Senex amans


A senex amans is a stock character of classical Greek and Roman comedy, medieval literature and drama. It is an old jealous man married to a young woman and thus often an object of mockery. He is variously ugly, impotent, puritanical, and foolish to be cuckolded by a young and handsome man. Often the term "senex amans" is applied to the very motif involving the three.
The classic example of a senex amans is Januarie in the Merchant's Tale. He is 60 years old and he marries a young girl named May, who later cuckolds him by entering into a secret relationship with January's squire, Damyan.
The senex amans is not always a one-dimensional figure presented for derision. The morality within the tale itself is somewhat ambiguous, with the corrosive irony directed at January coupled with a more generalised sympathy and understanding.