… Essay, Research Paper
A Look at the Pardoner: the Genius of Chaucer
The Canterbury Tales is a literary masterpiece in which the brilliant author Geoffrey Chaucer sought out to accomplish various goals. Chaucer wrote his tales during the late 1300 s. This puts him right at the beginning of the decline of the Middle Ages. Historically, we know that a middle class was just starting to take shape at this time, due to the emerging commerce industry. Chaucer was able to see the importance and future success of the middle class, and wrote his work with them in mind. Knowing that the middle class was not interested in lofty philosophical literature, Chaucer wrote his work as an extremely comical and entertaining piece that would be more interesting to his audience. Also, Chaucer tried to reach the middle class by writing The Canterbury Tales in English, the language of the middle class rather than French, the language of the educated upper class. The most impressive aspect of Chaucer s writing is how he incorporated into his piece some of his own controversial views of society, but yet kept it very entertaining and light on the surface level. One of the most prevalent of these ideas was his view that certain aspects of the church had become corrupt. This idea sharply contrasted previous Middle Age thought, which excepted the church s absolute power and goodness unquestionably. He used corrupt church officials in his tales to illustrate to his audience that certain aspects of the church needed to be reformed. The most intriguing of these characters was the Pardoner. Chaucer s satirical account of the Pardoner is written in a very matter-of-fact manner that made it even more unsettling with his audience. Chaucer uses his straightforwardness regarding the hypocrisy of the Pardoner, suggestive physiognomy of the character, and an interesting scene at the conclusion of the Pardoner s Tale to inculcate his views of the church to his audience. The way that Chaucer used these literary devices to subtly make his views known to an audience while hooking them with entertainment, shows that Chaucer was truly a literary genius.
The first of these devices, his straightforwardness and matter-of-factness regarding the Pardoner s hypocrisy, is used first to appall his readers, and then to cause them to take a second look at the church in their own society. Chaucer knew that most of his audience lacked the ability to fully understand his views, but he hoped that by using this device he could plant seeds of reason in them that would lead to reform of corruption he saw among church officials like the pardoners. The role of a pardoner in the Medieval Church was to sell indulgences, which granted the buyer pardon for their sins. John Manly, in his book Some New Light on Chaucer, believed that Chaucer developed his negative attitude towards this practice by observing the pardoners of the city Rouncival (127). These pardoners in particular had developed a reputation of being scandalous and full of avarice during the late 1300 s. Chaucer saw this practice of selling indulgences as obviously corrupt, so he therefore sought to make his Pardoner obviously corrupt to his readers.
The Pardoner is very open about his hypocrisy and does not show any sign of remorse for it. In preaching to his audiences his theme is always Radix malorum est cupiditas (Chaucer 1672), which means, greed is the root of all evil. However, he then proudly admits, Avarice is the theme that I employ in all my sermons, to make the people free in giving pennies-especially to me. My mind is fixed on what I stand to win and not at all upon correcting sin. and also boast, By such hornswoggling I ve won, year by year, a hundred marks (1673). The simple fact that a person with such an evil heart, so full of greed, could be successful at accomplishing a duty of the church, makes evident the fact that there must be something morally wrong with that duty itself. Also, the fact that the Pardoner so openly admits his corrupt actions causes the reader to question whether this is not common practice among pardoners.
The second way that Chaucer ingeniously attributed corruption to his Pardoner was though physiognomy. In Chaucer s time there was a well-known science of interpreting a man s character from a study of his features (Duino 322). Certain stereotypes concerning physical features were understood by all people of his time, so Chaucer used these stereotypes as symbolism in his work. The following passage from the general prologue illustrates this well:
This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax and let the ends about his shoulders spread in thin clusters and in his eyes he glittered like a hair
[and] had a voice like a goat s bleat. He was beardless and would never have a beard I think he was a gelding or a mare. (Chaucer 1626-1627)
Chaucer loaded this passage with physiognomy to let his readers know what type of man this pardoner was. First, the long thin yellow hair and high-pitched voice were symbols of a lack of manhood (Duino 322). Second, the wide glittering eyes were a symbol of shamelessness and pride. Thirdly, the fact that he had no facial hair not only was a symbol of a lack of manhood, but was also a symbol of sly cleverness (323). The last line of this passage is probably the most intriguing of them all. It suggests that the pardoner was a eunuch (someone who has either had his genitals removed).
