Essay on Pardoners Manipulation of Audience - 788 Words

Pardoners Manipulation of Audience The Pardoner has had a graduate education in the rhetoric of confession. Chaucer might intend it to be merely cutely ironic that this confessor confesses -- as in isnt that a turning of the tables, la! On the other hand, it may well be that the Pardoner is practicing his rhetorical prowess on the other pilgrims, and on us, with the extreme skill of a cynical and perceptive man whos heard every villainy and mastered every deception. His intention, in his confession to the pilgrims, is obviously not to manipulate them into pity, forgiveness and acceptance, any more than it is to get them to actually pay to touch his holy relics; it is a confession,†¦show more content†¦His keen insight into human depravity is what makes him such a brilliant con. He plays on the most deep-seated insecurities of his flock when he describes the magical powers of his relics. They will cure sick livestock (livestock being the most valuable possession of the average listener, not to mention shepherds); they will prosper crops (for all the farmers in the audience). That covers the m en! To the women, he offers the fantastic promise that his relics will cure their husbands of their jealousy and suspicion. This is doubly clever, in light of the Wife of Baths tale, because it picks up on her ideal of women empowered to cheat on doting, trusting, forgiving husbands. Let maken with this water his potage, And never shal he more his wyf mistriste, Though he the sooth of hir defaute wiste; Al had she taken preestes two or three. Its trebly clever, actually, because the last line can be read both as sexual solicitations to the women in his flock, as well as an insult to the three priests present on the pilgrimage. His next con is even more wickedly clever; he demonstrates how he subtly manipulates his flock into coming forward and making offerings to his relics in order to avoid suspicion that they have committed some horrible sin. If any wight be in this chirche now, That hath doon sinne horrible,Show MoreRelatedOne More Drop of Temptation: The Pardoners Tale1102 Words   |  4 Pagesencouraged its own consumption. The Pardoner’s Tale has sparked my interest from the beginning. The sermon that the pardoner tells focuses on the sins of the tavern, those being gambling, drinking, and swearing. These three indulgences are what led them to their downfall later in the tale. This tale is one that utilizes alcohol consumption as a catalyst. The Pardoner’s Tale is a tale that utilizes alcohol consumption as a driving factor for the tale and the pardoner’s intentions are then revealed toRead More The Pardoner as Symbol in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales2609 Words   |  11 Pagespaints a portrait of medieval life through the voices and stories of a wide variety of speakers. The people on the Pilgrimage tell their stories for a wide range of reasons. Each Tale is told in order to accomplish two things. The Tales provoke their audience as much as they are a kind of self-reflection. These reactions range from humor, to extreme anger, to open admiration. Each story is symbolic for a meaning above the actual plot of the narrative itself. The theme of social and moral balance is oneRead More The Rich Diversity of Meanings of the Pardoners Tale Essay5609 Words   |  23 PagesThe Rich Diversity of Meanings of the Pardoners Tale Chaucer’s innovation in the Pardoner’s performance tests our concept of dramatic irony by suggesting information regarding the Pardoner’s sexuality, gender identity, and spirituality, major categories in the politics of identity, without confirming that information. Our presumed understanding of the Pardoner as a character lacks substantiation. As we learn about the Pardoner through the narrator’s eyes and ears, we look to fit the noble