Pardoner

Danielle Lippert
Kolesar, Period 2
English 101
December 9, 2013
The Power of the Pardoner In the story “The Cantebury Tales”, by Geoffrey Chaucer there is one character that catches the eye of any reader and that character would be the pardoner. There are other characters that are just as interesting as the pardoner, but the pardoner is one that has a personality that many would not suspect someone like him to have. There are characters like the reeve, the miller, the friar, the skipper, and many more but the most important is the pardoner. The pardoner is one who sells indulgences to those who have sinned and explained that if bought the indulgence will erase any sin that person has done and then they will have a permanent spot in heaven. He is one that Chaucer believed was the ideal figure of evil. Each character in Chaucer’s story is based on one of the 7 deadly sins. The pardoner for example is the sin of greed. It is said that the host of their voyage claimed that the pardoner does secondary trade in relics or pieces of clothing, bones, and other objects once belonging to long departed saints. The pardoner claims to have Mary’s veil and a piece of St. Paul’s sail. After his tale the pardoner tried to sell these items to other pilgrims which then angers the host, and makes him question authority. From the pardoner’s portrait it is believable that the host has a right not to believe this guy, and/or just him for that matter. In the tale Chaucer states that with him the pardoner carries around a jar full of pig bones which he was able to cheat out a poor parson out of two months’ salary. It is said that the pardoner was good at preaching, but in his story it explains he only does it to win money, berating the people of their sinfulness in order to get them to buy what he is selling. The hypocritical pardoner has repulsive physical features as well to his nasty ways. The pardoner is said to be known as a ladies man with his, sparse waxy yellow hair, his glaring hare like eyes, small goat like voice, and absence of facial hair indicates that he is a castrated man, or eunuch. He wears a vernicle on his cap to indicate that he has official authority. To extract money from people he uses his “special skill” which is singing at the offertory. In is prologue, the pardoner frankly confesses that he is a fraud motivated by greed, and that he is guilty of all seven sins. Even though like said earlier he is essentially a hypocrite, but he atleast was being honest when he made his confession of fraud and greed. But then ironically at the end of his tale, he requests that the pilgrims make a contribution. This is the reason why the pardoner is the most complex figure in the entire pilgrimage. He certainly is an intellectual figure; his references and knowledge demonstrated in tale and his use of psychology in getting only the good people to come forward. But in making his confessions to the pilgrims about his hypocrisy he seems to be saying that he wishes he could be sincere in his ways, except that he is too fond of money, good food, wine, and power. The pardoner states the “the love of money is the root of all evil”, yet he emphasizes how each relic will bring the purchaser more money. In telling this he sells more and gains more money for himself. His actions express a double irony; his love for money is the root of evil, yet his sells depend on the purchaser’s love of money. His technique of relying upon basic psychology by selling only to the good people brings him more money. His sermon on avarice is given because the pardoner is filled with avarice and this sermon fills his pursue with money.
The Pardoner's portrait throws into question not only the character himself, but also the practices upon which he relies to make a living. This portrait explores what happens when spiritual goods begin to be profit-earning commodities like any other, and question the effect of this trade upon the souls of those who practice it.