Fabliaux in the Miller's Tale

In “The Miller’s Tale”, Chaucer perfects fabliaux through the gullibility of John, the characterization of Absalom, and through the characterization of the Miller. Both the character’s John and Absalom elicit humor from their gullibility. John placed a substantial amount of trust in his eighteen year old wife.
Utilizing the Miller as the story teller demonstrates Chaucer’s mastery of fabliaux. If this tale was told by a knight or an old sage it could perhaps stand on its own and be a tale whose accuracy was debatable. Instead, Chaucer selected a drunken man to be the bearer of the tale. The man preceded the tale with a disclaimer: “’Now,’ the Miller said,/“Everyone listen! But first I will propound/That I am drunk, I know it by my sound./If I can’t get my words out, put the blame/On Southwark ale” (2068).
The original order was to be the Knight then the Monk, but the Miller jumps in to tell his tale before the Host can object. The Miller claims the he knows “a yarn that will even up the score”(2068).   This statement means that the Knight’s tale was nice and polite while his own will be vulgar and rude.   The Miller can be seen as a personification of the Miller’s tale. They both are obscene and ridiculous which makes it difficult to focus on the true meaning of what is being shared, and easier to simply judge for racy, provocative content.
A key element of fabliaux is that the story only seems real. Historically, it is not uncommon for older men to have younger wives. In that sense, “The Miller’s Tale” could be a realistic scenario. However, the difference between John and Alison’s personality break away from non-fiction and reminds the reader of the unlikely pair.   John is conservative, static, and old while Alison is adventurous, dynamic, and vivacious. Also, in the 14th century, men married young for procreation. Allison and John bore no children. This marriage was not mercenary, pragmatic, or (a visibly) loving one. It is an empty marriage destined for...