The Pardoner's Tale Analysis

Nearly all authors convey a message through their writings, though many of those messages do not apply to society today. However, the views presented in The Canterbury Tales can be applied to the present society. The Wife of Bath, the Oxford Clerk, and the Pardoner present universal views that are depicted in society today. The moral and ethical views portrayed by the prologues and tales in The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer, are still sometimes valid today. People covet sovereignty over their spouse; people desire loyalty above all; and people use religion as a mean of gaining wealth. Primarily, the “Wife of Bath’s Tale” reveals that one should have sovereignty over her significant other. The Wife of Bath conspicuously states her
Although the Pardoner deceives the public, he still confesses his sin "the very vice / [He] makes [his] living out of – avarice" (243). The Pardoner openly admits how much he values wealth over religion by "preaching" against “the very vice” – avarice. Similar to the Wife of Bath, the Pardoner seems “proud” of himself for beguiling innocent people. It is also evident from his tone that he does not believe in religion, but in wealth. Moreover, the Pardoner unambiguously states to the pilgrims, "Let me preach and beg from kirk to kirk / And never do an honest job of work...I mean to have money..." (244). The Pardoner, again, is open about his dishonesty and implies he will “never” be honest in his profession as his only goal is “to have money” despite how sacred his work is. His "work" is to con people of their money by selling pardons and artificial items. Hence, in “The Pardoner’s Tale”, an ethic that was delineated is that corruption, due to cupidity, is present in an infinite number of people, including religious officials, because they act out of arrogance rather than