Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: Why do you think the tale begins with such a lengthy Prologue? Why doesn’t he simply get on with his Tale, especially since the Prologue somewhat undercuts the Tale’s effectiveness? Also, how does the Prologue change how we read and understand the moral of his tale (when he finally gets to it)?
Q2: The Pardoner says the theme of all his sermons is “money is the root of all evil.” Why does he specialize in this theme, and what does his theme suggest about the profession of ‘pardoning’ in general?
Q3: The Pardoner’s Tale is a classic medieval allegory: three ‘brothers’ arming themselves to find and murder Death. Why don’t they recognize him when they find him? What makes it so easy for Death to win, according to the Pardoner (or Chaucer)?
Q4: Why does the Pardoner try to sell his relics and pardons to the entire group after his sermon? Don’t they already know that both are worthless after hearing his Prologue? Why does Chaucer include this humorous sales pitch?
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