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Another tool Geoffrey Chaucer includes in his fabliau tale centered around immorality is an engaging love story. The plot revolves around an unorthodox love triangle. Both men involved in this threesome attempt to win Alisoun’s hand by any means necessary, as discussed in the previous paragraph. This story about romance and courtship helps Chaucer in his purpose to uncover the many themes within this tale. Unlike other stories involving love and sexuality, The Canterbury Tales do not simply recount knights rescuing maidens, embarking on quests, and forming bonds with other knights and rulers. Instead, these tales take on their versions of romance. For example, in “The Knight’s Tale”, Chaucer incorporates romantic elements in an ancient classical setting, which is a somewhat unusual time and place to set a romance (Biggs). Also, in “The Wife of Baths Tale”, the author frames his work similar to Arthurian romance, with an unnamed knight of the round table as its unlikely hero, but the tale itself becomes a protofeminist’s moral instruction for domestic behavior (Biggs). Finally, “The Miller’s Tale” utilizes the love story as a way to humiliate traditional acts of romance. In Chaucer’s second Canterbury Tale, the plot thickens when the characters increase their efforts in their respective areas. Furthermore, as Nicholas’s wooing efforts increased, Absolon’s efforts to win over the immoral maiden also increased; therefore, Alisoun’s attempts to reject Absolon and accept Nicholas increased as well. Chaucer also uses the tool of foreshadowing to display the many themes within the tale. Though the descriptions at the beginning of the piece may seem trivial at first glance, the physicality and basic background of Miller give us insight as to what motivates his farcical story. We are told “his nosethirles blake were and wyde. A sword and bokeler bar he by his side. His mouth as greet was as greet forays. He was a jangle and a goliard-eys, And that was most of synne and harlotries. Wel koude he stolen corn and tollen tries; And yet he had a thombe of gold, Pardee” (Chaucer 557-563). If you were to analyze Miller's succinct description line by line, you would find an abundance of information that would contribute to your reading of “The Miller's Tale”.
Along with religious allegories and plot events, Geoffrey Chaucer constructs unique characters who embody themes of adultery, lust, and bawdiness so their roles can explicitly exhibit Chaucer’s message to the reader. A central idea embedded in this story is feminism. Azime Pekenseyar, in her essay regarding feminism in “The Miller’s Tale and “The Reeve’s Tale”, discusses a popular culture theory about how women escape their inferiority and subordination through mischievous tactics. According to Pekenseyar, the women in these stories use their victimization to their advantage. The author speaks of “spatial resistance” and how the women of these tales resist their oppressors by controlling or manipulating the spaces given to them by their oppressors (Pekenseyar). For instance, Alisoun occupies her husband’s space in their home for her adulterous gain. Overall, these fabliau women turn their subordinate positions into positions of opportunity to achieve pleasure. Many people also take satisfaction in the way the ending to “The Miller's Tale” punishes some of the characters, giving them the “just reward” they seem to be asking for squeamish Absolon gets a fart in the face while Nicholas gets branded on his nether parts by a hot poker.
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