By making the Pardoner a eunuch, Chaucer accomplished his goal of writing with deeper meaning and symbolism while maintaining an entertaining work one again. The effect of this on his audience was one of disgust and intrigue, but Chaucer had other intentions that stemmed from Biblical text. The Bible mentions two types of eunuchs: those who became eunuchs for spiritual reasons, and those who became eunuchs unspiritual reasons. The first type of eunuch sought to cut themselves off from worldly desires. If a member of the church was to be a eunuch, this was the only acceptable type. In fact Deuteronomy 23:1 condemns unspiritual eunuchs by commanding, No on who had been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of God (Santa Biblia 247). However, the audience knows that the Pardoner is not a spiritual man, so it certainly was not for spiritual reasons. It can be assumed, however, that the Pardoner cut off his genitals because he was a very distorted individual who secretly wished to be a female. In attempt to keep this a secret, the Pardoner interrupts the Wife of Bath s prologue to announce that he desires to have a wench in every town (Helterman 2). Later the reader realizes this was simply a cover up when the Pardoner sings a song of carnal, rather than spiritual, love to the Summoner (Miller 182). To Chaucer this was the ultimate of hypocrisies. A eunuch who was, according to the Old Testament, not even supposed to be allowed in church, he made a leader of the church. Also, a spiritual eunuch chooses to cut himself off from temporal desires, but Chaucer s Pardoner choose to cut himself off from spiritual desires. These underlying messages of hypocrisy give the educated reader an idea of Chaucer s personal views of some of the pardoner s in the church. Also, the manner in which Chaucer used both obvious character flaws of the Pardoner, and deeper hypocrisies of his nature, show the depth and genius of his writing.
Another passage in The Canterbury Tales that invites interpretation and shows more obviously Chaucer s complexity, is at the conclusion of The Pardoner s Tale. The Pardoner told a type of tale to the other pilgrims that he was very accustomed to telling. It was a tale that taught the moral, radix malorum est cupiditas (Chaucer 1674). The Pardoner had previously admitted to the other pilgrims his manipulative method of selling worthless relics and pardons. However, at the conclusion of his tale he tries to use that exact method to sell his worthless goods to the pilgrims. There is also a very interesting confrontation between the Pardoner and the Host. The Pardoner singles out the Host and tries to sell him his pardons, but the Host refuses and verbally attacks the Pardoner. To this attack the Pardoner did not answer; not a word, he was so angry, could he find to say (Chaucer 1685). This is one passage in which entertainment is not necessarily the obvious goal. Chaucer knew that this passage would not be easily understood by the middle class, but hoped it would spur deeper thought in them. In fact, scholars have not been able to agree on its purpose, and have come up with made many different interpretations. The most uncommon of these was by Professor George Kittredge of Harvard University. He believed that this was actually a moment of true sincerity by the Pardoner, and he was genuinely concerned about the well being of the other pilgrims spirits when he tried to sell them the pardons (Duino 322). Others believe that the goal of the Pardoner was the ultimate sell. If he could tell the pilgrims his method of selling first, and still successfully pull off the sell, it would have been the crowning success of his career as a seller of pardons (Duino 323). I believe, however, that Chaucer was just showing how accustomed the Pardoner was with using this tale in his sales pitch. At the immediate conclusion of his tale the Pardoner announces, And now, good men, your sins may God forgive and keep you specially from avarice! (Chaucer 1684). Since the Pardoner naturally and skillfully goes right into this sales pitch, it is evident that he was simply reciting a memorized sermon. Also, the fact that the pardoner recites this pitch with such enthusiasm, shows that this manipulation was something he was very experienced in, and rather enjoyed doing. When the Host refused to buy the relics and then preceded to insult the Pardoner because of his hypocrisy, the Pardoner realized that he had gone right into his sales pitch without even thinking. Unlike most of The Canterbury Tales, this passage demands interpretation even at the surface level. However, the one obvious point Chaucer sought to make in this passage, was how important the pilgrims knowledge of the Pardoner s hypocrisy was. Because of their knowledge of his hypocrisy, the pilgrims were able to refrain from buying into the Pardoner s con which would surely have brought them Christ s curse (Chaucer 1685). This importance of knowledge, and especially the awareness of the corruption of certain church practices, was what he hoped to instill in all of his readers.
