The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer was adapted and made into a television series, which adapted all of the writer’s works. In The Millers Tale movie, Nicholas arrives in Kent, driving a shiny red sports car, which appears to be running out of gas. Nicholas breaks down in front of a pub, which has a popular karaoke bar night. The pub and bed and breakfast inn are both owned by John. John is not a carpenter in the movie, but is described as one in the written tale. Nicholas enters the pub for help, where he spots Alison singing and performing on stage, and the lies and the manipulation all begin.
In the tale, Chaucer describes Alison as:
“White was her smock, embroidered all before, and even behind, her collar round about, of coal-black silk, on both sides, in and out; the strings of the white cap upon her head, were, like her collar, black silk worked with thread.”
However in the movie, Alison is very beautiful. She always wore tight jeans and mini-skirts, with cut off shirts that always displayed her torso. Her hair is blonde, and is always pinned up. She has big beautiful eyes, and is very flirtatious with all the men who look at her. Alison loves attention by anyone man who will give it to her. In the movie, John’s character is hilarious. Any man who looks at his wife, he grabs them, and throws them out of his tavern. Chaucer describes John’s love for Alison as:
“Jealous he was and held her close in cage.” But these same men return night after night to watch her karaoke show. The ironic thing is, Alison really cannot sing, so it’s truly her beauty that has these men mesmerized. In the tale Nicholas states:
“I pray that you will have some ruth on me.”
However; in the movie, Nicholas seems to have a love spell on Alison. The character, whose name is Donnie in the movie but named Absalom in the tale, is very similar to the character Chaucer describes in his story. Donnie has long blond hair, and a young college man’s look. Alison had led John to believe that Donnie was gay, until Nicholas led John to believe otherwise. Nicholas portrays himself as a high rolling talent scout, declaring that Alison has what it takes o become a start, and John will be rich. In the movie Nicholas befriends John and they become close friends. John trust no man but Nicholas around Alison. For days the movie shows how Nicholas make many approaches to seduce Alison but the jealous Donnie is always lingering and showing during the moments Alison and Nicholas are about to have relations. Nicholas breaks into an old recording studio and has Alison and John meet him there. Nicholas bakes some cookies that are laced with weed and drugs John. Nicholas and Alison lead John into a room in the back of the recording studio so that they can be alone while Jon sleeps; and he and Alison have relations while John is sleeping. The only similarities between the tale and the movie are the scene when Alison and Nicholas trick Donnie :
“but with his mouth he kissed her naked arse.”(Chaucer) and Donnie places a hot iron on Nicholas naked arse.