The Merchant's Tale - Themes

"Goddes yifte verraily" (irony)

"Londes, rentes, pasture, or commune, / or moebles"

"Well lenger than thee list, paraventure"

"Paradis, terestre, and his disport"

"Were I unbounden, also moot I thee, / I wolde nevere eft comen in the snare"

"Tellen so muchel sorwe as I now here / Koude tellen of my wyves cursednesse"

"O flesshe they ben, and o flessh, as I gesse" - January speaking of how a man and his wife will live in unity

"For thogh the feend to hire ycoupled were, / She wolde him overmacche, I dar wel swere"

"Shrewe"

"Feend"

"Passing crueltee"

"Malice"

"Weping and wailing, care and oother sorwe"

"thinges whiche that were nat doone abedde, / [January] in the gardyn parfourned hem and spedde"

"walled al with stoon"

"silver clicket"

"pere tree"

"small peres green"

"allas, my side"

"Sodeynly anon, this Damyan / Gan pulled up the smok, and in he throng"

Used as a setting and as a source of symbolism. 

Parallels are drawn between May and the garden, symbolising her and her circumstances: "fresshe May" and "fresshe gardyn".

Allusions made to the Garden of Eden: "paradys", "naddre" (snake), "pere tree", "small peres grene". Pear tree alludes to the tree of knowledge.

Allusions also made to the Song of Songs: "A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse" (Song of Songs, 4:12) - highlights January's purpose of his garden to trap May ("walled al with stoon" and locked with a "silver clicket")