The Pardoner’s TaleThe Pardoner’s Tale

63: 63: in flaundres whilom was a in flaundres whilom was a compaignye compaignye 464: 464: Of yonge folk that Of yonge folk that haunteden folye, haunteden folye, 465: 465: As riot, hasard, stywes, and As riot, hasard, stywes, and tavernes, tavernes, 466: 466: Where as with harpes, lutes, Where as with harpes, lutes, and gyternes, and gyternes, 467: 467: They daunce and pleyen at They daunce and pleyen at dees bothe day and nyght, dees bothe day and nyght, 468: 468: And eten also and drynken And eten also and drynken over hir myght, over hir myght, 469: 469: Thurgh which they doon the Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifise devel sacrifise

470: 470: Withinne that develes temple, in Withinne that develes temple, in cursed wise, cursed wise, 471: 471: By superfluytee abhomynable. By superfluytee abhomynable. 472: 472: Hir othes been so grete and so Hir othes been so grete and so dampnable dampnable 473: 473: That it is grisly for to heere hem That it is grisly for to heere hem swere. swere. 474: 474: Oure blissed lordes body they Oure blissed lordes body they totere, -- totere, -- 475: 475: Hem thoughte that jewes rente Hem thoughte that jewes rente hym noght ynough; hym noght ynough; 476: 476: And ech of hem at otheres And ech of hem at otheres synne lough.synne lough.

The Pardoner’s TaleThe Pardoner’s Tale

Prologue tells his true nature:Prologue tells his true nature: ““I preach for nothing but for I preach for nothing but for

greed of gain”greed of gain” Line 5: “I preach against the Line 5: “I preach against the

very vice /I make my living out very vice /I make my living out of—avarice.”of—avarice.”

Line 22: “never do an honest Line 22: “never do an honest job of work.”job of work.”

ReasonsReasons

Cleverness: the Pardoner Cleverness: the Pardoner thinks he is sneakythinks he is sneaky

Frankness: the Pardoner may Frankness: the Pardoner may realize that the pilgrims realize that the pilgrims recognize him for what he recognize him for what he really isreally is

Mean: he thinks the pilgrims Mean: he thinks the pilgrims “yokel”“yokel”

The TaleThe Tale

Lines 41-53 Lines 41-53 introduce the introduce the theme: sintheme: sin

Seven deadly Seven deadly sins killed the sins killed the immortal soulimmortal soul—damnation—damnation

AvariceAvarice LustLust GluttonyGluttony SlothSloth MelancholyMelancholy WrathWrath EnvyEnvy VanityVanity

The TaleThe Tale

The three men in this tale are The three men in this tale are guilty of three:guilty of three:

Gluttony: “eat and drink far Gluttony: “eat and drink far more than they could hold”more than they could hold”

Lust: “haunting vice and Lust: “haunting vice and ribaldry”ribaldry”

Sloth: “harp, guitar, or lute Sloth: “harp, guitar, or lute carouses” (the youngsters play carouses” (the youngsters play rather than work)rather than work)

Three SinsThree Sins

The tale concerns all The tale concerns all three of these, with dire three of these, with dire consequences for our consequences for our major charactersmajor characters

Vanity is another sin Vanity is another sin introducedintroduced

BackgroundBackground

Death (personification) is in Death (personification) is in the form of the plaguethe form of the plague

The youngsters, while drinking The youngsters, while drinking heavily (gluttony) brag about heavily (gluttony) brag about stopping Death (vanity)stopping Death (vanity)

With this statement: “we will With this statement: “we will kill this traitor Death” (pg 133, kill this traitor Death” (pg 133, 91)91)

SymbolSymbol

Line 105: “A very poor old Line 105: “A very poor old man/Who humbly greeted man/Who humbly greeted them”them”

The man is Death—he The man is Death—he assigns the fate to the young assigns the fate to the young men when he tells them men when he tells them where they may find Deathwhere they may find Death

The old man is The old man is lookinglooking for for Death—he cannot die Death—he cannot die (Pontius Pilate?)(Pontius Pilate?)

DisrespectDisrespect

The youngsters show the old The youngsters show the old man disrespectman disrespect

Call him “Old fool”Call him “Old fool” Tell him to be quietTell him to be quiet They say he is the “spy” for They say he is the “spy” for

deathdeath Call him a “thieving swine”Call him a “thieving swine”

Deceit or Fate?Deceit or Fate?

