The Canterbury Tales

by

Geoffrey Chaucer

Teachers and parents! Struggling with distance learning? Our Teacher Edition on The Canterbury Tales can help.
Absolon is a vain parish clerk who also tries to woo Alison. Unlike the poor Nicholas, Absolon is able to shower gifts and money on Alison, yet Alison scorns his advances, and she and Nicholas trick the foolish young clerk. Absolon literally kisses Allison’s ass, and Nicholas farts in his face. However, Absolon does get his revenge on Nicholas when he brands him with a hot poker.

Absolon Quotes in The Canterbury Tales

The The Canterbury Tales quotes below are all either spoken by Absolon or refer to Absolon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Social Satire Theme Icon
).
The Miller’s Tale Quotes

Thus swyved was this carpenteris wyf,
For al his kepyng and his jalousye,
And Absolon hath kist hir nether ye,
And Nicholas is scalded in the towte.
This tale is doon, and God save al the rowte!

Related Characters: The Miller (speaker), The carpenter, Nicholas, Alison, Absolon
Get the entire The Canterbury Tales LitChart as a printable PDF.
The Canterbury Tales PDF

Absolon Character Timeline in The Canterbury Tales

The timeline below shows where the character Absolon appears in The Canterbury Tales. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
The Miller’s Tale
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
On the next holiday, Alison goes to the parish church, where another young clerk, Absolon, spies her. Absolon is vain and finely dressed, with curled hair and fashionable tunic. His... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
Absolon serenades Alison underneath her window, brings her gifts, and showers her with money, but to... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
That same Monday, Absolon happens to be in Osney, and, inquiring after the carpenter is told that he is... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
Absolon chews cardamom and licorice to sweeten his breath, and at the first cock’s crow, he... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
Screaming and cursing, Absolon goes to his friend the blacksmith and borrows a hot iron. He returns to the... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
Writing and Authorship Theme Icon
...who has gotten out of bed to urinate, sticks his rear end out the window. Absolon tells Alison to speak so that she can let him know where she is, and... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
Writing and Authorship Theme Icon
Though nearly blinded, Absolon strikes Nicholas’s rear with the hot poker and brands the skin. Nicholas cries for help... (full context)
Social Satire Theme Icon
Competition Theme Icon
Courtly Love and Sexual Desire Theme Icon
Friendship and Company Theme Icon
Writing and Authorship Theme Icon
...up the tale: the carpenter’s wife has been “swyved” by Nicholas, despite the carpenter’s jealousy; Absolon has kissed her lower regions; and Nicholas has been scalded in the buttocks. “God save... (full context)