Canterbury Tales 7 - "The Miller's Tale" - A Performance
"The students all ganged up with one another
Saying" 'The fellow's crazy, my dear brother!'"
The Miller's Tale - A Performance: Every year, I wanted to back out of this - and then every year I remembered how my high school English Teacher - Ms. Ball - had performed this Tale for our class. It was - honestly - the first moment when I realized that things, specifically literature, had not changed that much over 400 years. We laugh at the same things - the same rude humor that was funny in Chaucer's time - is funny today. That lesson is enough - in my opinion - to get more embarrased than I do all the rest of the year combined - performing "The Miller's Tale".
Lesson Overview
Perhaps one of my most straight-forward lessons. I read and perform Chaucer's "The Miller's Tale." I tell the students beforehand that there will be a special guest - which, of course, is me. Sometimes I preface the performance by reminding them that what they are about to see is not their teacher - it is the Miller...
Besides the humor (raw as it is) there is a lot to be gotten out of the Miller's Tale. The most important is that it reminds students that we haven't changed over all these years. The kind of immature bathroom humor that was funny in the Middle Ages (and before) is funny now. It was probably funny earlier too - but it was left out of literature before that. Beowulf does not have any low humor - and that's what sets Chaucer apart. The idea of the Shaper - comes to mind. Geoffrey Chaucer is doing something different - showing us with our warts and all. The humor becomes more funny - but then again, so does the pathos.
The instructions are easy enough for this lesson - find a translated copy of the tale - mark it up with any state directions you want to perform and censor what you think is out of bounds. For me, I think there were two sentences that I removed - one of them having to do with the climactic kiss that occurs...
Some years I would give a quiz AFTERWARDS to see if the students were paying attention. Other years, I would just give them quiz credit (100%) for being good sports during the performance.
The Reading & The Quiz
"The Prologue to the Wife of Bath's Tale" Docx PDF
This is what the students read for homework. It's fairly long - especially for a Prologue. You want to let the students know beforehand - so that they give it enough time. Once they start reading, they all almost always (on their own) see what an important text this is.
Quiz on "The Miller's Tale" Docx PDF - if the students were awake at all during the performance - they should have no problem with this quiz.
Remote Enhancements
The Power Point Presentation given above is ideal for Remote Learning (in fact, I did use it that way).
TheMillersTale_2016_Scotese.m4aA recording of my performance
So here is in all its ingloriousness - my performance as "The Miller". There is a recording below by Stanley Holloway - and there is also a handout that I put together to go along with it. I promise my feelings won't be hurt if you prefer that one.
One year I chickened out and had the students listen to a real actor performing "The Miller's Tale". It's really good - but having a person - in the room - interacting with the students - and having it be someone they know - really brings home the idea that literature really is more alike ourselves - than it is different.
Class Recordings (for registered members)
Audio
Video
Canterbury Tales 8 The Animated Movie & Questions - There is so much that is both profane and beautiful in this film (really, a series of films - strung together with a frame story using stop-motion animation. The interpretations of the tales that the movie is based on are exquisite and unique. This lesson includes Honors and NonHonors versions of the movie questions. This movie (the parts I show) can be completed in one class period.
WHAT CAME BEFORE:
Thoughts on the Lesson
I'm glad I performed "The Miller's Tale" - but it was tough. First of all, it took a lot of energy. Next, it was impossible for me not to be embarrassed. Though I am a teacher - I am also a mostly reluctant performer.