Irony In The Pardoner's Tale

The Prologue to the Canterbury Tale has quite a few examples of hypocrisy. In my opinion the one that stands out the most is the Pardoner. I think the Pardoner comes off as hypocritical because his actions contradict his position and responsibilities as a highly placed person with the church.

   In the tale told by the wife of Bath, the old woman and the queen both show that what the old woman says is true.   In essence, women want to rule over men in all matters – including love.  

The thought of swimming pools filled with money may fill some people with complete contentment. The world is filled with people who believe this is ok and commonly find ways that they may reach their goal. However, to groups this is considered a sinful injustice. Even in literature there are many times that the greediest of people are considered the antagonist. The Canterbury Tales, written by Geoffery Chaucer, contains a short story known as “The Pardoner’s Tale” that addresses the issue of greed using irony to create an entertaining story.

She believes that women should have absolute power over their marriage. Sovereignty is one of her significant values. Throughout the tale it is apparent that the storyteller still has those same beliefs. During the knight’s quest to acquire the answer, he finds an old lady. This older woman holds the answer he had been searching for. She will tell him the solution if, he promises her one thing. He is to do as she says, if she is ever to need anything. After presenting the answer that the old lady gave him, his life was spared. As a result the old lady asks the knight to marry her. Disgust filled the knight however, he had no choice. In this case the older woman had the power over the knight. The knight had to abide by her request. His negative attitude towards the old lady does not go unnoticed. A preposition if then offered to the knight. The old lady can stay old and loyal or become beautiful and treacherous. Power is rooted in the woman and not the man. The knight has the choice but no sense of ability to change her. The Wife of Bath’s made it clear that she believed women should be in command. It is decided that the old lady will turn beautiful and remain

The world is full of hypocrites and in the story “The Pardoner’s Tale”, Chaucer writes about a man who is living a life of sin. The Pardoner’s tale is an epologia of a pardoner who has the power from the church to forgive others for their sins but makes a living out of lying and tricking his audience. Throughout the Pardoner’s Tale he preaches about greed, drinking, blasphemy, and gambling but in the Pardoner’s Prologue he admits to committing these sins himself. The pardoner is really just a 14th century con artist who makes a living by his own hypocrisy.

Throughout “The Pardoner’s Tale”, the main character teaches about greed, gambling, desecration, and drinking, but in the beginning he admits to committing these sins himself. One of the portrayals of hypocrisy, in the

The Wife of Bath's greedy need for complete control over men reflects in most of her actions. She seems proud of this, and constantly describes women as cruel creatures that bring great sorrow to men. When talking about her first three husbands, she says that she "governed them" (193), and "chided them cruelly" (193). She makes life for her husbands a living hell, having no respect for their feelings. Just like the women questioned in her story, she cares only for "riches...amusement...rich apparel...," to be "flattered and pampered," and for "pleasure in bed" (225). When talking of her first three marriages, she says: "Since they had given me all their land, why should I take pains to please them, unless it be for my own profit and pleasure" (192). In her story, the moral is that all women want to hold the whip in a relationship, and it is in the man's best interest to let them do so. The Wife of Bath is not a woman to be admired and, worst of all, she insists all

In today’s society, the Grim Reaper is a character that is commonly portrayed in an animated or cartoon-like style. Yet in the 14th century, or Middle Ages, the Grim Reaper was a symbol of death and demise, and often appeared as a character in the literature and artwork of the time. One place where death appears as a character is in Chaucer's “The Pardoner’s Tale”. By using the historical criticism lens on “The Pardoner’s Tale,” you can see how the use of the Grim Reaper as a character and symbol of death clearly demonstrates the fear and morbidity felt during the Middle Ages.

By analyzing “The Canterbury Tales”, one can conclude that Chaucer did see the merits of the church, but by no means regarded it in a wholly positive light. Whereas some of the clergy are viewed as devout and God-fearing, others are viewed as con- men and charlatans. One can even venture to say that Chaucer was using this story as somewhat of a criticism of the church, showing the flaws of its leaders and the greed that permeated it at the time.

(The Wife of Bath's Prologue 132-133). Again, the Wife of Bath contradicts the perception of women having no desire for

Satirical works are meant to ridicule aspects that are often seen as controversial or unfavorable in society. In the book The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer uses irony, humor, and satire to reveal how rampant the corruption of the Church was during medieval times mainly in the Pardoner's tale. Along the way to Canterbury, the Pardoner discloses corrupt secrets about himself to everyone else in the group. In a way, these secrets represent how dishonorable the Church was during the middle ages.  

Allegory can be defined as an extended metaphor, a story that seems ordinary but holds deeper meanings within. Allegory can be found in many pieces of literature, such as the Canterbury tales, in particularly two tales: the wife of bath and the pardoner’s tale. Both tales are written by Geoffrey Chaucer who uses allegory to convey a message. Chaucer indirectly discusses vices he apparently despises, sins committed by humans that he opposes. They can also be injustices, oppressions to certain groups of people at his time. Chaucer uses allegory in the wife of bath to mock women and to show greed’s consequences in the pardoners tale.

In “The Pardoner’s Tale,” by Geoffrey Chaucer, three young men set out on a journey to kill Death since it had earlier taken one of their friends. On the way to find Death, they run into a poor old man. This poor man explains to them that there is a pile of gold florins under a large oak tree. As the three young rioters race to get to the tree, many ideas come into their heads as to how they can get the most of the gold. They knew if they were to bring the gold into the town during the day, they would be called thieves, and hang for the crime. They immediately hid the gold so they could bring it home at night.

In "The Wife of Bath's Tale", sovereignty is the major subject that is dealt with in the marriage situation. The knight, in search of the correct answer of what women most desire in life, stumbles upon an old hag with the answer. In exchange for the answer, the knight is forced to marry the woman. The woman desires sovereignty over her husband, which is selfish and inconsiderate.

These men were the foulest of the bunch since the all held high esteem in the church. The Pardoner was foul because it is written, “And with these relics, when he had to hand some poor parson living on the land, in one day he gathered in more money than the parson in a month of Sundays. And thus with feigned flattery, his japes made people and the parson his apes.”() He only cared about money and not about people or God in the slightest. Although, “He was in church a noble ecclesiast” because “He read a lesson well or a story” he only “sang an Offertory for well he knew, when that song was sung, he must preach and well tune his tongue to win silver, as he well knew how; Therefore he sang more sweetly and loud.” () It is clearly stated that he was interested in money and not in the Lord’s work or in the serving of the needy. The Friar similar in Chaucer’s criticism towards him.The Friar, “He knew the taverns well in every town, and all the barmaids and innkeepers, rather than the lepers and the beggars, since such a worthy man as he It suited not his calling or degree, with such lepers to maintain acquaintance.”() We read that he did not want to fulfill his calling but rather, his philosophy was “not to deal with the poor, but the rich for there is where his profit would