Khais1

The Pardoner’s Tale

In “The Pardoner’s tale”, it is clear that Geoffrey Chaucer was trying to teach a powerful

lesson to man throughout the story line. Chaucer’s main focus is the three men who seem to have

a great thirst for power. Their desire to show their manliness leads them on a hunt for Death, a

killer on the loose. Warned not to follow, their confidence overpowers anything else, and they

descend on the journey to put an end to Death. So enveloped in their large egos, they believe

they can conquer anything and everything that comes in their path. On their journey, they come

across a wise old man that dares to challenge their pride. Not being able to handle the words of

an old man, they threaten to kill him, as a result of cowardice. Once he tells them Death is just

around the corner, they rush to slay him, as it is clear these men show they have the confidence

to conquer anything. As they come upon a completely different surprise, something bigger

defeats these weak men. The biggest point that Chaucer is making through his story, is that the

thirst for greed is the most dangerous killer of them all.

The men show pure disrespect to the old man that they come across, as they clearly

believe to be superior. “I heard you mention, just a moment gone,/ A certain traitor death who

singles out/ And kills the fine young fellow hereabout./ And you’re his spy, by God! You wait a

bit./ Say where he is or you shall pay for it,” (94-98). In a crazed frenzy to defeat the killer they

have yet to even see, they threaten to kill the wise old man to show their confidence and “power”

that they present themselves to have. Being so sure they will kill any man, it is not evident that

they have ever killed someone to begin with. It is evident throughout the stories that their high

egos are going to lead them down a unsuccessful path. The first major symbol of their upcoming

doom is the figure of the old man. As they engage in a series of threats to end his life, the man
 Khais2

tells them, “Under a tree, and there you’ll find him waiting./ He isn’t one to hide for all your

prating” (105-106). Although it is the slightest hint, the man hints at their doom, as he tells the

three men Death will not be hiding from them, as they continuously talk about how they will

have victory once they come across the killer. What they expect to be Death they come across, to

their surprise, it is something much worse.

“It’s clear that Fortune has bestowed this treasure/ To let us live in jollity and pleasure”

(121-122). To what they assume to be their happy ending, greedy men never go on without

punishment. As they devise a plan to sneak the gold back to their houses, they convince one

another that they as brothers have trust in each other. However, wicked men never tell the truth.

As each of them plan to keep all the coins to their greedy selves, they all end up out fooling each

other. “Thus these two murders received their due,/ So did the treacherous young poisoner too”

(237-238). The biggest surprise of all, was that the only living things they ended up killing that

day was one another. The thirst for greed and power, never goes unpunished, and at the end of

the day, these three men ended up paying the biggest price of all. Geoffrey Chaucer speaks what

is true, greed is truly the root of all evil.