merchant gives many allusions and descriptions on their wedding. " Hymen, who is the god of weddings, never in his life saw so merry a wedded man." (399) January and May then begin life as a married couple. January becomes completely blind with his old age. At the same time, one of January's attendants, Damian, falls in deep love for May. He confesses his love for May and they plot to have an affair and take advantage of January's lack of sight. January and May are in the garden when May says she is craving a pear. Damian is waiting in the tree for May. May climbs up the tree and copulates with Damian. At this moment, a god decides to give January his sight back and he sees May with Damian. He is in anger, but May insists his sight wronged him and he believes her and they go on with their life.
Moral of the Story
What You Need to Know
Vocabularly
Prudence- the act of being cautious
Solicitude- caring for someone
Occult- supernatural beliefs
Felicity- intense happiness
Essential Questions
2) What is the significance behind the names of May and January and how do they relate to their characters?
3) How does May feel about her marriage to January?