The_Pardoner

The Pardoner Character Analysis of the Pardoner In the poem, The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer uses many methods of characterization to develop the lively personalities of the pilgrims. In particular, he develops the character of the Pardoner, a minor member of the church who bought pardons for sinners and sold them. Chaucer gives the reader a very picturesque view of the Pardoner in his physical description. The Pardoner is further developed through his actions and relations with the other pilgrims. The Pardoner is finally complete in development in the telling of his particular tale. Through these various methods of characterization, the Pardoner is dipicted as a thoroughly simple and corrupt way The Canterbury Tales is full of colorful descriptions, especially in the case of the Pardoner. His physical description makes it easy for the reader to create a picture. “[...] Hair as yellow as wax, / Hanging down smoothly [...] / He wore no hood on his head [...] / but for a little cap his head was bare / [...] He’d sewed a holy relic on his cap” (L. 695- 705). From his hair to his cap and also the condition of his personal belongings, the Pardoner’s description helps the reader to feel connected to him (in a pardoner, reader, pilgrims, tale, description, character, one, money, through, physical, pardoner’s, find, way, very, telling, finally, cap, actions, under, tree, toward, tells, tales, relationships, particular, pardons, men, love, head, hair, fellow, developed, death, chaucer