The Significance of the story and the Reeve's Occupation
The significance of this tale to society during this time period was that it is a story of revenge for the Miller telling a story that spoke badly about carpenters which the Reeve used to be at one time. This story is similar to the Miller’s Tale except it makes the Miller to be the bad guy for stealing good that needed ground up or milled. These goods were often replaced with less valuable things such as when the Miller stole the goods from the college or when he replaced half of the flour with bran to keep the flour for himself. For this and the crimes against the college students think of a way they could enact their revenge. The students decide to screw the Miller’s wife and daughter while the Miller was sleeping. Alan went to bed with the daughter while John waited for the wife to go use the bathroom. Once this happened John moved the cradle with the Miller’s child next to his bed so when the wife returned she came into John’s bed. This was considered a very common expression or phrase from this time period. From there John procedded to what we would consider today as rape her. This story is very serious in our world but was almost a comedy of sorts because it is a very interesting tale that tells of the awful character that cheat and steal and lie to get what they desire, whether it be revenge or to rip off customers The Reeve’s Tale has it all. In this tale we get a few moments of irony. There is some verbal irony in the whole story altogether. The point of these tales is to give a lesson or have some kind of moral finding but all we get in this story is scandals and revenge from the scandal which doesn’t lead to anything good just sin and more trouble and people getting hurt. The Reeve’s Tale also contains situational irony because we expect after the college students get scammed that they would confront the Miller but instead ask to stay so they can bed his wife and daughter as revenge for cheating them and others of their products.
A Reeve as described in The Reeve’s Tale’s Prologue describe this character as being a manager of a large estate where his manager and himself reap incredible profits for themselves. The website I used states that a medieval Reeve would and I quote “Was a manor official appointed by the lord or elected by the peasants” “Medieval Jobs.” Medieval Jobs, www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-england/medieval-jobs.htm.accessed11/19/19
A Reeve as described in The Reeve’s Tale’s Prologue describe this character as being a manager of a large estate where his manager and himself reap incredible profits for themselves. The website I used states that a medieval Reeve would and I quote “Was a manor official appointed by the lord or elected by the peasants” “Medieval Jobs.” Medieval Jobs, www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-england/medieval-jobs.htm.accessed11/19/19