Hypocrisy Revealed in Canterbury Tales

In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales he reveals an underlying flaw in society. Chaucer portrays the Pardoner as hypocritical in order to get his message across to readers. The Pardoner is shown to be the exact definition of a hypocrite by preaching to others to lead a spiritual life, while not living by those preaching’s himself. In Canterbury Tales, Chaucer reveals hypocritical qualities in the Pardoner through vivid characterization, tone, and morality.

In the Pardoner’s prologue, Chaucer describes what a swindler and model of deceit the Pardoner actually is with vivid characterization. The Pardoner is so convincing in his acts that “[i]n one short day, in money down he dr[aws]/ More than a parson in a month or two./and by his flatteries and prevarication/ Ma[kes] monkeys of the priest and congregation” (Chaucer 699-702). Although the Pardoner collects money from those who wish to be relieved of sin, he himself sins by soliciting money secretly for his own profit. This deliberate disregard for anything that does not profit him puts the Pardoner in the same category as the sinners of which he attains money from (Roberts 2). The Pardoner is deceptive in how he carries out his job (Pardoner’s 1). The Pardoner claims to have expensive artifacts, and “with these relics, anytime he [finds]/ Some poor up-country parson to astound” he sells it to the naпve victim of his deception (Chaucer 697-98). The Pardoner lacks all concern for the well-being of any other person but himself. Also, while traveling, “he aim[s] at riding in the latest mode” (Chaucer 678). The traditional qualities of a pardoner would certainly not include materialism (Boenig 2). The means in which the Pardoner views what matters in the world are not religious or pious in any way and Chaucer does not only reveal this in characterization, but in tone as well.

Chaucer reveals insincerity in the Pardoner through various forms of tone. Chaucer explains “[h]ow well he read[s] a lesson or [tells] a story!/ But best of all, he [sings] an Offertory” (Chaucer 705-06). An Offertory, being a song accompanying the collection of the offering in church, shows, in a joking manner, that the Pardoner continues to perform the duties of a clergyman only for his personal gain. This also reveals Chaucer’s personal criticism and dislike for religious profit and the fraudulent qualities of the Church (Pardoner’s 2). After the congregation would finish singing the Offertory, Chaucer says “[the Pardoner would] have to preach and tune his honey-tongue” (Chaucer 708). By saying this, Chaucer is implying that the Pardoner simply scams the congregation with his deceitful preaching’s. Chaucer first criticizes the Pardoner, but then sarcastically states “still to do him justice first and last/ In church he [is] a noble ecclesiast” (Chaucer 703-704). The obvious irony Chaucer implies is that the Pardoner is anything but noble. In this case, Chaucer may be taking a vantage point of how the congregation views the Pardoner. While Chaucer uses tone to illustrate the two-facedness of the Pardoner, he also uses morality to show this point as well.

Chaucer uses vivid morality to expose deception in the Pardoner’s character. Chaucer explains that the Pardoner “c[an] win silver from the crowd./ That’s why