Essay on Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Evil Exposed in The Pardoners Ta

The Root of Evil Exposed in The excusers Tale The root of only mephistophelian is capital. Because this phrase has been repeated so some(prenominal) times throughout history, one can fail to realize the truth in this timeless statement. Whether applied to the corrupt clergy of Geturnedrey Chaucers time, selling indulgences, or the corrupt televangelists of today, auctioning off salvation to those who can afford it, this truth never seems to lose its validity. In Chaucers famous work The Canterbury Tales, he points out military many inherent flaws of human nature, all of which still apply today. Many things have changed since the fourteenth century, but humanitys ability to act foolish is not one of them. Perhaps the best example of this is illustrated in The Pardoners Tale. His account of three rioters who set out to conquer Death and instead deliver it upon each other, as well as the prologue which precedes the tale, reveal the truthfulness of the aforementioned(pren ominal) statement as it applies to humanity in general and the Pardoner himself. Before he even begins his tale, the Pardoner delivers a sort of disclaimer, informing the pilgrims of his practices within the church. The Pardoner was an expert at exploiting parishioners guilt for his financial gain. He sold them various relics that supposedly cured ailments ranging from sick cattle to jealousy. And if the relics didnt seem to work, it was obviously because of the sinful man or woman who purchased them, and no fault of the Pardoner. He had a few lines he would routinely say to his potential customers Good men and women, heres a backchat of of... ...aucer does a great job of pointing out flaws of human nature, as well as the hypocrisy of organized religion. He shows in several ways that money is indeed the root of evil. In addition to the obvious message of The Pardoners Tale, Chaucer also paints a vivid picture of the Pardoners character and uses this to further reinfo rce his point. By examining both The Pardoners Tale and the Pardoner himself, it isnt hard to see that the statement continues to ring true just as it did 500 years ago The root of evil is money. Works Cited and Consulted Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Pardoners Prologue and Tale. In The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams et al. 6th ed. 1 vol. New York Norton. 1164-178. French, Robert Dudley. A Chaucer Handbook, 2nd ed. New York Appleton Century Crofts Inc., 1955.