In The Canterbury Tales, the Pardoner suggests that the pilgrims buy his pardons and relics, even after his lengthy admission of their...

In Chaucer's Prologue to
The Canterbury Tales, the author describes the wide variety of
people who are traveling on this holy pilgrimage in order to visit the site where Thomas
Becket was martyred at the Canterbury Cathedral. This is one of the few instances within
a medieval society where such a diverse group of people would inhabit the same "social
space."

It is Chaucer, who—acting as a member of the
pilgrimage—describes his companions. Chaucer was a student of human nature, and his
observations are either genuinely admiring, or satirically biting. Written in the newly
emerging Middle English, his work was very popular, although it did condemn unlawful
practices of some "clerical" servants of the Church. It is in the case of the Pardoner
that Chaucer draws his attention to the hypocrisy often found with servants of God in
the day.

Chaucer observes in verse the physically
unappealing appearance of the Pardoner and his less than sterling behavior. The man
cares too much about his looks. He spends a great deal of time singing songs not
appropriate for a man of the cloth. He does not dress as a Pardoner should, but does
possess a "wallet...brimful of pardons come from Rome all hot." The pardons are stolen
goods. It was the practice of the Church at the time to take money in exchange for
absolution (forgiveness). He sells the pardons to make money for himself, not for the
Church. He makes more than any other man of his profession. He also preaches quite well,
knowing that in this way he can also make more
money.

The Pardoner is not truly a servant of God, but a
servant of self. He lives the high life with the money he makes. He does not take his
vows (such as poverty) seriously, and he acts contrary to the teachings of the Church by
stealing and lying. While the man's profession may be "Pardoner,"
he is not devoted to any calling other than the one that brings him personal
success.

Chaucer was much aware of this common practice
during his life and describes several "holy members" in the
Prologue who were hypocrites not just because they did not
"practice what they preached," but because they took advantage of the innocent, gullible
and poverty-stricken members of his parish. (Contrary to the Pardoner, Chaucer has
nothing but praise for is the Parson who is truly a man dedicated to his holy
calling.)

In the telling of his own "moralistic" tale, the
Pardoner is drunk, and says that he is telling a story of greed, but is also admits that
he is guilty of that sin himself.

It is suggested that by
sharing his "sins," The Pardoner is (ironically) able to
(unwittingly) set an example for
others so they can avoid being like
him.

The
Pardoner is an enigmatic character...and apparently aware of his own sin — it is not
clear why he tells the pilgrims about his own sin in the prologue prior to his tale —
yet his preaching is correct and the results of his methods, despite their corruption,
are good...

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...the Pardoner might also be seen as a
reinforcement of the Apostolic Authority of the priesthood...the corrupt Pardoner is
able to tell a morally intact tale and turn others from his same
sin.