In The Merchant’s Tale, Chaucer deals with the question of whether women’s infidelity is justified in an unpleasant, age inappropriate marriage. By line 2225, Chaucer invites the mythological figures Pluto and Persephone to weigh in on the situation, although they themselves are near exact parallels of the scene. The two deities argue about whether Januarie should be granted sight so he can observe his wife’s transgressions. In lines 2225-2319 of The Merchant’s Tale, Chaucer uses allusion to show Pluto’s, Persephone’s, and his own direct opinion on the subject of women’s fidelity.

When Pluto assesses the situation, he develops an argument composed mainly of distinct allusions. He states that he has “ten hondred thousand [tales] tellen I
kan” but decides to list only two Christian biblical allusions (2240). First he invokes “Salomon” or Solomon, a biblical hero that most readers of the period would recognize as a generally good figure (2242). Pluto states that Solomon searched for worthy individuals, and while he found one worthy male, he proclaimed that he found not one adequate female, “thus seith the kyng that knoweth youre wikkednesse” (2248-9). This allusion serves to point out Pluto’s belief that even in ancient times there were no moral women. For his second allusion, Pluto recalls “Jhesus, filius Syrak,” the author/translator of Eclessiasticus, a text that was frequently read in Catholic churches during Chaucer’s time, and therefore taken as canon. Pluto states that Jhesus spoke frequently about the evil that lies in women, “…So falle upon youre bodyes yet to-nyght!” (2253). The purpose of this allusion is to demonstrate a more modern perspective of women and to show that they are still considered immoral in modern times. The fact that Pluto chooses to utilize two Christian allusions to state his opinion reinforces his identity as a patriarchal figure and a man who expects to always have power over women. As both a deity and a man who has taken a much younger wife, the patriarchal attitude of the church makes a fitting background for his belief that women have been considered immoral from antiquity to the present. On this base, he justifies his opinion to restore Januarie’s sight.

            Persephone also states her opinion by creating allusions. First, she refutes her husband’s biblical example by turning it against him. She replies that although Solomon did not find one good woman, “yet hath ther founde many another man,” basically that he found only one worthy man (2280). The purpose of this argument is to demonstrate that even Solomon found near equality in the morality of men and women. Since this is a generally weak argument, Persephone continues by stating that “made he eek a temple of false goddis,” and was therefore an “ydolastre” (2295, 2298). Persephone points out that although Solomon is written about in the Bible, and although “he were riche and glorious,” he still did not adhere to the god that Chaucer’s contemporary readers identified with (2294). Therefore, she suggests that Pluto’s allusion does not fit their modern situation. In a second argument, she invokes the Christian female saints, who “with martyrdom they preved hire
constance,” therefore reminding him that Christianity has its share of respected, pious women (2283). This allusion is in response to Pluto’s mention of Jhesus, who thought women to be impious. A third allusion Persephone makes is to “the Romayn geestes” or history (2284). Here, she states, there are records “of many a verray, trewe wyf” (2285). When Persephone uses an allusion that does not come from canon, she enforces her argument by using reason rather than religious sway. This evens out the argument, since it would be difficult for a woman to respond to every misogynistic reprimand of the church. Through these three allusions, Persephone justifies her opinion that not all women are immoral and unfaithful.

            Chaucer also manages to directly get his opinion across to the audience through allusion. The most obvious one, the proverbial “elephant in the room,” is that Pluto and Persephone are the antithesis of unbiased judges for the situation. The story of Pluto’s rape of the young Persephone would be common knowledge to Chaucer’s audience. Even if somebody managed to miss this allusion, Chaucer makes another: “In Claudyan ye may the stories rede,/ How in his grisely carte he hire fette” (2232-2233). Chaucer refers here to Claudian, the author of Rape of Proserpina. The irony of his choice of allusion becomes extremely direct after this explicit reference to Pluto’s rape of Persephone. Chaucer also alludes to maladies and medicines by using medical terms in his descriptions. When he has Pluto say that women’s morals are “a wylde fyr and corrupt pestilence,” he is directly to infection and disease (2252). When Persephone wants to emphasize what she believes is the corruption of Solomon, she states that “as ye his name emplastre,/ He was a lecchour and an ydolastre” (2298). A literal translation of “emplastre” would be to use a medicinal plaster, once again showing Chaucer’s penchant of alluding to medical terms when discussing corruption and immorality. Finally, Chaucer allows Pluto to get the last word and, if that is not direct enough, has Persephone apologize to him, saying, “I wol no lenger yow contrarie” (2319). Therefore, in Chaucer’s allusions to mythology, authorship, and medicine, he makes clear his opinion that women are more immoral than men are.

            Through allusion, Chaucer reveals Pluto’s, Persephone’s, and his own direct opinion on women’s morality and fidelity in lines 2225-2319 of The Merchant’s Tale. By the conclusion of these lines, Pluto and Persephone decide to grant Januarie his sight again so he can address his wife’s infidelity. This argument resulted in a victory for patriarchy because it allowed Januarie to once again opinion. keep his young wife in check. In conclusion, Chaucer sides with the deity that shares his own opinion about whether women’s infidelity is justified in any situation, and completes the scene that way.