Chaucer s genius as a writer has never been denied. By stealthily incorporating his controversial views of the church, while still being able to make his tales entertaining to all people, Chaucer succeeded in writing a literary masterpiece. At the decline of the middle ages, Chaucer was seeking to promote rational thought, especially among the middle class. He hoped to do this by showing the obvious hypocrisy of those who sold indulgences and by showing how important awareness of hypocrisy is. He did this with the literary devices of straight-forwardness and physiognomy, as well as the events that took place at the conclusion of The Pardoner s Tale. Breaking through the surface value of this entertaining piece into the more complex aspects of Chaucer s writings also gives credit to his greatness. However, it was the way in which Chaucer sought to raise questions concerning the church s practices, almost as propaganda, that Chaucer showed himself to be a writer ahead of his time.
Другие работы по теме:
The Canterbury Tales 2 Essay Research Paper
The Canterbury Tales is a poetic story of a group of people, who were going to pilgrimage. They were going to the tomb of St. Thomas a Bechet in Canterbury, which is about sixty miles from London in England. In that group, there were clergy and laity people. And in the poem Chaucer described all of them so well that we can easily see the picture of how they lived and how they behaved in manners of work and other ways of life.
The Satire And Humor In Chaucer
’S Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper The Satire and Humor In Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales Until Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, he was primarily know for being the writer of love poems, such as The Parliament of Fowls, narratives of doomed passion, and stories of women wronged by their lovers.
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.
Bitter Scorn (Ecclesiasts Mocked In The Prologue
Of The Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper Bitter ScornDuring the later half of the fourteenth century, the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church were forced to contend with the public s increasing dissatisfaction with the church. This discontent was rooted in the corruption that the common person of Europe was beginning to see.
Canterbury Tales Essay Research Paper Geoffrey Chaucer
Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales was one of the great pieces of literary work studied in English Literature I. This medieval literary work was by far one of the favorites studied by all people. The Canterbury Tales was my favorite selection because each individual tale dealt with a ‘theme’ that was real not only in medieval times but also in the present day.
Canterbury Tales-A Personal Perspective On The Medieval
Christian Church Essay, Research Paper Canterbury Tales-A personal perspective on the Medieval Christian Church In researching Geoffrey Chaucer s collection of stories named The Canterbury Tales, an interesting illustration of the Medieval Church becomes evident. A crooked society exists within the corrupt, medieval church community.
The Pardoner And The Knight Essay Research
Paper ?The Canterbury Tales? is a collection of stories, which are told by different characters to serve as entertainment on their journey to Canterbury. The characters who arise during the different tales, and those who tell the tales, play a vital role in understanding the story, and the mind frame of the English people living in the 15th century.
Irony In The Pardoner
’s Tale Essay, Research Paper Irony in The Pardoner s tale Geoffrey Chaucer is indeed one of the greatest English poets. His masterpiece The Canterbury Tales is noted one of the finest works of literature in the world. Chaucer used the setting of a pilgrimage to Canterbury, where Archbishop Thomas a Becket was murdered, as a frame story to tell the tales of each of his memorable and vividly drawn characters.
Corruption In The Church Essay Research Paper
Chaucer lived in a time dictated by religion and religious ideas in which he uses The Canterbury Tales to show some of his views. Religion played a significant role in fourteenth-century England and also in Chaucer’s writing. His ideas of the Church are first seen in “The Prologue,” and he uses seven religious persons to show the influence of the religion in his writing.
Canterbury Tales Essay Research Paper Throughout an
Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper Throughout an author’s literature, many times we find common themes; this is definitely true in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. In the literary work, the reader can find common themes through many of the tales. In the Wife of Bath tale, The Miller’s tale, and the Pardoner’s tale, it is easy to see that one of the main themes through the book is that women are the downfall of men.
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 Pardoner As Representative Of The Church
Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner as a Representative of the Church The Pardoner is a disreputable representative of the church. The ?General Prologue? describes him as being a lying, swindling hypocrite, and he does not hesitate to tell you this himself. The main theme of his sermons, and ?The Pardoner?s Tale,? is ?love of money is the root to all evil,? yet his primary motivation in life is money.
Canterburry Tales
– Pardoner Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner The Pardoner comes from Rome singing with his friend and partner in crime the Summoner. The Pardoner has waxy yellow hair, which he hung sleekly. He is a clean shaven man. He spread out with what little hair he had, thinly over his shoulders. He rode in a new style of fashion without wearing a hood but only bearing a cap.
