The Pardoners Tale Essay, Research Paper
The Pardoner s Greed
The pardoner, in Geoffrey Chaucer s The Pardoner s Tale, is a devious character. He is a man with a great knowledge of the Catholic Church and a great love of God. However, despite the fact that he is someone whom is looked at with respect at the time, the pardoner is nothing more than an imposter who makes his living by fooling people into thinking he forgives their sins, and in exchange for pardons, he takes their money. His sermon-like stories and false relics fool the people of the towns he visits and make him seem as a plausible man, which is exactly what the pardoner wants. In fact, the pardoner is an avaricious and deceitful character whose driving force in life is his motto, Radix malorum est cupiditas, which is Latin for greed is the root of evil. The pardoner s entire practice is based upon his motto and is motivated entirely by greed.
The pardoner is supposed to forgive sins, however, he views his position as a scheme to make money and turns it into a fraud. His excellent speaking skills allow him to turn this profession into a scam. He attracts the people with his storytelling and his sermons, which are pleasing to them, By God, I hope I shal yow telle a thyng / That shal by reson been at youre liking, (457-58). One example of a sermon about his motto is the tale of the three rioters. This tale gives an ironic explanation related to the rioters deaths, due to greed and the pardoners practice of his profession, which is also driven by greed (Rossignol, 267). He tells the people what they would like to hear, so that he may pull them into his trap and later cheat them out of their money. His technique to fooling people is to preach on the subject of Radix malorum est cupiditas . Since his living depends on the people s response to the sermon, the pardoner must make it both convincing and entertaining: Thanne telle I hem ensamples many oon / Of olde stories longe tyme agoon / For lewed peple loven tales olde; / Swiches thynges kan they wel reporte and holde, (435-38). When the pardoner is through with his tale, he does not forget to remind the congregation about making their offering to him, so that they may protect themselves from avarice and against sin. The pardoner shows no sign of sympathy or remorse towards his acts upon those whom he cheats. This is one of the many greedy tricks that the pardoner performs to fool and steal from the people.
Besides being a great storyteller and speaker, the pardoner is also a wonderful actor, complete with convincing props to deceive the congregation with. He preaches and tells the people about the power of his relics, which in fact are fakes. Many of his relics were actually the bones of dead animals, such as pigs, which he claimed to be the bones of dead saints, and gloves, which, he claimed, would help crops grow if worn when planting them (Pichaske, 131). The pardoner claims that his relics have the power to forgive sinners of both the punishment due to sin and the guilt of sin itself (Hussey, 177). The people believe the pardoners words and quickly pay to be pardoned, in return the pardoner hands them one of his fake relics. The pardoner quickly and happily accepts their offerings without first seeing if there is any repentance in the people. This goes to show just how uninterested in the people the pardoner is and how he is only interested in the offerings he receives. Those who buy the pardons, mistake what is material (the relic), for what is nonmaterial, which, in this case, is God s forgiveness (Rossignol, 270). Due to the people s ignorance, the pardoner refers to the congregation from which he receives his money, as stupid and describes them as his apes , or fools in The General Prologue. The pardoner is not at all ashamed to say that he does not care a fig about the state of their souls, but only about their pocketbooks, (Rossignol, 268), in The General Prologue. His main concern is greed, rather than salvation of those who come to him seeking it. What the pardoner is doing is committing a sin, and he is very aware of it himself. The pardoner has let the greed drive him away from God s ways and is following his avaricious feelings.
