What Great Thing Is Emotion

In the Miller's Tale, the plot revolves around a shared passion for a single woman, inciting men to do thing out of the ordinary. By recurring to the theme of women, for we saw it present in the Knight's Tale, it is possible that there is a foreshadowing of future tales happening. If this is so, and every tale revolves around some sort of love story, then as readers we may be obliged to find meaning beyond it, in the characters and their actions as segments of a greater understanding. It is evident that throughout the tales every character has a distinct personality described in detail such is introduced. Take the Clerk, for example, of whom much is said at his mentioning by the lines of "clever Nicholas. Of secret love he knew and of its satisfaction (3199-3200)." Every character has some trait described beyond necessity, some thought alien to the plot, some detail that appears as excess, but then, when importance is given to these description, one understands that its not excess in any matter. It is through these characterization that the tales truly evolve and stand apart from each other.

But why? Why is it that it happens in the first place? Well this is only a humble guess: to create emotion. It is necessary to create certain connection between reader and character if the author intends to provide an emotional connection with the text. And this only makes sense, for if I was writing my masterpiece, I would strive for an emotional reaction, something beyond a momentary entertainment. The narrator shares my thoughts regarding this point when including "Lo, what a great thing is emotion (3611)." Is the text bluntly suggesting its objective, is it secretly targeting our unconscious self? I don't really know, but then again, it makes no difference to me as long as we have that established.

And why establish? Well, because it has become clear to me after much reading that the approach taken towards the text determines the outcome. It is here that I have come to a realization and a correction of my mistake, or at least a change towards a new one. I am not suggesting that you ignore the plot. All I propose is that you question your priorities as you read and give more importance to the characterization prior to the action. It is only when you understand a character to its deepest detail that you begin to understand his motives.