# The Reeve's Tale explained — The Canterbury Tales

> Chapter companion for The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

## What happens

The Reeve tells a story of revenge against a dishonest miller, mirroring the Miller's earlier tale. Two Cambridge students, Alein and John, outwit the miller Simkin by seducing his wife and daughter after he steals their grain.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Class and Estate

The tale highlights class conflict between the educated students and the cunning miller, with each group trying to assert dominance.

### Corruption and Hypocrisy in the Church

The students, though clerics, engage in deceit and sexual misconduct, exposing hypocrisy within religious orders.

## Character check-ins

### The Reeve

Tells a tale of revenge against a miller, retaliating for the Miller's earlier tale about a carpenter.

### Simkin

The dishonest miller who steals grain from the students and is outwitted in turn.

### Alein

One of the two Cambridge students who schemes to get revenge on Simkin.

### John

The other Cambridge student who participates in the revenge plot against Simkin.

## Key lines

> The Reeve's Tale

The Reeve tells a story of revenge against a miller.

_The Reeve retaliates for the Miller's earlier tale by depicting a miller as a thief and a fool._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters/the-reeve-s-tale
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_canterbury_tales_se/chapters