What
January Wants
January wants to be married to a young
beautiful woman, with the consent of others
January is a fascinating character
who is sexually inclined. He wants a young woman twenty years old to be his
forever love. What is nauseating; January is sixty years old, what is he doing
with a young twenty year old woman? His
audience would say that he is looking for a soul mate or a sex slave, since his
life depends on sex. Geoffrey Chaucer who somehow connect from the Canterbury Tale to the Merchant Tale to elaborates the desire
of January’s ambition on marriage may have know someone who has been through
this same scenario, and he is using
January to live it out since he did not get the chance to do it himself. January wants to get married, yes. However,
at the same time he is lacking confidence; in the sense of wanting to obtain
advice from his brothers, Placebo and Justinus and friends. Telling them of his determination to get
married, because he is an old man, and he want a wife but she should be young
and beautiful. She must not be more than twenty years old. He needs to mold her
like wax in his hands. Many of his friends tell him their perspective about
what they believe would be good or bad for him. First, Placebo whose name
fulfills the a false substance “Placebo” according to the American Heneritage Dictionary,
Placebo is a medication that his prescribe to reinforced patient’s expectation
to get well. (Inactive). I am using this false medication to demonstrate the
Name Placebo, along with the advice he gives to his January. Placebo knew that January
is sixty years old. He needs his advice on who to marry because he feels like
getting married to a younger woman. “Placebo told him it was all right to get marries
to whomever he wants. He even mentioned King Solomon to satisfy is advice to
January. I believe he has given January
a false advice because January is far too old to marry a twenty years old girl.
Therefore, as the pill is fake, Placebo’s advice is fake. In fact he told January to do exactly want
he pleased” (1570). Justinus “believes that it was not a good
idea for January to get marry to a younger woman, he asks him to be more
careful of making such decision. He believes a young wife is someone who will
cheat on a old man. (1565). Some praise him
and some disagree. Out of all the
advice January gathered, he feels placebo’s was the right one. “ it is only a “curse man” that would argue against not getting
married” After January gave that speech,
his friends feels that it was right to get married after all.
High fantasy
and curiosity flears his mind, that drove him into the market place to find a
beautiful wife. He said, Fair women and fair bodies are the reflection of his
thought. He said, “ many fair shape and many of a fair shape and many a fair
visage Ther passeth through the night by night.
As whoso toke a mirour polished bright And sette it a commune
market-place, Then sholde he see many a
figure pace by his mirour; and in the same wyse” ( 1577- 1580). These women
that January are looking for their bodies images reflect in his face like a
mirror. To him they can all be found in the market place. In this tale, on
every every page, one can read that in the medieval Era it seems like men were
the dominates vessel that uses women to their convince. In addition, I believe
that is why Chaucer writes this tale to demonstrate the oppression of women
during those days. What January really
wants, is not a real wife per sa, he feels that he is sixy and he needs someone
to takes care of him, domestically and sexually. in line 1600 of Merchants Tale, he pretend to
be poetic when he says, “ For love is blind al day and may nat see. And whan
that was in his bed y-brought, He
purtreyed inhis herte and in his thought hir fresshe beautee and hir age tender
Hir myddle small, hir arms longe and
sclendre,” ( 1600-1605). January shows himself to be a pathetic sexually
inclined foolish old man. He takes the
time to platform an image of the woman that he wants in his mind, by describing
every part of her physical anatomy. By
reading further in the tale he speaks of his happiness, by saying that a man
that finds a young woman somehow finds something fascinating. He feels that one
must chose happiness or sorrow. “It must have been why the tale opens with
weeping and wailing” (1215).
What does January wants at his age?
he wants to really settle down, he feels that if he gets married, that would
enable him to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Thus the tale indicates the
believes of marriage to be the Purgatory as the Merchant describes it as
paradise offered by Clerk. According to
the language in the tale, as the narrator explains it, it shows that January do
not love anyone, his entire ambition is based on sex. He is like an hungry Lion
in the wilderness who has not eaten for days, and suddenly finds its prey to be
ravished. That is how January portrays himself.
In the tale, as much as January shows his eagerness for May, there was enmity
in the mist of them, Damian who May loves, and he returns the same. January who
is physically blind to his wife character when it comes to her loving another
him. The physical blindness that January
has is because his wife is having an affair with Damian and he refrained from
seeing it. See (2150); in the mist of
the ceremony, May was advising, by using body language how to get up into the
tree for them to have heavenly sex; foolish January took her straight to the
tree. Why? he was blind to everything. Damian
enter January‘s “Garden of Eden” snatch is beautiful wife” (2325). Who he
compared to look like Queen Esther In the Bible. According to Esther Chapter, She was a virgin,
and a beautiful Queen. As January hunted the market place to find May to be his
wife; in the story of Esther, King Ahasuerus who Reigns throughout India and Ethiopia,
rich and powerful King. Sent his servant to look for him a young virgin, fair. (Esther
2: 2). January pinpoints that very pattern when he seeks for May in the market
place. January’s downfall with May
cheated on him with Damian, is cause from been hardhead. Justinus has told him in the beginning that
if he marries a younger woman he is going to have problems. Because younger
woman always looking for a younger man.
He refused such advice and listen to Placebo, the one that lacks
understanding of what marriage is all about. “He told January do exactly what you please” (1570).
What January wants, a beautiful
woman, who in the end opens his blind eyes?
In the sense that Damian sat high
in the pear tree, waiting for May, there they have sex, while January a foolish
old man is nailed down by his wife, cleverness, as she allows Damian to
ravished her. The narrator shows that
Pluto immediately restores January’s sight, that he may see who the real May
is. It seems like Proserpine knows May’s
tricks, he tells her, “Somebody who has their sight restored will not believe
the things they are able to see” (2310).
In conclusion: It is sad to know that
May uses January’s last of vision against him, when she knew she was not
struggling with a man, she was really having an affair. I blame the Narrator,
to allow the wicked characters to get away with the wickedness they have done
to anuary, because he is old. Merchant’s
has no punishment for May, or Damian.
It is unfair. They should be punished for their sins.
Work
Cited
