The debate surrounding marriage is a central theme of both the Merchant's Tale and of the wider Canterbury Tales. Chaucer gives us a variety of opinions on the subject, without ever overtly expressing his own. The Merchant is extremely cynical about the institution of marriage. He feels that he has been trapped in the "snare" of holy matrimony, and that his "shrewe" of a wife has caused him constant misery. In the tale that the …
showed first 75 words of 804 total

showed last 75 words of 804 total
…sympathetic character. Chaucer describes him as opinionated and self-righteous, constantly obsessed with "his bargaines and... his chevissaunce". In lines 612-630 Chaucer encourages us to sympathise with May, who must face her grotesque husband's "laboureth". Although May goes on to act equally badly, it is not without serious provocation. Chaucer's initially sympathetic portrayal of May contrasts with the Merchant's deep-rooted anti-feminism. This would suggest that Chaucer does not altogether agree with the Merchant's views on marriage.