Question

How does the tale of the three rioters help the pardoner make sales?

Answer 1

The pardoner uses the tale of the three rioters as a moral lesson to instigate fear and persuade his audience to buy indulgences for salvation, thereby increasing his sales.

Step-by-step explanation:

The tale of the three rioters in 'The Pardoner's Tale' is a strategic narrative utilized by the pardoner to boost his sales. Through the tale, the pardoner warns of the vices that lead to the downfall of the three rioters and uses it as a cautionary parallel to his audience's potential fate if they don't repent and buy his indulgences. This tactic instills fear and encourages the listeners to purchase pardons to absolve themselves from sins, ultimately increasing the pardoner's profit.

Answer 2

They're the epitome of wickedness. The mere fact that they gather frequently in the local tavern is enough for the Pardoner to link them to a host of sins, including lechery, gluttony, drunkenness, and blasphemous oath swearing. In the Pardoner's Tale sin runs much deeper than that: it's the weakness in your armor that allows even worse sins to dig their way into your soul. So when the Rioters discover those eight bushels of gold, the manner of "lyvynge" in which they've already engaged allows the devil to easily convince them to kill each other rather than share their gold.