The Portrait Of The Pardoner Flashcards
With him ther rood a gentil Pardoner
“Gentil”: the only thing remotely positive about the Pardoner
This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,
- vibrant, unpleasant and unnatural blonde colour
Ful loude he soong ‘Com hider, love, to me!’
Church officials shouldn’t be singing - dodgy behaviour
And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;
Completely unaware of his own grotesqueness
Him thoughte he rood al of the newe jet;
“Thoughte” is very suggestive
The P thinks he’s very fashionable (his opinion of himself is very different to how other people view him”
A vernicle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.
A very religious symbol to highlight hypocrisy
His walet lay biforn him in his lappe,/Bretful of pardoun
Ready to exploit the next victim - ready to make money!
Rhyming couplet - lappe and cappe - the P’s use of religion to make money
A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot.
Weak voice, not very masculine
Ne was ther swich another pardoner.
Ambiguous: most corrupt pardoner/best pardoner ever?
He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seil
Suggestion that Chaucer the Pilgrim doesn’t believe him.
The P is bragging about (fake) wealth?
Upon a day he gat him moore moneye
Vast excess of wealth - how good he is at his job/is willing to exploit the poorest of the poor
He made the person and the peple his apes.
Contempt for the people he exploits - very manipulative
But alderbest he song an offertorie;/For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,/He moste preche and wel affile his tonge/To wine silver, as he ful wel koude;/Therefore he song the murierly and loude.
The P is good at his job as it enables him to get money - no spiritual desire
