How we cite our quotes: (Line number)
Quote #1
I rekke nevere, whan that they been beryed,
Though that hir soules been a-blakebereyed. (119-120)
The Pardoner's whole trade depends upon the inevitable mortality of the human being which, in a Christian context, makes him concerned about the destination of his immortal soul after death. But as he makes clear, the Pardoner isn't concerned about what happens to his listeners' souls, a nonchalance that enables him to earn a good living. This is a pretty provocative statement to a bunch of people on a religious pilgrimage, don't you think?
Quote #2
Thise riotoures thre, of whiche I telle,
Longe erst er prime rong of any belle,
Were set hem in a taverne for to drynke.
And as they sat, they herde a belle clynke
Biforn a cors, was caried to his grave.(375 – 379)
It's fitting that the event that sets in motion the plot of the Pardoner's Tale is the rioters' viewing a corpse being carried by. The tale begins with death and ends in the deaths of the three rioters themselves.