The Pardoner has argued that from evil intention may come good, and being evil himself, he might inspire some good in others, (Pichaske, 130), however, it is evident that the pardoner s preaching and deeds do no good to the people. The fact that good may often come from evil does not , however, excuse one who preaches against that same vice which characterizes his own action , (Pichaske, 127). The pardoner preaches against avarice, while he himself practices it during his sermons and false pardons. The pardoner is so intrigued with avarice that he becomes blind to the evil that he is committing while he preaches about it. The blindness explains why he is able to speak about avarice and how it kills, while he also is living a life that is under the control of avarice (Rossignol, 270). The pardoner is unable to see his mistakes and therefore, he is unable to stop sinning because of his passion for greed. Greed has taken over the pardoner; his actions and his words show this in the text, But alderbest he song an offertorie; / For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe, / He moste preche and wel affile his tongue / To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude, (General Prologue, 710-13). He shows no sympathy for his shameful exploitation of the ignorant and pious and continues to be a hypocrite. His actions of greed lead to other sins, as his motto says, Radix malorum est cupiditas, such as pride. If you know that you are sinning against what is right and continue doing it that is the deadliest sin of all (Hussey, 183). The pardoner realizes that he has become a hypocrite and has let the avarice control him.
Therefore, the pardoner cannot stop sinning because the avarice has taken control over him and leads him into more sin. The pardoner himself becomes the very symbol of avarice. The pardoner preaches against avarice to the congregation in order to feed his own avarice (Brewer, 201). He continues to love God, however, he also continues to sin against Him, due to the greed that drives him. The pardoner s immoral actions towards the pious people of the town are proof that he has no sympathy towards them, and that his greed pushes him to do everything possible to receive their money. The pardoner s continual hunger for greed does not allow him to stop sinning. His desire for money leads him to becoming a totally avaricious personality. From his avarice comes the deceitfulness that he uses on the congregation as he exploits them for his living. The pardoner submits himself to his theme of Radix malorum est cupiditas. His theme becomes a reality and he allows avarice to take control his life. Just as Jesus lived life living into eternal life, the pardoner lives his life dying into eternal death by committing his avaricious acts and deceiving people in the name of God.
Works Cited
Brewer, Derek. The Canterbury Tales.
An Introduction to Chaucer. New York:
Longman Inc., 1984
Hussey, S. S. The Canterbury Tales II.
Chaucer: An Introduction. New York:
Methuen & Co., 1981
Pichaske, David R. Pardoner s Tale.
The Movement of the Canterbury Tales: Chaucer s Literary Pilgrimage.
New York:
Norwood Editions, 1977
Rossignol, Rosalyn. The Pardoner s Tale.
Chaucer A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Works.
New York:
Facts On File, Inc., 1999
Другие работы по теме:
Historical Notes In The Handmaid
’s Tale Essay, Research Paper Historical Notes on The Handmaid?s Tale? The Handmaid?s Tale by Margaret Atwood is an intriguing look into a darker one of infinite possibilities that our future as a country offers. The
Myth Dis Essay Research Paper The Wife
Myth Dis Essay, Research Paper The Wife of Bath, Dame Alice is quite a spiteful woman even though she desires only a few simple things in life; power and control. Through her prologue and tale, she makes mirror images of herself , which reflects the person who she really is.
Chaucer 2
Chaucer – The Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper By far Chaucer’s most popular work, although he might have preferred to have been remembered by Troilus and Criseyde, the Canterbury Tales was unfinished at his death. No less than fifty-six surviving manuscripts contain, or once contained, the full text.
Irony And Personification Essay Research Paper The
Irony And Personification Essay, Research Paper The use of irony and personification are techniques that writers often use that may take only a few paragraphs or 5 pages to describe. An event that is frequently used in these short stories to these two methods is death. “The Pardoners Tale”, “The Masque of the Red Death”, and “Appointment in Samarra” are all examples of when an author uses death to fill the reader with wonder and surprise.
How Carton Changes In A Tale Of
2 Cities Essay, Research Paper In the novel A Tale of Two Cities ,written by Charles Dickenson, there is a chactor names Sydney Carton. Over time, during the novel Carton
Everyman Vs The Pardoner
’s Tale Essay, Research Paper Morality is strongly lacking in present society, as it was lacking in society in medieval times. The play, Everyman, and the short story, The Pardoner?s Tale, are both literary works which try to educate the reader in the proper ways of life. Everyman?s theme seems to aim toward educating the reader on the reasons why death comes to all people.
