Question

topic: the canterbury tales
assignment / analysis: \the pardoner’s prologue and tale\
directions: as you read \the pardoner’s prologue,\ complete the following questions.
deeper thoughts on the pardoner’s tale...

1. lines 5 - 6: why does the pardoner openly admit that he preaches to make a personal profit?

seven deadly sins

1. lines 21 - 31: in medieval times, people were keenly aware of the seven deadly sins: pride, avarice (greed), lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. these would bring spiritual death and damnation unless the sinner confessed and obtained a pardon. which of these sins does the pardoner recognize as his own vice? what does this revelation reveal about the pardoner?
2. in the story, which sin leads to the downfall of the rioters? how so?

allegory

1. what is the \surface story\ in the tale? what is the moral lesson or deeper symbolic meaning to be learned from the pardoner’s tale?

Explanation:

1. The Pardoner admits to preaching for profit as a form of self - promotion. By being upfront about his greed, he gains the trust of his audience and can more effectively sell his pardons. It also serves as a form of irony, as he preaches against sin while indulging in it himself.
2. The Pardoner recognizes avarice (greed) as his own vice. This revelation shows that he is self - aware of his immoral behavior but continues to act on it. It also highlights the hypocrisy of a religious figure who should be upholding moral standards but is instead driven by financial gain.
3. Avarice leads to the downfall of the rioters. They find a treasure and, driven by greed, plot to kill each other to get a larger share. Their greed causes them to turn on one another, resulting in their deaths.
4. The surface story is about three rioters who set out to find and kill Death, but instead find treasure and meet their own demise due to greed. The moral lesson is that the love of money (avarice) is the root of all evil. It symbolizes how sin can corrupt and destroy even those who seem to be on a noble quest.

Answer:

1. He uses it as a self - promotion and irony tactic to gain trust and sell pardons.
2. Avarice; it shows his self - awareness and hypocrisy.
3. Avarice; they turn on each other over the treasure.
4. Surface story: Rioters seek Death, find treasure and die. Moral lesson: Avarice is the root of evil.