Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

The Pardoner / The Three Rioters

The Pardoner's Prologue is all about the Pardoner, or rather, all about how the Pardoner makes a living by selling fake relics and expensive pardons. It's a "confession," so the whole point of it is an examination of the Pardoner's sins, which he narrates matter-of-factly and without shame. The protagonists of his story are the Three Rioters, who are just as debauched as he is. The story follows them on their quest to kill Death that ends with Death finding them. We know that protagonists don't always have to be good guys, but these guys have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.