“The Pardoner’s Tale”
By
Geoffrey Chaucer
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Pardoner
•
He is a fraud
–
•
•
Sells fake religious relics to poor people
We do not like him
We do not trust him
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
“The Pardoner’s Tale”
•
Theme
– Radix malorum est cupiditas
• Greed is the root of all evil
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Three Rioters
•
“Who long before the morning service
bell,
Were sitting in a tavern for a drink.”
(2-3)
–
The Pardoner presents the rioters as
sinners
• Drinking very early in the morning
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Three Rioters
•
“The rioter said, “Is he so fierce to meet?
I’ll search for him, by Jesus, street by street.
God’s blessed bones! I’ll register a vow!
Here, chaps! The three of us together now,
Hold up your hands, like me, and we’ll be
brothers
In this affair, and each defend the others,
And we will kill this traitor Death, I say!
Away with him as he has made away
With all our friends. God’s dignity! Tonight!”
(33-41)
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Three Rioters
•
The rioters are presented as pompous,
stupid men
–
Irony
• Believe they can kill Death
– Make oaths using the name of God
• Considered sacrilegious
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Three Rioters
•
“They made their bargain, swore their
appetite,
These three, to live and die for one
another
As brother-born might swear to his born
brother.”
(42-44)
–
–
All three commit to each other
Irony
•
Consider the ending
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Old Man
•
“What, old fool? Give place!
Why are you all wrapped up except
your face?
Why live so long? Isn’t it time to die?”
(57-59)
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Old Man
•
Tone
–
–
–
The rioters are disrespectful towards the old
man
They believe he is a spy for Death
The old man gives them directions on how
to find Death
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Gold Coins
•
“At once the three young rioters began
To run, and reached the tree, and there they
found
A pile of golden florins on the ground,
New-coined, eight bushels of them as they
thought.
No longer was it Death those fellows sought,
For they were all so thrilled to see the sight,
The florins were so beautiful and bright,
That down they sat beside the precious pile.”
(110-117)
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
The Gold Coins
•
•
No longer concerned with Death
Symbol of the gold
– Gold leads to Greed
– Greed leads to Death
– Therefore, Gold equals Death
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
Plot Summary
•
One rioter (A) returns to town to buy
wine and bread while the other two (B &
C) stay to guard the gold
B & C conspire to kill A
A decides to poison B & C
All three end up dying
•
•
•
–
Greed caused them to die
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale
Irony
•
The Pardoner tells this tale
–
–
–
He is driven by greed
He is very similar to the three rioters
Hypocrite
Geschke/British Literature
The Pardoner's Tale