2.+Group+Example

=  Canterbury Tales  =

 Prologue: Pardoner
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With him there rode a gentle PARDONERE Of Ronceval, his friend and his compere, That straight was comen from the court of Rome. Full loud he sang, "Come hither, love, to me" This Sompnour *bare to him a stiff burdoun*, *sang the bass* Was never trump of half so great a soun'. This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax, But smooth it hung, as doth a strike* of flax: *strip By ounces hung his lockes that he had, And therewith he his shoulders oversprad. Full thin it lay, by culpons* one and one, *locks, shreds But hood for jollity, he weared none, For it was trussed up in his wallet. Him thought he rode all of the *newe get*, *latest fashion*<56> Dishevel, save his cap, he rode all bare. Such glaring eyen had he, as an hare. A vernicle* had he sew'd upon his cap. *image of Christ <57> His wallet lay before him in his lap, Bretful* of pardon come from Rome all hot. *brimful A voice he had as small as hath a goat. No beard had he, nor ever one should have. As smooth it was as it were new y-shave; I trow he were a gelding or a mare. But of his craft, from Berwick unto Ware, Ne was there such another pardonere. For in his mail* he had a pillowbere**, *bag <58>** pillowcase Which, as he saide, was our Lady's veil: He said, he had a gobbet* of the sail *piece That Sainte Peter had, when that he went Upon the sea, till Jesus Christ him hent*. *took hold of He had a cross of latoun* full of stones, *copper And in a glass he hadde pigge's bones. But with these relics, whenne that he fond A poore parson dwelling upon lond, Upon a day he got him more money Than that the parson got in moneths tway; And thus with feigned flattering and japes*, *jests He made the parson and the people his apes. But truely to tellen at the last, He was in church a noble ecclesiast. Well could he read a lesson or a story, But alderbest* he sang an offertory: *best of all For well he wiste, when that song was sung, He muste preach, and well afile* his tongue, *polish To winne silver, as he right well could: Therefore he sang full merrily and loud.

__ **Author's purpose** __ The author's purpose in this section of the prologue was to show the immorales or sins which the specific character of the pardoner contributes to the very corrupt and sinful society of the 14th century in Italy. He uses satire in many ways to make his point clear and very entertaining. One main use of satire was Chauncer's use of stereotype which can be easily seen in the pardoner's prologue. The pardoner was a man who worked for the church speaking about the gospel and mainly collecting money from people buying salvation. Pardoner's were known to keep the donations to the church and many greedily took the money for themselves. This was a very well known stereotype in the 14th century and was a well known sin of the church. Satire is also seen when Chauncer uses irony in the Pardoner's prologue. The Pardoner says, "Radix malorum est Cupiditas", or “greed is the root of all evil.” This was very ironic as the Pardoner's stereotype for the 14th century society was greed.

"Canterbury Tales." __Online-Literature. 7__ Feb.2009 