The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer introduces readers to several fascinating and dynamic characters. Perhaps most fascinating of all is the Pardoner, whose prologue and tale are full of irony. The Pardoner is a complex character whose blatant hypocrisy and spiritual atrophy serve to give the reader an understanding of the irony of his story and situation, as well as a glimpse into his inner self. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the general prologue the narrator introduces the Pardoner with a rather surprisingly effeminate description: “This Pardoner was yellow as Wex, / But smooth it is as if he had given a bending stroke; / With once he raised his eyes, / And with that his shoulders broadened” (677-680). Thus the pardoner is described as a beardless man with long, flowing yellow hair and a high-pitched goat voice. The reader also gets the sense that the Pardoner is a eunuch or a homosexual from the narrator's comment: "I believe he was a gelding or a mare" (693). This image seems completely incongruous with a man of the Church, especially the hypothesis that he might be gay. This accusation, however, appears nowhere in the Pardoner's Tale, so it is never confirmed or denied. This description is significant because it is the beginning of the perpetual peculiarity and idiosyncrasy that is the Pardoner. Equally incongruous is the narrator's description of the Pardoner's moral character. He is a lay official of the Church who distorts his position for his own material gain. Responsible for papal indulgences, the Pardoner forges pardons and cheats people out of their money. Perhaps his physical quirks and sexual ambiguity are a means of justifying the unusualness of the Pardoner's moral character. Or perhaps the Pardoner is the author's criticism of the declining values ​​of Church officials. Regardless, it is clear that the narrator does not like the Pardoner, evidence of this is seen in the narrator's perplexed attitude when depicting the Pardoner's physical appearance and also in the description of his unscrupulous actions: "One day he got him more money / What the person got in two months; / And so with false flattery and jokes / He made the person and the people his monkeys" (705-708). Thus the narrator describes how the Pardoner deceives innocent people out of their hard-earned money. However, the narrator also admits that the Pardoner is an excellent preacher, storyteller, and singer: "But trewely to tellen at laste, / He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste; / Wel coude he rede a lesson and a storye, / But the most elder will soon make an offertory" (709-712). While the Pardoner may be a scoundrel, he is a talented scoundrel. The reader has already seen a fascinating and complex character. As for the narrator's description of the Pardoner's deceptive ways, the General Prologue is consistent with the Pardoner's portrayal of himself in his autobiographical Prologue. He begins by explaining that the theme of his sermons "is always alive, and always was: / Radix malorium est cupiditas [Greed is the root of all evil]" (45-46). He then goes on to accuse himself of being a practitioner of the very thing he preaches against. Thus a great irony occurs when the Forgiver admits that his vice is greed, the very thing he preaches against so effectively that he moves people to repent. He admits that he would rather take money from a poor woman and her hungry children than give up any luxuries his lifestyle afforded him. He states that his sole purpose in preaching is theown profit: "For my understanding is none other than to win, / And nothing per correccion of sinne" (115-116). Thus the reader learns from the lips of the Pardoner that he is a scoundrel. He even admits that he doesn't care what happens to his patron's souls after death. This makes it very clear to the reader that the Forgiver is spiritually empty; that the only thing he feels is the desire for more money. The Forgiver's profession suits him perfectly, since pardons are a way of substituting money for spiritual responsibility, just as the Forgiver allowed money to deteriorate his spiritual state. This prologue is similar to The Wife of Bath where he tries to justify his lifestyle. The Pardoner, however, is not attempting to justify his avarice; on the contrary, he feels a perverse pride in the depth of his own deception. He is a creature without conscience, completely blameless. The question then arises as to why the Pardoner chose to reveal himself. Maybe it's because he doesn't expect to ever see these pilgrims again, so it doesn't matter what he tells them, or maybe he's drunk, or maybe he's engaging those people who believe anything without asking questions. Whatever the reason, the reader is fascinated by the Pardoner's brash boasts and self-confidence, as well as the huge disconnect between who the Pardoner is and what the reader expects a Church official to be. The Pardoner's prologue thus serves as an ironic frame to the Pardoner's sermon-like tale, showing the reader the discrepancy between the tale and its teller. The Pardoner's Tale is a tongue-in-cheek story that deals with the devastating effects of gluttony and greed, the sins that the Pardoner himself is most guilty of. The irony is evident from the beginning, as in the Prologue the Pardoner has just finished drinking beer in preparation to tell his story, and then in his tale he issues a harsh condemnation of drunkenness. His blatant hypocrisy becomes apparent when he continues to berate gluttony, gambling, and swearing, transgressions that he himself has admitted to or has been seen committing. Just as the Pardoner finishes his oath denunciation, he takes his own oath: "Now for the love of Christ who dies for us, / ... now will I tell my story" (370-372). Such blatant hypocrisy seems almost too ridiculous to be real, but it fits perfectly with the image of the Pardoner that has already been given to the reader. The Tale reveals nothing directly about the Pardoner's character, except that he is a skilled orator. Greater hypocrisy is revealed in the Epilogue where the Pardoner invites travelers to receive absolution through offerings to his graces. He seems to have forgotten that his audience is already aware of his fake relics. Perhaps he is so arrogant in his own abilities that he thinks his sermon has had the same effect on his listeners as it usually has, and therefore expects the pilgrims to repent. Or maybe he simply wants to show the pilgrims how his fake operation works. Or more likely, he is simply going through the motions of putting on another performance, and therefore must come to this logical conclusion. The reader must also reflect on the purpose of the Pardoner's Tale. It could simply be a ploy by the Pardoner to get money, or perhaps he is trying to impress the company with his erudition in an attempt to get them to recognize his own superficiality. By answering this question, the reader sees the motivations behind the Pardoner's character, which may or may not be what he has stated it to be: money. The Pardoner's prologue and narrative together explore the complexity of irony. The Pardoner has created such a moving tale and.