# Alison — The Canterbury Tales character guide

> Alison in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

**Role:** supporting

**First appearance:** 0002-the-miller-s-tale

## Snapshot

Eighteen and fresh as a spring lamb, this carpenter's young wife keeps a secret lover waiting while her husband frets about floods.

## Who they are

In the Miller's Tale, Alison is the much-younger bride of the wealthy old carpenter John, and her youth and beauty make her the object of every man's desire in town. She is drawn into a dangerous flirtation with the lodger Nicholas while also fending off the smitten parish clerk Absolon, and the tension between her confined marriage and her appetite for pleasure drives the tale's mischief. Her quick wit and cool nerve make her the calm center of a plot that spins toward chaos.

## In the story

### [The Miller's Tale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters/the-miller-s-tale)

The young and lively wife of John the carpenter, pursued by both Nicholas and Absolon.

### [The Miller's Tale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters/the-tale)

The young and beautiful wife of John the carpenter. She is courted by both Nicholas and Absolon, and ultimately agrees to Nicholas's plan.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/characters/alison
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/characters