Effective Use of Threat in The Merchant's Tale "The Merchant's Tale" by Geoffrey Chaucer uses threat to reinforce many of the themes within the tale and is present in multiple areas beyond the simple Januarie. There are ominous images that add tension to the story and the way the story is written often reiterates this. The threats come through more than just the threat, it is evident in ideas such as Januarie's inappropriate pursuit of a wife. The way Januarie bases his search for a wife on concern for his own safety and economic interests is as threatening as it is a disturbing image. for the rest of the marriage. His main interest lies in what he should do to ensure he experiences Heaven both alive and dead, thus highlighting his selfish nature. The financial concerns he displays for the match not only highlight this, but also his ominous lack of emotion that he is willing to commit to marriage. Rather than a son, he hopes for an heir, seeing only economic opportunity in any offspring. His girlfriend can hope for little love for herself and her children. The suffocating nature of Januarie's so-called love for "fresshe May" means she can't imagine anyone else being with her. He would have wanted her to be "a soul like the turtle he lost took on". This extreme emotion only adds to the irony of the ensuing story and the previous biblical references to women cheating on their husbands. The uncertainty caused by the fact that the Church also invites "be lyk Sarra and Rebekke" brides adds an air of unease that can be little relied upon. The dramatic irony that comes from the "warm wex" image shows May's hidden power, which Januarie knew nothing about. He doesn't know that she has the same knowledge about the usefulness of hot wax and uses it to copy the garden key for Damyan. The wife's ambiguity is threatening as she is almost a champion of the image that has previously been so repugnant to the reader. The references Januarie makes to images of being tied up are as threatening as his private determination that "Wolde will hire Streyne." His plan to have such physical strength in marriage is suffocating. Not only does he want to dominate physically, but his spiritual dominance in the relationship is unfair as May's opinions are not taken into consideration and she speaks very little.