Corruption of the Church has plagued many Christian societies throughout history as dishonest members misinterpret and misuse the word of God. This is especially true in fifteenth century England. In the Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer uses estates satire, ridiculing not only the Clergymen but all three social classes in order to highlight the flaws of society. He uses specifically uses “The Pardoner’s Tale” to highlight the deep-seated corruption of the Church during this particular time. The social commentary is focused around a Pardoner, authorized to grant forgiveness of sins, or indulgences, as a hyperbolic example of the flaws in the Church. Chaucer exposes increasing corruption, issues with clergymen, and the normality of deception …show more content…
The juxtaposition of the Parson and the Pardoner illustrates the increase of dishonesty in the Church and demonstrates that it has not always been flawed. In the general prologue, the Parson is written as the perfect preacher, devout, giving, and humble. He was described as generous and altruistic, “Giving to poor parishioners round about/ both from Church offerings and his property;/ He could in little find sufficiency...This noble example to his sheep he gave/ that first he wrought, and afterwards he taught;” (16). Here the Parson is the epitome of a man of God, helping others before himself and leading through example. As a harsh contrast, the Pardoner is instead selfish and believes there is no reason that his profession should cause him to live in poverty. He directly expresses this, saying, “What! Do you think, as long as I can preach/ and get their silver for the things I teach,/ That I will live in poverty, from choice?/ That’s not the counsel of my inner voice!” (244). These boldly delineated differences between the two character magnifies the deplorable nature of the Pardoner. Through this juxtaposition, Chaucer points out that the church is ideally a good and proper entity but has over time been tarnished by the greed and misinterpretation of …show more content…
Instead, Chaucer writes this Pardoner as the opposite, preaching strictly for his own selfish benefit. FIND USE AND ANALYZE A QUOTE Chaucer further uses irony to show how the Pardoner practices the exact opposite of what he preaches. The Pardoner explains, “I preach for nothing but for greed of grain/ and use the same old text, as bold as brass,/ radix malorum est cupiditas” (243). The very thing he warns against, greed, is also the driving force in his own