The Pardoner In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

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In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales there are twenty-four characters. However, one stands out more than the rest, and he is the Pardoner. This was not any ordinary Pardoner. This Pardoner worked for the church around 1386, around the time the church was corrupted the most. The Pardoner was no exception to this crime. His personality and motives reveal the Pardoner to be a man whose main motive is greed. The Pardoner has the ugliest physical features. He had long blonde hair that he wears with style and a hairless face. Chaucer himself had his worries about the Pardoner. Even at one point questioned his sexuality. His appearance bothered Chaucer so much that he even compared him to a mare. Pardoner's personality was just as ugly as his appearance. In his own prologue before his story he says himself "I preach for nothing but for greed of gain." People would do anything to make sure they are forgiven and will make it in Heaven, so this is where the Pardoner took advantage. Even though he does preach well, he does it for all the wrong reasons. When he preaches, it is to make the people feel guilty and by that feeling they became generous and gave more money. This just benefited him and made better profit for the Pardoner himself. He took donations from everyone, no matter what their financial situation. He was even low enough to take from the poor people just so he could have fine wine, cheese, wheat,…show more content…
The Pardoner carried around a bunch of phony relics. He convinced people that these relics could bless them and their families or also save them from suffering from purgatory. He himself tells you this in his own prologue. Chaucer said he carried around a pillow case which the Pardoner insisted it was Our Lady's veil. He also carried the gobbet of the sail that Saint Peter had used when he made the waves bold to walk the waves until Jesus Christ took
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