In The Mind Of The Pardoner Essay
, Research Paper In the Mind of the Pardoner In The Pardoner s Tale, Geoffrey Chaucer masterfully frames an informal homily. Through the use of verbal and situational irony, Chaucer is able to accentuate the moral characteristics of the Pardoner. The essence of the story is exemplified by the blatant discrepancy between the character of the storyteller and the message of his story.
Pardoner And His Take Essay Research Paper
Johann Cabe Page One The Pardoner and His Tale The Pardoner is a renaissance figure that wanders the lands in hopes of bringing forgiveness to those in need. This Pardoner is a bad pardoner among the other pardoners. The tale that he tells is a moral one that is suppose to bring about the desire from people to ask for forgiveness.
Pardoner
’s Tale Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner’s Tale: Deception and Foolishness There are several types of foolishness being described in the Pardoner’s Tale itself. He describes gluttony in general, then specifically wine. He talks of gambling, taking bets and the like, and of swearing. The exemplum of his sermon describes three fools who go foolishly seeking death, then find it in a large amount of gold.
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.
The Pardoners Tale Essay Research Paper The
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.
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.
General PrologueIn Support Of The Monk Essay
, Research Paper Today, when we hear the word ?monk?, it often brings up the image of an old man wearing a brown robe with a shaved head. While this image is based on some level of fact, it is certainly not what the Monk in Chaucer?s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales is like. Instead, Chaucer presents a monk who goes against all stereotypes, ignoring traditions, engaging in hunting, and even indulging in materialistic goods.
The Pardoner 2 Essay Research Paper The
The Pardoner 2 Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner s Tale In Geoffrey Chaucer s famous work, The Canterbury Tales, he points out many inherent flaws of human nature, all of which still apply today. In the phrase, avarice is the root of all evil (Hopper, 343), one can fail to realize the truth in this timeless statement because of its repetition throughout history.
The Sin Of Avarice Essay Research Paper
In life everyone is searching for something or someone. Sometimes we just do not realize we have found it until it is too late. What we find may not always be what we are looking for. This is what happens in the Pardoner s Tale by Geoffry Chaucer, the three rioters are searching for death in the physical form. They do find death or rather it finds them in the very end of the story.
Geoffrey Chaucer Essay Research Paper Canterbury TalesAaron
Geoffrey Chaucer Essay, Research Paper Canterbury Tales Aaron Talton In Canterbury Tales, Chaucer uses the Pardoner and the Prioress to subtlety display what he thinks of the church. The Prioress is after the attention of men. The Pardoner is after money. Chaucer shows the corruptness and hypocrisy integrated into the religious society at the time of the story.
Canterbury Tales Essay Essay Research Paper Ms
Canterbury Tales Essay Essay, Research Paper Ms. Soileau Canterbury Tales Essay There are many characters in the poem The Canterbury Tales, and some of them are more important than others. The Prioress, The Wife of Bath, and the Pardoner are some of the most important characters. They have some similarities and some differences, though they all have a purpose in the story.
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
The Wife Of Bath From Geoffrey Chaucer
’s Canterbury Tales Essay, Research Paper In Geoffrey Chaucer?s The Canterbury Tales, a collection of tales is presented during a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. The pilgrims on the journey are from divergent economic and social backgrounds but they have all amalgamated to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas.
The Time Period And People Of Geoffrey
Chaucer Essay, Research Paper The Time Period and People of Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest authors of his time. His distinctive use of characters in his literary works is one of a kind. Chaucer s works were accomplished during the Middle Ages. During this time period the whole community revolved around the church, the village and the surrounding farmland.
Canterbury Tales Characters Essay Research Paper The
Canterbury Tales Characters Essay, Research Paper The Pardoner’s Tale is arguably the finest short narrative in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. The tale of three men that attempt to kill Death, but instead
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
Discuss Chaucer S Approach To The Problem
Essay, Research Paper In the The Pardoner s Prologue and Tale Chaucer s approach to evil and death are most apparent. Chaucer shows the Pardoner as being evil in all his actions. In the introduction of the book, Chaucer: The Pardoner s Prologue and Tale s valid information is given as to how Pardoners were seen in Chaucer s time.