The Pardoner demonstrates his theme that "greed is the root of all evil" not only in his tale, but also in his "confession" of the methods he uses to make money. His greed leads him to preach a sermon whose main purpose is to get the listeners to buy his relics and pardons.
The Pardoner sells salvation for people's hard-earned money, making it look like a real bargain for them. He's not interested in purchasing forgiveness so much as life's little luxuries, like white bread, women, and wine. When the three "rioters" discover an unexpected windfall of cash, their first thought is about the life of leisure and unlimited gambling they can lead. They're willing to murder each other for it.
The average medieval Joe couldn't really look forward to acquiring wealth. Peasants were worked hard, paid little, and taxed heavily. Not that the rioters worked at all, but the Pardoner's audiences included a lot of poor peasants who could probably relate to the excitement that the young men felt about their windfall. This likely made them feel even guiltier by the end of the sermon.
Questions About Wealth
- What things do people want to buy in the Pardoner's Prologue and Tale? What do people's consumer priorities reveal about their characters?
- How do the Pardoner's Prologue and Tale demonstrate that "greed is the root of all evil"?
- How does the Pardoner's greed shape his teaching and preaching?
- How is wealth related to mortality in the Pardoner's Prologue and Tale?
Chew on This
The Pardoner's preoccupation with wealth is his attempt to compensate for his sexual inadequacy, which we learn about in the General Prologue.
The Pardoner seems to be admitting that he knows his life is wrong, but he just can't help being addicted to life's luxuries, which all require tons of cash.