The Pardoner Of Chaucer s The Canterbury Tales - 1129 Words

Hypocrisy is a common attribute attributed to many of Chaucer’s religious characters in The Canterbury Tales. They are greedy, drunks, and people without a moral code. In The Pardoner’s Tale this theme is exemplified. The Pardoner is greedy and drunk. Matthew 19:24 (ESV) says, â€Å"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.† Despite this, the Pardoner’s only goal is to scam as many people as he can with his â€Å"pardoning† of sins. The Pardoner would pretend to have objects blessed by the Vatican and sell them to people as an indulgence for future sins. It is doubtful that any of his objects had even been to Rome. Therefore, when the Pardoner starts his tale, it is one full of hypocrisy and deceit. Arguably, Chaucer’s grievance was not specific to the Pardoner. Rather, Chaucer used this character to make a wider point about the corruption of religion durin g the fourteenth century. During Chaucer’s life, the fourteenth century, it was a common belief that outward physical attribute represents the personal attributes such as one’s moral code and vices. Chaucer’s first description of the Pardoner’s appearance says, â€Å"This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex. / But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex; / By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde[.]† The Pardoner had thin, stringy yellow hair. It was limp on his head and most likely hadn’t been washed in days. The picture painted does not seemShow MoreRelatedChaucer s The Canterbury Tales1064 Words   |  5 PagesGeoffrey Chaucer, The Author of the Canterbury Tales, is known as the Father of English Literature and is one of the greatest English Poets of the Middle Ages. Chaucer was a soldier, a diplomat, a civil servant, and a courtier, enabling him to experience different aspects of each social ranking, which he demonstrated through his poetry. The Canterbury Tales, his most famous work, is a collection of short stories within a frame story, making for an interesting and memorable narrative about 29 pilgrimsRead MoreInsight Into Human Behavior And The Canterbury Tales1560 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer is known for being one of the greatest English poets of his time (Malvern). During Chaucer’s life, he went through many hardships. Some of the hardship Chaucer endured was being kidnapped by French enemies, dealing with the death of his wife, and surviving the Black Death (â€Å"Chaucer†). Chaucer hardship helped him become the author that he was (Malvern). â€Å"The Canterbury Tales is a group of legends narrated by fictional pilgrims on a pilgrimage† (â€Å"Chaucer†). Chaucer’sRead MoreHypocrisy Revealed in Canterbury Tales891 Words   |  4 PagesChaucers The Canterbury Tales he reveals an underlying flaw in society. 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However, the Pardoner is one of Geoffrey ChaucersRead MoreChaucer s The Canterbury Tales906 Words   |  4 PagesIn the general prologue to Geoffrey Chaucer’s, The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer reveals his dissatisfaction of the distribution of power and how that power was maintained in the Medieval England estate system, through the use of his physical description of each of the pilgrims and by the pers onality of specific members of each caste. To portray these characters and the flaws that they represent in actual medieval society, Chaucer heavily relies on the use of irony to describe many of the travelers inRead MoreChaucer s Candide And Shakespeare s Macbeth1317 Words   |  6 Pagessociety in which the author lived such as Voltaire’s’ Candide and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Geoffrey Chaucer, famous for his The Canterbury Tales, and considered instrumental in the creation of English literature, is not as well known for social commentary in his writing. However, The Canterbury Tales do indeed possess insight and analysis of society, namely the role of the authority figures in the Church. Chaucer was critical of the abuses and misuses he saw in the authority within the Church. He demonstratedRead MoreMoral In The Canterbury Tales1221 Words   |  5 PagesThe Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales have an ultimate lesson at the end, just as every other literary work does. In some of them, he simply states what it is, or some may have to be inferred. During the time, many social and historical events were taking place, and in some instances, Chaucer chose to base the moral around it. While reading The Canterbury Tales, the audience gets entertainment and a basic knowledge of what life what like through the lessons he presents. All of the tales moralsRead MoreThe Pardoners Tale Essay1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pardoner#8217;s Greed The pardoner, in Geoffrey Chaucer#8217;s #8220;The Pardoner#8217;s Tale,#8221; is a devious character. He is a man with a great knowledge of the Catholic Church and a great love of God. However, despite the fact that he is someone whom is looked at with respect at the time, the pardoner is nothing more than an imposter who makes his living by fooling people into thinking he forgives their sins, and in exchange for pardons, he takes their money. His sermon-likeRead MoreThe Pardoners Prologue And Tale By Chaucer Essay1425 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale† is important because it demonstrates how someone with power can influence less intelligent and poor people for financial gain, which was relevant in society during the Middle Ages. In Chaucer’s story, the Pardoner uses his influence and tells a tale of three men to convince the people to pay for him to pardon their sins. Chaucer’s tale and story is often used to emphasize the moral values in our society. There are many points in the tale that are based on the themeRead More Canterbury Tales Essay646 Words   |  3 Pages Corruption in the Church nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Chaucer lived in a time dictated by religion and religious ideas in which he uses The Canterbury Tales to show some of his views. Religion played a significant role in fourteenth-century England and also in Chauceramp;#8217;s writing. His ideas of the Church are first seen in amp;#8220;The Prologue,; and he uses seven religious persons to show the influence of the religion in his writing. Although many of his characters appear to portray