The Knight
’s Tale Essay, Research Paper The Knight’s Tale The Knight’s Tales Theseus meets the widow of the Theban war who remained him of Fortune’s false wheel and thus fill him with pity . Theseus is then at the summit of Fortune’s wheel .
Tale Of Two Cities Comparison Of Charles
And Sydney Essay, Research Paper Charles and Sydney Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, two charachters in A Tale of Two Cities, have a few similarities and a few differences. One for example
Dr Alexandre Manette Essay Research Paper A
Dr. Alexandre Manette Essay, Research Paper A Tale Of Two Cities (Charles Dickens) Dr. Alexandre Manette Dr. Alexandre Manette the great survivor of the Bastille and father to Lucie Manette.
The Black Essay Research Paper The Courageous
The Black Essay, Research Paper The Courageous Black Stallion! Here is a tale of an incredibly courageous black stallion. Down on Hopeful farm there is a guy named Alec Ramsay. One night he couldn’t sleep because he knew something was wrong. He got up and went to the barn where on a desk there was a paper about the insurance on the barn, it said it was canceled! There was a horse, Miz Liz, that Snappy, the foaling guy, was supposed to foal.
BeowulfCanterbury Tale Alagory Comparrison Essay Research Paper
Allegory is defined as any work of literature in which character, action, or setting represents an abstract idea or moral concept. Many authors use allegory to make their writing more meaningful than what is simply written on the paper. Allegory is a very effective way for a writer to make a point. Allegory is used in Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales to make the stories more meaningful.
Rip Van Winkle Essay Research Paper Rip
Rip Van Winkle Essay, Research Paper Rip Van Winkle is an interesting folk tale that tells the story of a lazy man who minded his own business. Many have heard the tale before, but few have actually read it. In
Passolini Essay Research Paper Passolini
Passolini Essay, Research Paper Passolini’s movie included short tales displaying the irony and humor that take place in Italian religious communities. For example, one tale was about a convent filled with devoted nuns that decided to hire what thought was a poor, deaf, mute man. They hired this man as the gardener for their convent.
The Pardoner And The
“Brothers” Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner and The “Brothers” Throughout literature, relationships can often be found between the author of a story and the story that he writes. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s frame story, Canterbury Tales, many of the characters make this idea evident with the tales that they tell.
The TellTale Heart Essay Research Paper Paper
The Tell-Tale Heart Essay, Research Paper Paper on: The Tell-Tale Heart True! nervous very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? The Tell-Tale Heart, a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, is about an insane butler who plans to kill the man that he is working for. In the film adaptation the narrator shows us, the viewers, how careful and cunning he is about the way he kills the man he works for.
Untitled Essay Research Paper In both the
Untitled Essay, Research Paper In both the traditional and not so traditional tales of ?Snow White? and ?Snow White Tale of Terror?despite there many differences, the plots are both based on jealousy. As viewers watch the movies they are dazzled by the mysterious mirror, entranced by the different takes of the story line, and know that there will be a happy ending.
Characterization In Poe Hawthorne And Melville Essay
, Research Paper What makes a story different from a tale lies in the author’s choice of characterization. When we have little physical detail about the character as is Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” the story becomes more of a tale. In a tale, it is possible to remove almost all of the physical detail about the character and still achieve the same effect.
The Raven And The TellTale Heart Essay
, Research Paper Comparisons of ?The Raven? and ?The Tell-Tale Heart? Edgar Allen Poe’s story “A Tell Tale Heart,” has the protagonist obsessed with an old man’s eye. This obsession causes a conflict between the protagonist and his sanity. In ?The Raven the man imagines that a raven is a godsend, intended to relieve him of his anguish.
Pardoners Tale Essay Research Paper The Pardoner
Pardoners Tale Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner’s Tale vs. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Throughout literature, relationships can often be found between the author of a story and the story that he writes. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s frame story, Canterbury Tales, many of the characters make this idea evident with the tales that they tell.
