The Tale of Melibee

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"The Tale of Melibee" (also called "The Tale of Melibeus") is one of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.[1]

This is the second tale in the collection told by Chaucer himself. After being interrupted by the host Harry Bailly, Chaucer launches into one of the longest and some would say most boring of all the tales. While some scholars have treated the tale as a joke, it is a faithful rendering of the Liber consolationis et consilii by Albertanus of Brescia and is no less serious than the articles of faith laid out later in "The Parson's Tale".

Chaucer seemingly tells this story in revenge, as his first story, Sir Thopas, was interrupted and compared to a turd. Complaining of Sir Thopas's lewedness, Bailly requests a prose tale with doctryne. In response, Chaucer tells The Tale of Melibee, which is exactly that. Bailly, seemingly pleased with this tale, says he wishes his wife had heard it as she might learn something from Dame Prudence.

The tale is a translation of the Livre de Melibée et de Dame Prudence by Renaud de Louens. Renaud's work itself is a very loose translation of Liber consolationis et consilii by Albertanus of Brescia, suggesting the tale's popularity. The tale's length has resulted in its omission in some modern English editions, such as Nevill Coghill's translation.

## Plot[edit]

The story concerns Melibee who is away one day when three enemies break into his house, beat his wife Dame Prudence, and attack his daughter, leaving her for dead. The tale then proceeds as a long debate mainly between Melibee and his wife on what actions to take and how to seek redress from his enemies. His wife, as her name suggests, counsels prudence and chides him for his rash opinions. The discussion uses many proverbs and quotes from learned authorities and the Bible as each make their points.[2] Dame Prudence's discussion of marriage mirrors those of the Wife of Bath and the wife in "The Shipman's Tale".[3]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Free Study Guide for The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer / The Prologue to the Tale of Melibeus
2. ^ Summary and Analysis - The Tale of Melibee Archived 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ The Canterbury Tales Summary and Analysis - Chaucer's Tale of Melibee

## External links[edit]

* The full text of The Tale of Melibee (Chaucer) at Wikisource
* "The Tale of Melibee", middle-english hypertext with glossary and side-by-side middle english and modern english
* "Chaucer's own tale of Prudence and Melibee" - a plain-English retelling for non-scholars.

* v
* t
* e

Geoffrey Chaucer

Works|

| The
Canterbury
Tales|

* General Prologue
* The Knight's Tale
* The Miller's Tale
* The Reeve's Tale
* The Cook's Tale
* The Man of Law's Tale
* The Wife of Bath's Tale
* The Friar's Tale
* The Summoner's Tale
* The Clerk's Tale
* The Merchant's Tale
* The Squire's Tale
* The Franklin's Tale
* The Physician's Tale
* The Pardoner's Tale
* The Shipman's Tale
* The Prioress's Tale
* Sir Thopas
* The Tale of Melibee
* The Monk's Tale
* The Nun's Priest's Tale
* The Second Nun's Tale
* The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
* The Manciple's Tale
* The Parson's Tale
* Chaucer's Retraction

|

Other works|

* The Romaunt of the Rose
* The Book of the Duchess
* The House of Fame
* Anelida and Arcite
* The Parliament of Fowls
* Boece
* Troilus and Criseyde
* The Legend of Good Women
* A Treatise on the Astrolabe
* The Complaint of Mars

Spurious|

* The Cuckoo and the Nightingale
* The Complaint of the Black Knight
* The equatorie of the planetis
* The Floure and the Leafe
* Pierce the Ploughman's Crede
* Jack Upland

Tales
The Tale of Gamelyn
Prologue and Tale of Beryn
The Plowman's Tale
The Pilgrim's Tale

Language
and Texts|

* Rhyme royal
* Heroic couplet

Manuscript tradition
Order of The Canterbury Tales
Hengwrt Chaucer
Ellesmere Chaucer
Harley MS. 7334
Adam Pinkhurst
Scribe D
John Shirley

Related|

* Chaucer's influence on fifteenth-century Scottish literature
* Influence of Italian humanism on Chaucer
* Philippa Roet (wife)
* Katherine Swynford (wife's sister)
* Thomas Chaucer (son)
* Alice de la Pole (granddaughter)
* A Knight's Tale (2001 film)

* v
* t
* e

Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales

Order of The
Canterbury Tales|

* General Prologue
* The Knight's Tale
* The Miller's Tale
* The Reeve's Tale
* The Cook's Tale
* The Man of Law's Tale
* The Wife of Bath's Tale
* The Friar's Tale
* The Summoner's Tale
* The Clerk's Tale
* The Merchant's Tale
* The Squire's Tale
* The Franklin's Tale
* The Physician's Tale
* The Pardoner's Tale
* The Shipman's Tale
* The Prioress's Tale
* Sir Thopas
* The Tale of Melibee
* The Monk's Tale
* The Nun's Priest's Tale
* The Second Nun's Tale
* The Canon's Yeoman's Tale
* The Manciple's Tale
* The Parson's Tale

Addenda|

* The Plowman's Tale
* The Tale of Gamelyn
* Siege of Thebes
* Prologue and Tale of Beryn

Films|

* The Canterbury Tales (1972)

Stage and music|

* The Two Noble Kinsmen (1634 play)
* The Canterbury Pilgrims (De Koven) (1917 opera)
* Canterbury Tales (1964 musical)

Television|

* Trinity Tales (1975)
* Canterbury Tales (2003)

Literature|

* The Canterbury Puzzles
* A Commentary on the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales

Single tale
derivations|

* The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle
* Chanticleer and the Fox
* The Book of the Dun Cow
* Palamon and Arcite (Edwardes)
* "Palamon and Arcite" (Dryden)
* God Spede the Plough
* "The Pilgrim's Tale"

Related|

* Chaucer's Retraction
* Descriptive Catalogue
* Ellesmere Chaucer
* "Have a nice day"
* Hengwrt Chaucer
* The Tabard
* Words first used in

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