The old man tells where he left The old man tells where he left DeathDeath

The youngsters are not very The youngsters are not very smart (the old man said he smart (the old man said he was looking for death)was looking for death)

The youngsters find “golden The youngsters find “golden florins” instead (eight bushels florins” instead (eight bushels worth)worth)

Fortune?Fortune?

The young ruffians claim The young ruffians claim that the money must that the money must certainly have been left by certainly have been left by FortuneFortune

This is another This is another personificationpersonification

Gold is directly related to Gold is directly related to avariceavarice

Ill-gotten GainIll-gotten Gain

Line 183: “people would call Line 183: “people would call us robbers”us robbers”

This line is put in to show This line is put in to show there is no honor among there is no honor among thievethieve

The three unscrupulous men The three unscrupulous men know their own kind to be know their own kind to be greedy, but still fail to see this greedy, but still fail to see this in themselvesin themselves

Ill-Gotten GainIll-Gotten Gain

The three men devise to get The three men devise to get the money to town by nightthe money to town by night

Symbol: night is used to Symbol: night is used to cover deceit/treacherycover deceit/treachery

The men hope to hide their The men hope to hide their “sin” with darkness“sin” with darkness

The PlanThe Plan

Two men stay while the Two men stay while the third goes to town to get third goes to town to get food and drinkfood and drink

This is the point where This is the point where “Death” has been found “Death” has been found under the treeunder the tree

The young men’s resolve The young men’s resolve has now been dividedhas now been divided

The PlanThe Plan

The two remaining men The two remaining men purpose to stab the third man purpose to stab the third man in the back while he is in the back while he is distracteddistracted

This is a coward’s means of This is a coward’s means of dispatching an opponentdispatching an opponent

This directly contradicts the This directly contradicts the values of the present societyvalues of the present society

The PlanThe Plan

The third man is unscrupulous The third man is unscrupulous himselfhimself

He gets poison which is so He gets poison which is so strong it will kill with just one strong it will kill with just one drop drop

He puts poison in two of the He puts poison in two of the wine bottleswine bottles

Humor: the two men left at Humor: the two men left at the tree are referred to as the tree are referred to as “polecats” (vermin)“polecats” (vermin)

The ResultThe Result

The two men succeed in The two men succeed in stabbing the third upon his stabbing the third upon his returnreturn

The tow men then drank to The tow men then drank to their good “fortune” from the their good “fortune” from the poisoned bottles and poisoned bottles and promptly diedpromptly died

The ResultThe Result

The Devil his DueThe Devil his Due

Line 47: “Doing thereby the Line 47: “Doing thereby the devil sacrifice”devil sacrifice”

Line 272: “And when this Line 272: “And when this rioter, this devil’s clay”rioter, this devil’s clay”

The three men have given The three men have given their immortal souls to the their immortal souls to the devil with their avarice, lust, devil with their avarice, lust, and slothand sloth

““As Bold as Brass”As Bold as Brass”

Lines 291-297: “I’ve some Lines 291-297: “I’ve some relics in my bale”relics in my bale”

The Pardoner wastes no The Pardoner wastes no time attempting to make time attempting to make money following his money following his “sermon”“sermon”

Absolution is on sale today!Absolution is on sale today!

The ImpressionThe Impression

The Pardoner claims that The Pardoner claims that the host is “most the host is “most enveloped in sin” (big insult enveloped in sin” (big insult on morality and on morality and intelligence)intelligence)

The host promptly and The host promptly and emphatically refuses: “No…emphatically refuses: “No…may the curse of Christ may the curse of Christ descend upon me if I do!”descend upon me if I do!”

The PeacemakerThe Peacemaker

The Knight shows his The Knight shows his chivalrous nature when he chivalrous nature when he keeps the host and pardoner keeps the host and pardoner from being angryfrom being angry

He recognizes the need for He recognizes the need for the pilgrims to get along the pilgrims to get along (leadership?)(leadership?)

““They kissed, and we They kissed, and we continued on our way.”continued on our way.”

ImagesImages

ChaucerChaucer

Chaucer and TextChaucer and Text

ChaucerChaucer

Hoccleve’s Hoccleve’s Chaucer Chaucer PortraitPortrait

ChaucerChaucer

1515thth Century Century PortraitPortrait