CAJIGAL, JAY-AR A.
MARCH 23, 2021
TO REPENT, DEATH IS NOT THE ANSWER: GREED IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
“Radix malorum est cupiditas” is the subject pointed in the Pardon’s Tale one of The Canterbury
Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It appears after The Physician's Tale and before The Shipman's Tale in the order
of the stories. The narrative is about the Pardoner, who relates a story about how he sells indulgences—
religious pardons for sins—and reveals that he preaches against avarice while committing it himself. His story
tells about the three rioters who is because of greed it ended that the three of them dead. The readers
interpret this as a sort of a preach, in which it views that we shall practice repenting our sins.
The tale obviously hooks the readers mind to be mindful in every sin that we are committing because,
greed is not just a simple sin, but it is a sin that could possibly get you harm or even face death. The readers
can say that The Pardoner’s Tale is considered as the one of finest “short stories” ever written. Because
despite the fact that this is poetry, the narrative meets all of the criteria for a great short story: brevity, an
aptly depicted plot, brief characterizations, the presence of the symbolic old man, swift narration, and a
surprise conclusion. The elements affect the readers mind to be creative by making the whole story an
illustration, a story shared to demonstrate an intellectual argument. The Pardon’s Tale Prologue is
dedicated to an exposition of the Pardoner's dishonest activities and an unflinching admission of his wholly
nefarious intentions in which stated “But let me briefly make my purpose plain; I preach for nothing but for
greed of gain and use the same old text, as bold as brass, Radix malorum est cupiditas. and thus, I preach
against the very vice I make my living out of—avarice.” Perhaps the Pardoner was guilty of dramatic hypocrisy
in revealing himself and his professional secrets too absolutely to his fellow pilgrims because a sly rascal
might not have indulged in such blazing modesty in existence. The author used suggestive analogies that
provide the reader with the perception of a man of extreme sexual and spiritual poverty, willingly
admitting that he abuses his authority to sell fake relics. I see the Pardoner as somewhat represent the
author’s personality. As the readers read some of the articles of the scholars in literature, according to them
the Prologue and the Tale together was intended to illustrate the structure of the medieval sermon. The
readers can say that the Pardoner, in entertaining his professional methods, consistently refers to his pulpit
audience in the third person. It also clear that the intension of the Pardoner here is to make money because
he is filled with avarice and this sermon fills his purse with money from the other people.
The author’s style in writing the story line tale about the moral story of the Pardoner about three
rioters who discovered the treasure is close to most literary texts and readings today. According to historians,
many of the myths that circulated in medieval Europe originated in the Orient, as did many others. It first
appears in India as one of the Jatakas, or Buddhist "Birth Stories." The tale of Jesus and his followers was
passed down from India to Persia and Arabia as well as in Africa. The author successfully creates an
imaginable storyline in which the readers created an interactive meaning with the author’s purpose here.
Perhaps, the author was able to establish a great tension and excitement in the storyline in which because
of the gold florins the three rioters plot a killing scheme for them to get all the gold florins under the three. In
which the main goal of the author is to entertain the readers by feeling the scenario to create an enjoyment
throughout the story. In which it activates readers the moral sensibility when it comes to committing sins that
“all sins should be repent in order for you to be cleanse.” The similarity of the characters is likely to be
compared to the text of Reppresentazione di San Antonio an Italian miracle play of the fifteenth century.
The other one is Der Dot im Stok a German play by Hans Sachs. Thus, in the Reppresentazion the robber
who goes to the town asks for poison to kill the rats which annoy; the first robber pledges the second to
secrecy before revealing his plan; the two robbers who remain with the treasure plan to kill their absent
comrade as soon as he seats himself; and finally in this miracle play and laso in Der Dot im Stok the robbers
draw lots to decide which one should go to the down – it is a detail that which is not found in the novella. In
addition. The reader views this element as a version of the remarkable wide range and numerous analogies.
The hosts asked the Pardoner to tell a merrier/happy tale. The readers view in which the story being
told by the Pardoner is no fun at all instead it gives a moral story of repenting the sins that being committed.
The just tell that the Pardoner is abusing his authority to get some money to others by committing all the
kinds of sin that he admits. Perhaps, the literature can be experienced if the author was able to establish
imagery with the senses so the readers can experience it, a literature can be enjoyed if the author was able
to establish creative writings that somewhat can entertain its readers. Considering the Physician Tale’s about
a girl being murdered also. Both Physician’s Tale and Pardoner’s Tale has the same features which is death,
in which it shows clearly that man can find the story of the Pardoner fun at all because man readers can tell
that man is man, which clearly entertain their ego because a three man was died because of greed in which
it also pointing that these reaction to the story tells us that this is “men glory of behavior”. Focusing on the
death as a feature, the old man can be “death” itself or a representation of death as he sends the three young
men. Perhaps, Physician Tale’s about the girl died had nothing fun it is a tragedy for a woman. We are not
clearing up the possible views of reader’s perception about these two similar tales in the Canterbury Tales.
As a reader, it affects my sense of morality in the way that GREED is part of the human nature
and it has power to kill. Though, The Pardoner’s way of preaching is the subject “Radix malorum est
cupiditas” means “The love of money is the root of all evil” which the Pardon’s Tale taught to the readers.
The biblical passage came across to the reader’s perception and so do I that we shall avoid the greediness
in our personality because it will just trigger bad luck. As a reader, this kind of tale is no fun for me at all,
because my believes has the influenced of the roman catholic dogma that complete myself as a human being,
the norms, believes and societal influence created a view of mine that death should give a lighten view that
represent totality of being a human’s nature. I find it sad at all because greed can do bad things. There are a
lot of ways to repent your sins that you committed. The readers were able to connect with the author’s purpose
of writing the tale of Pardoner, but the reader’s view neglect the fun side or as an entertainment tale sense
of the story line.
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