There are many times that Chaucer satirizes pride in the Miller's tale. Old John, Nicholas and Absalon each exhibit their pride and then has his ego dented by various events. Throughout the tale, Chaucer depicts excessive pride as a sin that interferes with the men's perception of reality.
             The first character to exhibit his pride is the carpenter Old John, Alison's husband. Alison is extremely beautiful and considered a prize to be won by the men of the land. Her husband is proud to have been the lucky man that she chose, but also has his character damaged a few times. John is depicted as the jealous and foolish husband. First he manages to break his arm by following the instructions that Nicholas, the student, gives him, after telling him a false tale. Then he finds out that his wife has been having an affair with another man.
             Nicholas is the next character that Chaucer uses to satirize pride in the Miller's tale. He is proud of his wits and ability to win over Alison. He uses his wit to outsmart the carpenter and then lets his pride be stolen by Absalon. Absalon is also in love with Alison and is jealous of Nicholas. After Alison insults him, he insults Nicholas by sticking a hot stick up his butt. The incident seems funny but is really quite insulting and degrading to Nicholas. In this way Chaucer shows how pride can have unfortunate consequences.
             Absalon is also depicted as being proud of himself because he is a parish clerk. This is also a way for Chaucer to poke fun at the church. Absalon is desperate for Alison's love and tries to get it by calling for her in the night. His pride is diminished when he finds that while waiting for a kiss from her he ends up kissing her other end. This damages his pride but he also propels him to get revenge in his joke on Nicholas.
             In these ways Chaucer has created a twisted triangle of pride in the men who love Alison. They are each proud for their own reasons...