Name: ______Mods:______

from The Pardoner’s Tale

Reading Check

1. / How does the Pardoner describe his own character and morals in the Prologue to his tale?
2. / According to “The Pardoner’s Tale,” why are the three young rioters looking for Death?
3. / Where does the old man tell the rioters to look for Death? How do they treat him?
4. / Describe the rioters’ plan for the gold and how it proves fatal to all three of them.

Thinking Critically

5. / How do the descriptions given by the tavern-knave and the publican personify Death? What does the rioters’ response to the description of Death tell you about their characters?
6. / What do you think the poor old man symbolizes?
7. / Irony is a discrepancy between expectations and reality. What is the central irony in “The Pardoner’s Tale”? (What do the rioters expect to find under the tree? What do they actually find?)
8. / Explain the irony in the fact that the Pardoner preaches a story with this particular moral. How do you account for the psychology of the Pardoner? Is he truly evil, simply drunk, or so used to cheating that he does it automatically?
9. / What aspects of medieval society (and human nature in general) do you think Chaucer is satirizing in “The Pardoner’s Tale”?
10. / What moral does the Pardoner want us to draw from his tale? How is it different from the moral you think Chaucer wants you to draw from “The Pardoner’s Tale”?
11. / Do people with the Pardoner’s ethics exist today—in all sorts of professions? Explain your response.
12. / Is greed or desire the root of all evil? Discuss the Pardoner’s moral.
Answer Key:
1. He admits he is corrupt and greedy
2. They want to kill him
3. He tells them to look under nearby oak tree; they treat him disrespectfully
4. The youngest rioter will go to town while the other two stay with the treasure. The two left behind plot to murder the youngest; the youngest plans to kill the other two with poisoned wine. When the youngest returns, the other two kill him, drink the wine, and die also.
5. The tavern-knave calls Death a “privy thief” and the publican says that Death probably lives near the village where many people have died. The rioters show how foolish and arrogant they are when they decide to “kill” Death.
6. Hey may symbolize Death or the futility of resisting death.
7. The rioters seek to kill Death; they expect to find Death under the tree but instead find the gold, which ironically brings about their death.
8.Possible answers: The Pardoner admits that he is motivated by avarice, the very sin he preaches against. He is a professional swindler who routinely manipulates his audience to make money, as demonstrated by the fact that he frankly admits his motives before telling his tale but after telling it immediately seeks to extract money. The Pardoner appears to cheat automatically.
9. Chaucer is satirizing greedy clerics who deceive the faithful.
10. The Pardoner’s moral is that greed can lead to death. Chaucer’s moral may be to beware of hypocrites.
11. The Pardoner is an example of someone who does not practice what he preaches. Students should be able to cite examples of people like the Pardoner (or behavior like his) in several professions.
12. Many students may be familiar with the saying “Money is the root of all evil” and agree with it. Others may feel that pride is the most basic sin.