Pardoners Tale Essays - The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoners Tale

Pardoner's Tale Essays - The Canterbury Tales, The Pardoners Tale Pardoner's Tale 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. Deception is another topic addressed by the Pardoner: he comes right out and says that he is a con artist, and that he is out to take people's money. In his tale, deception by the rioters leads to the death of all three. These are good points, but there is another deception the Pardoner plays, and gets caught: his sermon is a direct chastisement of the Host, who is not pleased by this. As a whole, Chaucer effectively uses this character of The Pardoner to point out some of the more foolish and deceptive aspects of other characters in the Tales as well. In the beginning, the Narrator describes The Pardoner in some quite undesirable terms. His is the characterization that comes closest to making a judgement call - in most cases, the judgement is left to the reader. Yet, I trowe he were a gelding or a mare, is hardly non-judgmental (97.693). The Narrator also spends a bit of time describing the different relics and showing the truth of what each relic really is; however, there is a point in his negative description of both the physical and moral aspects of this character. The Pardoner represents the Ugly Truth. The Knight is grand, the Wife is pretty, but the Pardoner is downright ugly. He is also the only pilgrim to acknowledge his shortcomings - he knows he is a con artist and liar, and in his tale's prologue freely admits this in both words and actions. The Pardoner then proceeds with the tale itself, which is a deception as well. In the sermon, he describes gluttony in detail, and defines it as not just overeating, but the intense pleasure of doing so. He also denounces wine, with graphic examples of drunkenness. He discusses the negative merits of swearing and cursing. Then, he closes the sermon itself with a condemnation of gambling. There are several things going on here. The first, most obvious hypocrisy is that before telling this tale, the Pardoner insisted on stopping at an inn for food and beer. He is also partaking in a bet - he who tells the best story wins. However, there is another level. This sermon is retaliation to the Host, who just before asking the Pardoner to speak has been cursing and talking about using beer as medicine to mend his broken heart. It can be suspected that the Host is drunk, as well. However, when addressing the Pardoner, the Host intentionally insults him: 'Thou bel ami, thou Pardoner,' he saide, / 'Tel us som mirthe or japes right anon (165.30-31). The Pardoner, being of rather quick wit, replies: 'It shal be doon,' quod he, 'by Saint Ronion' (165.33). The reference to St. Ronion is a possible play on runnion, which is possibly defined as a sexual joke (165, footnote 8). Thus, the Host has rather offended the Pardoner, who calls a stop at an inn to think upon som honeste thing w hil that I drinke (165.40). This exchange is picked up once again after The Pardoner's Tale is done. Several things from the Tale upset the Host. He is the owner of a tavern, encouraging food and drink. He himself likes to partake of these things. He also swears quite readily, and from the General Prologue, we know the Host was the one to propose the storytelling game in the first place. So, at the end of the Pardoner's Tale, when the Pardoner suggests that our Hoste shal biginne, / For he is most envoluped in sinne (178.653-654), it is in direct response to the insult at the beginning of the Pardoner's turn to tell a Tale. This nearly starts a physical fight - the intervention of the Knight prevents this infighting from progressing further. The Pardoner's sermon, while perhaps aimed at the Host, also describes much of the rest of the pilgrimage. After all,