Final answer:
The Pardoner in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales is hypocritically ironic because he preaches against avarice while being extremely greedy himself (option a). This highlights the corrupt practices of the church and illustrates the universal theme of greed and moral corruption in literature.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the irony in the character of the Pardoner, a figure from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, who preaches against avarice yet is characterized by his own greed. This is ironic because the Pardoner is guilty of the very vice he condemns in others, making him a hypocritical figure.
His role is to grant church indulgences, which were historically criticized for being a form of spiritual corruption, leveraging people's fear for personal gain. Through this character, Chaucer critiques the church's practice and the Pardoner's own moral corruption.
The references provided offer a broader perspective on the themes of poverty, greed, and morality within literature and society. They explore the struggles of the poor, the corrupting influence of money, and the social demand for generosity. However, they do not directly pertain to the Pardoner but provide contextual insights into the socio-economic issues of the times that echo the Pardoner's hypocrisy.
In conclusion, it is ironic that the Pardoner preaches against avarice because he is especially greedy.