1. Pardoner: Mystery and Allegory
Monday, 19 November 2018
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

2. Medieval Mysteries Mediaeval representations of Bible plays
Toured the country and served to educate the illiterate masses
Performed in the Vernacular, not Church Latin
Simple representations of Bible stories or moral tales
Allegorical characters
Medieval Mysteries
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

3. Allegory Using characters to represent abstract concepts
In these plays usually represent SINS
One character will represent a GOOD MAN
The play will show the battle for his soul
Good will win in the end.
Allegory
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

4. Pardoner Sermon as mystery? Characters seem allegorical
Old MAN as Death? NOTE THAT HE IS GOOD…
What SINS are presented?
Who is the allegory? Chaucer’s Pardoner or his characters?
Pardoner
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

5. PRIDE Pardoner Vocal delivery Skill at tricking poor Sexual prowess
Ability to earn money
Ability to turn people from sin ( not his true intention)
PRIDE
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

6. AVARICE Pardoner “I prece of nothyng but for coveityse”
“Radix malorum est cupiditas”
Deceives people simply to earn money
Riotoures
Forget quest to focus on money
Kill to get more money
AVARICE
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

7. Gluttony Pardoner Openly drinks in quantity
States that his wealth will buy him the “liccour of the vyne” and a luxurious life
Riotoures
Death caused by drinking – wine bottles full of poison
Drunk at start of tale
Gluttony
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

8. Pardoner
At end of tale he is abused by the Host and “answerde not a word;/So wrooth he was”.
Riotoures
Anger at Death starts the whole story.
Wrath
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

9. Lust Pardoner Lust for money drives him on (Avarice)
Lust for women is also evident in his tales of sexual prowess
Riotoures
Lust for money drives them to death
Women
In the sermon women are associated with Lust when they work with the “Develes officeres … to kyndle and blow the fyr of lecherye” (190ff)
Lust
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

10. A lazy man, the Pardoner refuses to work with his hands, but prefers to make his living through talk and cheating. He is hugely successful.
Sloth
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

11. Envy is a bit hard to justify… (no reason not to try though)
A double allegory then…
The Pardoner embodies the sins and is a message to the reader, just as his story is a message to the “audience” due to the allegorical nature of the Riotoures.
6 Deadly Sins
jonathan Peel SGS 2012

12. Goodness? The old man? The Pot Boy? Chaucer? The reader? The Knight?
You must decide where these characters stand and how they are used!
Goodness?
jonathan Peel SGS 2012