The Character of the Pardoner in Chaucers Canterbury Tales

A detailed Summary of The Character of the Pardoner in Chaucers Canterbury Tales


The Pardoner's Tale is arguably the finest short narrative in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The tale of three men that attempt to kill Death, but instead die themselves is a story of exceptional intellect, moral, and humour. These three qualities are quite unsurprising considering the actual author of these tales. What is surprising though is that the character that tells this fantastic story is the Pardoner. There have been many studies on Chaucer's characterisation of the Pardoner, most of which have concentrated on his amoral attitude or on his sexuality. However, in this essay a different side of the Pardoner will be explored, his humour, his intellect, his skills, and even his morals.

One work in particular stands out above from others in both its completeness and in the time of its publication. Chaucer's Pardoner by George Lyman Kittredge, published in 1893, precludes the current outspoken, post-modernist academic paradigm in which much of the study on the character of the Pardoner has centered on him as a eunuch and a homosexual. Instead Kittredge examines the Pardoner as an intelligent scoundrel that experiences a internal moral dilemma during the prologue, tale and epilogue.


Nat for your boost he wol him no thing hide.

"Now sires," quod he, "if that ye be so lief

And no thing for correction of sinne:

This immoral, unscrupulous, intelligent and humorous character has been psychologized in many other English papers. A common conclusion is that during the Epilogue he is being serious in his request for money from his companions. This interpretation degrades the intelligence and skill of the Pardoner in that he has already told his fellow travellers he is a fraud and to ask money of them at this point would be "superhuman folly". Kittredge dedicates a large portion of his argument in defence of the Pardoner's rant during the epilogue. His conclusion is that the tale the Pardoner told has left him in a state of moral dilemma. The Pardoner is confused by his mixed emotions and the seriousness that has overtaken him. He allows his speech to go on for too long to allow some joculiarity into the serious tone that has presented itself.



Some common words found in the essay are:
Pardoner Pardoner, Pardoner's Tale, Canterbury Tales, Instead Kittredge, Lyman Kittredge, character pardoner, companions seeking, pardoner told, story pardoner, moral dilemma, humorous character, death instead, pardoner's tale,

Approximate Word count = 946
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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