Fear Of Death In 'The Pardoner's Tale'

The Inevitable The fear of death is the second most common phobia in the United States, with sixty-eight percent of the population that feel afraid of death. (Statistic Brain) People have always been afraid of death, and it is a common theme in literature, especially after the Black Plague swept through Europe in the 14th century, killing 20 million people, nearly one-third of the population. (History.com) Death was at an all time high, and it was everywhere. But are people really afraid of dying, or of what comes after death? In “The Pardoner’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer, the three main characters, in a fit of drunkenness, decide to find and kill Death after they have seen a funeral procession pass by. An old homeless man directs them to Death, and informs them he is in the distance under a tree. Under this tree they find gold coins, and behind each other’s backs, plan to kill each other so they could have the gold to themselves. All of their plans end up working, and in their greed, all three end up dying. (Chaucer) This story I think shows how people are greedy,
At midnight, a stranger is seen, and when the prince, Prospero confronts him, the new guest kills him, and then proceeds to kill all of the guests at the party one by one. (Poe) This story is an example of how no matter what, we all die in the end. No matter what you do, or what precautions you may take, you can’t shield yourself from death forever. The prince Prospero wanted to save himself and his friends and the wealthy people of his country, but he ended up getting them all killed, after he himself died first. Poe’s work is almost all centered around death due to all his loved ones dying, and so maybe he thought of himself as Prospero. He tried to keep people safe, but Death took them