Canterbury Tales Characters Essay Research Paper The
Canterbury Tales Characters Essay, Research Paper
The Pardoner & # 8217 ; s Tale is arguably the finest short narration in Geoffrey Chaucer & # 8217 ; s
Canterbury Tales. The narrative of three work forces that attempt to kill Death, but alternatively
dice themselves is a narrative of exceeding mind, moral, and temper. These
three qualities are rather unsurprising sing the existent writer of these
narratives. What is surprising though is that the character that tells this antic
narrative is the Pardoner. There have been many surveies on Chaucer & # 8217 ; s
word picture of the Pardoner, most of which have concentrated on his amoral
attitude or on his gender. However, in this essay a different side of the
Pardoner will be explored, his temper, his mind, his accomplishments, and even his
ethical motives. One work in peculiar bases out above from others in both its
completeness and in the clip of its publication. Chaucer & # 8217 ; s Pardoner by George
Lyman Kittredge, published in 1893, precludes the current outspoken,
post-modernist academic paradigm in which much of the survey on the character of
the Pardoner has centered on him as a eunuch and a homosexual. Alternatively Kittredge
examines the Pardoner as an intelligent villain that experiences a internal
moral quandary during the prologue, narrative and epilogue. Kittredge & # 8217 ; s work focal points
on the consistence of the character of the Pardoner. First, the Pardoner as a
streetwalker is examined. For myn entente is nat but for to winne, And no thing for
rectification of sinne: I rekke nevere whan that they been beried Though that hir
soules goon a-blakeberied. That is, as Kittredge makes note, the Pardoner is
merely concerned with his personal fiscal addition. He has no concern for the
reformation of ethical motives or for the truthfulness genuineness of those people
trying to atone. Further grounds of the Pardoner as an immoral defrauder is
exemplified in his deficiency of concern for stealing from the hapless and hungering. Al
were it yiven of the poorest page, Or of the pooreste widwe in a village- Al
sholde hir kids sterve for dearth. It makes no difference to him if he is
victimizing widows or their starved kids. Further illustration of the Pardoner as
an amoral character is shown with his denounciation of the seven mortal wickednesss. In
maintaining with his hypocritical and misanthropic attitude, he is guilty of all seven.
This last part is by and large used to demo the immoralities of the Pardoner but
alternatively another reading is made possible by his blunt cynicism. The
Pardoner is a really humourous character when he has the opputunity to be himself
instead than the reverend that he must feign to be while carry oning his
concern. This is best shown in the mode in which he denounces his practise
and the reagard in which he holds himself. The
temper of the Pardoner besides
coincides really good with his mind and humor. This narrative shows his intelligence
and humor particularly in the treatment between the three comrades and the old
adult male. “ Now sires, ” quod he, “ if that ye be so lief To finde Deeth,
turne up this crooked manner, For in that grove I lafte him, by my fairy, Under a
tree, and at that place he wol abide: Nat for your encouragement he wol him no thing fell. In
this dialogue the comrades are seeking the individual of Death, while the old adult male
is alternatively directing them where they may happen their deceases. Now although this is
merely one illustration of the combination of temper and intelligence in the character
of the Pardoner, his true intelligence is best exemplified by the remainder of the
narrative that surrounds this duologue. It besides seems that the intelligence of the
Pardoner has become known to his fell travelers. And right anoon thise gentils
gan to crye, “ Nay, lat him telle us of no ribaudye. Tel us some moral thing
that we may lere, Some humor, and thanne wol lief heere. ” His comrades do
non desire some vulgar jesting narrative, they want an intelligent moral narrative and the
Pardoner readily delivers with the narrative of the three comrades seeking out
Death. His accomplishment as an speechmaker of narratives is undeniably antic, and we
experience him at his best in this narrative. His aptitude at storytelling has besides
allowed him to demo his accomplishment as an expert streetwalker. His concern has brought him
over a 100 Markss in his first twelvemonth, which at the clip was a just amount of
money. The mode in which he gained this money is shown in the epilogue to the
Pardoner & # 8217 ; s Tale. This immoral, unscrupulous, intelligent and humourous character
has been psychologized in many other English documents. A common decision is that
during the Epilogue he is being serious in his petition for money from his
comrades. This reading degrades the intelligence and accomplishment of the
Pardoner in that he has already told his fellow travelers he is a fraud and to
inquire money of them at this point would be “ superhuman folly ” . Kittredge
dedicates a big part of his statement in defense mechanism of the Pardoner & # 8217 ; s rant
during the epilogue. His decision is that the narrative the Pardoner told has left
him in a province of moral quandary. The Pardoner is confused by his assorted emotions
and the earnestness that has overtaken him. He allows his address to travel on for
excessively long to let some joculiarity into the serious tone that has presented
itself. It is clear that the Pardoner is non an easy character to understand. He
is at times immoral and rather fallacious. While at others he is honorable and
humourous. The chief division therefore lies in whether the weight is placed on
his actions or on his words.