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.