Chaucer’s description of the Pardoner suggests
he’s part of the Middle Age’s emerging middle class
. He is well-dressed and groomed; Chaucer even describes him as a bit of a dandy, a man overly concerned with his appearance.
What is Chaucer trying to say about the Pardoner?
Chaucer gives his reader a very unsavory description of the Pardoner. In Chaucer’s time, a
pardoner was supposed to dispense “indulgences,” for contributions to the church
(alms) through the use of relics (religious artifacts).
How is the Pardoner characterized?
The Pardoner is characterized as
an effective speaker and a skilled con artist
.
What message is Chaucer giving us with this story?
His basic message is that
he met up with lots of people all going to the same place–
which happens in April since that’s when they get “pilgrimmage fever”–and they have decided to play a game of story telling on the way for entertainment.
What type of person is the Pardoner?
The pardoner tells the story and emphasizes the sins of others. He uses the story to provoke the other pilgrims to buy his pardons. This shows that the pardoner is
a greedy, hypocritical man
. Still, he is a good preacher and the message of his tale, though corrupted, is also good.
What does a Pardoner mean?
1 :
a medieval preacher delegated to raise money for religious works by soliciting offerings and granting indulgences
. 2 : one that pardons.
What is the Pardoner most concerned about?
What is the Pardoner’s true purpose in life?
To steal people’s money, not to pardon them for their sins
. What is the allegory (symbolic theme) that the Pardoner teaches? Greed is the root of all evil.
Who is the Pardoner riding with?
The Pardoner rides in the BACK, indicating he trusts no one… since he’s bringing up the rear and able to keep an eye on all the others. He keeps company with
the Summoner
… another winner.
What is Chaucer famous for?
Geoffrey Chaucer is considered one of the first great English poets. He is the author of such works as
The Parlement of Foules, Troilus and Criseyde, and The Canterbury Tales
. Humorous and profound, his writings show him to be an acute observer of his time with a deft command of many literary genres.
What is the main message of the prologue of The Canterbury Tales?
The purpose of the prologue is
to give readers a general overview of the characters that are present, why they are present there, and what they will be doing
. The narrator begins by telling us how it is the season in which people are getting ready to make a pilgrimage to Canterbury.
What is the moral lesson of Canterbury tales?
One of the main lessons throughout all of the tales and main story is
that honor and honesty is valued
. In stories like the Physician’s Tale, we see that the lying Appius who lusts after a young girl, is eventually caught for his lies and thrown in jail where he kills himself.
How is the Pardoner selfish?
In the story, he tricks the people to buy his fake relics and other things by using
the church’s believe
. The Pardoner act and his teaching are all corrupted because of the church. It shows the side of greediness, gluttony and selfishness which highly reflect into himself and his believe.
How does the Pardoner make money?
How does the Pardoner earn his living?
by taking money to “forgive sins”
, he also sells religious trinkets, that are fake.
What indulgences does the Pardoner claim to have?
Summary of the Prologue
The Pardoner is a swindler, a smooth-talking cleric who offers
pardons for sin in exchange for money
(known as “indulgences” in the Middle Ages). He admits his hypocrisy, but his love for money, food, and liquor stop him from ending his vices.
Is Pardoner a word?
a person who pardons
.
What is a Priorist?
:
a nun corresponding in rank to a prior
.