A Tale Of Two Cities Charles Dickens
(1812-1870) Essay, Research Paper Dickens conceived the idea for this complicated plot while acting in a play. Every event penned in A Tale of Two Cities
The Pardoner
’s Tale Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner s Tale One might assume that the person telling the story has a lot to do with the story they’re telling. This is the case in the Geoffrey Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.” In the tale of “The Pardoner’s”, the voice tells a tale dealing with his famous preach; “Radix malorum est Cupiditas.” In English, “The root of all evil is Greed.” An ironic distinction can be made with what a “Pardoner” is known to be, the character (the voice/Pardoner), and the tale that he tells.
Robinson Crusoe By Daniel Defoe c 16591731
) Essay, Research Paper An adventurous tale, The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, as Defoe titled his novel, is especially loved by children, although there is certainly enough to keep
The Lady Of The Lake By Sir
Walter Scott (1771 – 1832) Essay, Research Paper This absorbing tale, opening with an account of a stag hunt in the Highlands, is typical of Scott. He invented the historical
Spiritual Journeys Essay Research Paper The Tale
Spiritual Journeys Essay, Research Paper The Tale of Saigyo and The Inferno both trace the unique journeys of two interesting figures, Saigyo and Dante. The two journeys are differing in that one is a journey through the life of a Buddhist monk, and the other is a journey through the different circles of hell.
Walt Disney Essay Research Paper This book
Walt Disney Essay, Research Paper This book is about the life of Walt Disney, an American legend. The Arthur begins the tale with a view of the family before Walt Disney’s birth
Pardoners Tale Essay Research Paper Love and
Pardoner?s Tale Essay, Research Paper Love and betrayal are two major themes that appeared often in the works selected for this semesters reading. A theme that is seen in both the story of Joseph and
Huck Finn
’s Use Of The Tall Tale Essay, Research Paper Zach Hunt January 9, 1997 Period 3 Mrs. Gillham Huck Finn’s Use of the Tall Tale In Mark Twain’s timeless American classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,
Dickens Biography Essay Research Paper In the
Dickens Biography Essay, Research Paper In the Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities, symbolism in used to portray the themes though out the book. Through his characters and their actions as well as their
Fairy Tale Essay Research Paper TitleFairy Tale
Fairy Tale Essay, Research Paper Title Fairy Tale Author Alice Thomas Ellis Viking, 1996 Eloise: bored and wants someone to appreciate the value of her work and she wants a baby. She makes night-dresses and petticoats for a shop in town. She considers men to be brainless and only good for one thing. Simon and she moved into the woods because she got a lot of money from Max (Clare’s ex-husband).
Summary Of The Nun
’s Priest Tale From The Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper The Nun s Priest s Tale The tale told by the Nun s Priest is a fable or story with animals as the main characters and usually ends with a moral of some sort. This tale takes place on the farm of and old, poor widow. All that she posses can be summed up in a few lines.
Irony In The Canterbury Tales Essay Research
Paper Irony is the general name given to literary techniques that involve surprising, interesting,or amusing contradictions. 1 Two stories that serve as excellent demonstrations of irony are ?The Pardoners Tale? and
A Bronx Tale Essay Research Paper A
A Bronx Tale Essay, Research Paper A Bronx Tale It s 1960 in New York City in the middle of the bronx. Living at East 187th Street is the family of Calogero (played at age 9 by Francis Capra and at
Canterbury Tales Historical Significance Of The Pardoners
Tale Essay, Research Paper The Pardoners tale sheds much light on the conduct and thought of people in the dark ages, especially the menaces of society. This story reveals much about the morals, laws, and conventions in place during the dark ages. Even though the focus is on three drunken criminals, their encounters and conduct give clues as to what their society was up to.
A Tale Of Two CitiesCharacter Development Essay
, Research Paper A Tale of Two Cities Topic: ?In a Tale of Two Cities, none of Dickens? characters show any development at all during the time span of the novel.? Do you agree? Discuss with reference