Pardoner’s Tale
Name__________________________________
1-7. Define each of the following words, and in the margin, also list the virtue that is
its opposite
1. Avarice2. Gluttony3. Lust a. licentiousness
b. lechery
4. Sloth5. Anger6. Envy7. Pride
a. Vanity
8. What is the group of 7 above usually called?
9. What does the # 7 usually signify, biblically?(Think of other places where the number
occurs in the Bible).
10. The intro to the Pardoner’s tale begins with the Host’s reaction to the Physician’s
tale, which clearly upset him. What kind of tale does the Host now want the Pardoner to
tell?
11. What kind of story do the other pilgrims want the Pardoner to tell?
12. What does the Pardoner say he must do before he tells his tale?
13. In the “Pardoner’s Tale”, what happens to each of the three revelers and, specifically,
how does it occur ?
14. In what form is Death personified in this story?
15. The Pardoner claims that “Radix est malorum cupidatas” (Greed is the root of all
evil) will be the moral of his tale, but before he tells his tale, he explains how he uses the
greed and vanity of others to fill his pockets. Explain how and why his preaching
methods work, looking at his own explanation on page 315.
16. How does the moral above fit the Pardoner’s real purpose?
17. What is ironic about the way in which the Pardoner begins his tale? (What different
vices is he criticizing?)
18. After his tale is complete, the Pardoner offers various opportunities for soul cleansing
to all of the pilgrims. What does he offer?
19. The Pardoner says that the Host is “most enveloped in sin” and kindly offers to
cleanse his soul in particular. How does the Host respond to this generous offer? What
alternative course of action does the Host offer instead?