Geoffrey Chaucer wrote The Canterbury Tales in the late 14th century, presenting several loosely connected tales revolving around typical medieval lifestyles with its many modern parallels . Marriage was a popular topic of debate in this period, with particular attention paid to the reasons and consequences of marriage. Chaucer presents a variation of views, initially through the Merchant's Prologue in which the Merchant strongly emphasizes his perspective which is passionately opposed to marriage. Chaucer structures the prologue in the form of a confessional exposé that parallels Justin's anecdotal account of his experience of marriage. The powerful opening of the Merchant's Prologue is intended by Chaucer to echo the earlier epilogue of the Clerk's Tale which concludes with the comment "and let him worry, and weep, and wring, and lament", followed by the miserable descriptions of the merchant of the marriage that had him “crying and crying”. The repeated use of the word “crying” emphasizes their mutual disgust for married life. As the story progresses, the Merchant's bitter tone converts and he becomes extremely more tolerant towards marriage in light of Januarie's impending decision to get married “in a hurry”, which suggests his reckless and reckless consideration for the true value of marriage. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why video games violent should not be prohibited"? Get an original essayChaucer makes it clear that Januarie's primary reason for marrying is to live a spiritual, sanctified life that will allow him a place in heaven, but implicitly contrasts this throughout, for example; the specifications that Januarie makes for his wife are intended to satisfy his sexual desires. January's attractiveness of a younger wife implicitly presents the idea that perfection and happiness in marriage are not possible with an older woman, which links to the ideas represented in The Clerk's Tale through Grisilida who is depicted as a young and beautiful wife who remains submissive, somehow due to her youth. The reader is given the impression that Januarie is self-deluded as he himself is old, and may even come across as judgmental and hurtful. It can be interpreted that his intentions are exclusively for himself. This contradicts traditional religious conditions of marriage, which are believed to be beneficial to both husband and wife. Marriage was considered unison and a reflection of Christ's love for his people. However, many medieval readers would identify with Januarie's ambitions in marriage, considering that conventional attitudes towards the nature of marriage were considered a mercantile transaction and the consolidation of title, so marriage was rarely undertaken for love. This contrasts significantly with the views of a modern reader, who would be more likely to disagree with the true purpose of Januarie's marriage. It seems pointless, however, for Januarie to enter into a debate with his brothers as he appears to have already made his decision, and allows himself to be absorbed by Placebo's blandishments. Placebo's servile nature dictates his belief that Januarie does not need to take advice from anyone, and he believes that Januarie should ignore "the word of Salomon" that it is best to act on the advice one has sought. University philosophers in the Middle Ages favored dialectics, yet Placebo's use of exegesis does not provide a productive and informed argument: it seems only to allow Januarie to further collude in his.