The Miller's Tale

I had the privilege of curling up with Chaucer for a while the other day. Coming off of the Knight's Tale the Miller's Tale feels exceptionally low browed and a bit slapstick. The prologue has a section that warns the reader of this but it is almost titillation rather than just a warning. The Miller's comments about how many good wives there are is amusing when set against his obvious admiration of the wife. His belief that he is not a cuckold is also of doubtful worth given his own stupidity and absence from home.
The only incomprehensible part of the tale is why the elaborate set up if Nicholas lives in the same house with her. The carpenter is manifestly often from home so it feels rather contrived. Of course it does give the Miller a chance to poke fun at the Carpenter as too dumb to keep 'Noah' and 'Noel' straight in his head.