Pardoner’s tale/ not similar to other tales where the pilgrim’s description in the prologue is
comparable to his/her tale. Maybe Chaucer’s intention is to paint the Pardoner as so foul that he
is shameless.
The Pardoner’s tale is Chaucer’s warning to his readers that if we do not learn from the
Pardoner’s tale, we’ll end up like the Pardoner – a despicable character.
Summary
In the prologue, the Pardoner is corrupt
The other tales typically represent the pilgrim
The tale directly addresses the Pardoner’s sin
hypocrite
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Hayde Castillo
Ms. Castillo
English 3: European Literature
November 11, 2013
Pardoner’s Tale: A Warning to Readers
The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century, is a satirical
account of the many social classes of Medieval England. Chaucer pokes fun at almost all the
pilgrims but reserves the harshest criticism for those members of the clergy who have forgotten
their vows. However, none is more scandalous than the Pardoner, who openly flaunts his corrupt
methods for acquiring wealth. In fact, many readers wonder how the Pardoner has the audacity to
tell a tale about greed, the same sin he so proudly commits. The only conclusion one can make is
that “The Pardoner’s Tale” is Chaucer’s warning to his readers that if we do not learn from the
Pardoner’s tale, we’ll end up like the Pardoner – a despicable character.
“The Pardoner’s Tale’s” theme is clearly that greed is the root of all evil. It tells of a trio
of drunken, belligerent, rioters who seek Death to avenge their friend’s death. Along the way,
they meet an old man who points the way towards Death, under a large oak tree. Instead, they find
bags of gold coins, which causes them to plot against and kill each other out of greed. Thus, their
greed is the cause of their deaths.
Similarly, Chaucer describes the Pardoner as corrupt and greedy as the rioters in “The
Pardoner’s Tale.” In the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer, the narrator, reveals that the
Pardoner fools believers into thinking he has legitimate relics of the saints. He knowingly claims
a pillowcase is the veil of the Virgin Mary, and he claims pigs’ bones are bones of saints. (714-
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720) Furthermore, Chaucer, the narrator, makes clear that the Pardoner is cheating poor believers
out of their money.
And with these relics, any time he found
Some poor up-country parson to astound,
On one short day, in money down, he drew
More than the parson in a month or two,
And by his flatteries and prevarication
Made monkeys of the priest and congregation. (721-726)
These unflattering descriptions clearly show that the Pardoner is a despicable character. As such,
Chaucer, the narrator, is not vague in his disdain for the Pardoner’s greed.
Overall, “The Pardoner’s Tale” depicts the shamelessness of a hypocritical character in a
unique way. No one in the Middle Ages would have wanted to emulate the Pardoner because it
would have meant certain damnation. For today’s readers, the result is the same. This cautionary
tale, told from one who is guilty of the same sin as the tale’s theme, stands to be a clear example
of what greed will get the reader.