Seeking 'Goddes Pryvete': Sodomy, Quitting and Desire in The Miller's Tale'

Author / Editor
Boyd, David Lorenzo.

Title
Seeking 'Goddes Pryvete': Sodomy, Quitting and Desire in The Miller's Tale'

Published
Peter S. Baker and Nicholas Howe, eds. Words and Works: Studies in Medieval English Language and Literature in Honour of Fred C. Robinson (Toronto, Buffalo, and New York: University of Toronto Press, 1998), pp. 243-60.

Description
In medieval tradition, sodomy was associated with misinterpretation. When seen in this light, Absolon's sodomizing of Nicholas in MilT both reinforces heteronormativity and decries the system upon which it is based. The Miller's reference to "Goddes pryvete" (MilP 1.3164) is part of his rebellion against the Knight and the order he embodies.

Alternative Title
Words and Works: Studies in Medieval English Language and Literature in Honour of Fred C. Robinson.

Chaucer Subjects
Miller and His Tale.