Courtney’s Blog

Hallissy, Margaret. “Widow-to-be: May in Chaucer’s The Merchant’s Tale.” Studies in Short Fiction 26.3 (1989) 295-304.

Margaret Hallissy’s essay on “The Merchant’s Tale” examines the historical context the characters exist in and how that context highlights the intended humor in May’s behavior. Hallissy refers to medieval understandings regarding widows, sexuality, and fertility in her efforts to illuminate May’s behavior. However, the interpretation Hallissy offers is not without flaws, as the history gains precedence over the facts within the text. Hallissy’s argument lies in May’s status as a future widow. Using Chaucer’s own Wife of Bath and historical research, Hallissy proves widowhood is a desirable state for May. A widow would no longer be under the control of men, such as a daughter or wife was (Hallissy 295). Many women entered this state, as the female life expectancy was significantly higher than a male’s (Hallissy 296). As May has married a significantly older man, Januarie, she becomes that much more likely to reach the relatively autonomous state of widowhood. Having established that the audience would understand May is a soon to be widow, Hallissy then examines why this is financially desirable and how May’s behavior hurts the potential financial success. Hallissy researches English inheritance laws, and determines that May would inherit a significant portion of Januarie’s wealth (Hallissy 298). However, if May gave Januarie a son, the child would inherit instead, though May would retain some control until he was of age (Hallissy 298). Therefore, Hallissy explains, Chaucer’s audience would have known it was in May’s best interests to have no children and keep the inheritance all to her. Pregnancy is not desirable for May. With that in mind, Hallissy examines how Chaucer and his audience would have perceived the likelihood of Januarie or Damyan impregnating May. References are made to medieval conceptions about the fertility of old men like Januarie, and it is determined that he would not be considered capable of impregnating May. Hallissy explains that since Chaucer highlights May’s distaste for sex with Januarie, he intends for the audience to see the marriage as infertile (Hallissy 301). According to medical texts by Galen and later Albertus Magnus, both of which Chaucer would have known, a woman’s ability to conceive is tied to her achievement of orgasm during sex (Hallissy 301). May is obviously not receiving any pleasure from sex with Januarie, so, Hallissy reasons, the audience would understand that this relationship will produce no children to challenge May’s claims on Januarie’s wealth. However, May could conceive from a pleasurable interlude with the younger and more attractive Damyan (Hallissy 303). When May has her affair with Damyan, she is working against her established interests, which reveals how foolish May’s behavior is (Hallissy 303). The tale ends ambiguously, with the suggestion that May is indeed pregnant. May cannot put aside her physical desires long enough to work for a future goal, and therefore is as a comic figure in “The Merchant’s Tale.” In reading Hallissy’s essay on “The Merchant’s Tale,” I found her examination of medieval conventions helpful. Chaucer and his audience possessed a different belief system from my own, so an exploration of those differences can help reveal new levels of meaning. Throughout our studies of medieval literature, we have discussed how the historical context affects the writer, the reader, and the characters’ expectations and behaviors. Hallissy’s strongest argument was the assertion of May’s prosperous future as a widow. Even without Hallissy’s supporting evidence, the disparity in age and class between May and Januarie allow for reading May as a woman who will benefit from her husband’s demise. In the tale itself mention is made of Januarie making payments to May. It is an established fact that May will inherit, and that the inheritance is not a trifling amount. Using the fact that May is Januarie’s heir, Hallissy seeks to discover a humorous dimension in the situation. At the end of the tale, according to Hallissy, the foolish May has lost the significant advantages she has gained. I found that Hallissy’s interpretation worked best if several assumptions about May’s character hold true. The humor from May’s foolishness works best if May is actively scheming to inherit from Januarie. There is a difference between a schemer undone by her lusts and a foolish woman unaware of her situation. I cannot tell if Hallissy is arguing that the calculating May forgets herself for a moment of pleasure, or if the ignorant May ruins her possibilities while seeking relief from an unhappy marriage. This is a subtle difference, and Hallissy’s remarks do not make it clear what she is arguing. The essay clearly works from the angle that May does have several advantages that pregnancy would curtail, but there is nothing as to how aware Hallissy thinks May is about those advantages. Since Hallissy’s essay is about how understanding May’s status leads to the humor, there should be a better explanation of what kind of humor Hallissy perceived to be in the story. In making her case, Hallissy turns to several outside sources. This helps with the historical dimension of understanding “The Merchant’s Tale,” but there must be a serious consideration of the text itself. Januarie’s speeches clarify that he fits the stereotype of an old lecher in pursuit of a young woman, and that he is paying May for marrying him. However, May makes no comparable speeches about her motivations, making any understanding of her behavior a matter of interpretation. Perhaps that is why Hallissy makes no concrete statement about May’s personal motives, but focuses on May’s situation. However, I would be intrigued by what interpretation for May Hallissy favored. Hallissy’s essay “Widow-to-be: May in Chaucer’s The Merchant’s Tale” offers some interesting historical context but lacks in the best application of that context. The research given on medieval perceptions about widows, sex, and conception offer a good framework in which to place May and Januarie. But beyond a brief moment connecting the history with the humor, Hallissy does not successfully apply the research to understanding the tale’s comments on May.