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Does the Punishment Fit the Crime in the Inferno

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Submitted By jimmybud
Words 1128
Pages 5
The pardoner speaks of three men that lost their lives due to greed. This leaves the reader with the knowledge that money is the root of all evil.
Another aspect to consider is the greed of the pardoner. The pardoner seeks a commission from his audience for his tales. He himself is also one that is overtaken by money. Does he sincerely care about the condition of one's soul or is he just out for a quick buck? On page 9, the pardoner comments that his "holy pardon cures and will suffice/ So that it bring me gold, or silver brings/ Or else, I care not- brooches, spoons, or rings." Personally, I believe that the pardoner is willing to tell just about anything to receive money for himself. The story also portrays the effects that greed has on one's life. The tale of the three men overtaken with greed relates to this present decade of people. "Show me the money" has been the theme of this generation. Everyone is caught up in his or her own battle of gaining their share of the riches. This is very similar to the tale of the three men that struck gold under the oak tree. The men were concerned with how to travel with the money without looking like robbers as noted when they stated, "For men would say that we were robbers strong/ and we'd, for our own treasure, hang ere long" (p 7). They were not concerned about whose money they were stealing they cared only about their personal statue. They did not want to appear as robbers, so they planned to travel at night as seen in this quote on page 7, "This treasure must be carried home by night." The three travelers set out to slay death. An old man directed them to death's path. The path was under an oak tree that actually had a treasure of gold. In my opinion, the old man was very wise in pointing the fact out that death will be found at this tree. When the men reached the tree, they automatically begin to think only of

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