The Pardoner S Tale

“The Pardoner’s Tale” From The Canterbury Tales

Pages 142 – 151

Before Reading:

“The love of money is the root of all evil,” the Bible tells us. Write down your thoughts about the desire for money and the ways in which it influences human behavior. In what situations is the desire for money evil or harmful? When does the desire seem normal or legitimate to you?

During Reading:

• What is the text the Pardoner always draws upon when he preaches? How is this ironic given what we know about him from “The Prologue”?

• What is the Pardoner’s exclusive purpose for preaching? What is his attitude toward those who listen to his sermons?

• Describe the Pardoner’s “work” (lines 39 – 49).

• Even though the Pardoner calls himself a “wholly vicious man” what he is still able to do? (lines 55 – 57).

• Describe the three rioters.

• Who is the man in the coffin? What happened to him? Describe “Death.” What literary device is used?

• After hearing about Death, what do the three rioters swear to do?

• Describe the old man the rioters meet. Why can he not die?

• How does the old man help the rioters on their quest to find Death?

• What do the three rioters find under the tree?

• How do the rioters plan to get the gold back to their homes?

• When the one rioter goes into town, what do the remaining two rioters plot? What does this plan suggest about human nature and the desire for money?

• What does the youngest rioter (the one who went to town) plan to do?

• What happens to the three rioters in the end?

• Why does the Pardoner say that the young men “received their due” (line 294)?

• At the end of his sermon, how does the Pardoner suggest people keep themselves free of avarice?

• What does the Pardoner provide for the other pilgrims (lines 314 – 325)?

• In lines 330 – 31, the Pardoner reminds the other pilgrims that death may come to them at any time. Why does he emphasize this point?

• Which pilgrim does the Pardoner believe is most “enveloped in sin” (line 336)? What does he ask this pilgrim to do?

• In light of the Pardoner’s true motives, as revealed in “The Prologue,” why is the moral of this tale ironic?

After Reading:

How do you think the other pilgrims responded to the Pardoner’s tale? Why? If the Pardoner hadn’t revealed so much information about his practices, how might the other pilgrims have responded?