Question

What story does the Pardoner tell in The Canterbury Tales, and what is its significance? Why does the Pardoner choose to tell this story?

A) The story revolves around three rioters who seek to kill Death, only to meet their own demise due to greed and betrayal. Its significance lies in its moral lesson about the destructive nature of greed and betrayal.
B) The tale is about a knight on a quest for a holy relic, emphasizing the importance of faith and devotion. The Pardoner uses this story to highlight the virtue of perseverance.
C) It narrates the journey of a group of pilgrims seeking redemption through self-sacrifice and charity. Its significance lies in the theme of repentance and forgiveness.
D) The story centers on a young man's pursuit of knowledge, illustrating the power of wisdom and education in overcoming adversity. The Pardoner employs this narrative to advocate for the pursuit of knowledge.

Answer 1

The Pardoner's Tale in The Canterbury Tales is about three rioters who attempt to kill Death but are ultimately destroyed by their own greed, serving as a moral lesson about the destructive nature of greed and the Pardoner's own hypocrisy.

Step-by-step explanation:

The story told by the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales revolves around three rioters who foolishly seek to kill Death. They find a pile of treasure and, overcome by greed, they plot to kill one another to have more wealth for themselves.

Eventually, all three perish, illustrating the destructive nature of greed and the irony that in their quest to kill Death, they find their own deaths. The significance of the Pardoner's Tale lies in its moral lesson about the perils of greed and how it can lead to betrayal and downfall.

The Pardoner himself is ironically aware of this lesson, as he is characterized by the same vices he preaches against. He chooses this story perhaps to frighten his audience into purchasing pardons and relics from him, demonstrating his own corrupt nature and emphasizing the theme of hypocrisy in The Canterbury Tales.