Analysis of the Pardoner's Tale
             The Pardoner's Tale is a reflection of the greedy personality of the narrator, as he is a practicioner of the sins he preaches against. As the most corrupt member of the clergy, he displays his avarice and immorality by carrying fake relics to cheat people out of their money and by using "his flatteries and prevarication [to make] monkeys of the priest and congregation" (22). At the beginning of his tale, however, he zealously preaches against such vices, demonstrating his false piety in an attempt to set up the pilgrims in the same way he does his gullible parishoners. He then uses the story of the rioters to illustrate the fatal consequences of committing such evils in hopes of stirring his audience to pay him to pardon their sins. His greedy nature is further exemplified in the portrayal of the three rioters, who die as a result of their avarice. Despite swearing "to live and die for one another", the men betray each other so they can hoard all the gold to themselves (251). The rioters, for their blatant greed and resulting demises, are thus extensions of the Pardoner's personality, as the Pardoner is not only avaricious but experiences spiritual death for his own evil and corruption. At the end of the tale, the Pardoner begins a new sermon, in which he curses the wickedness of the rioters while he cleverly tries to dupe his audience into paying him for his "holy pardon [that] frees [them] all of [the vice of avarice] (256). Trying to further persuade the pilgrims, he assures them that their pardons can be renewed "each time and in good money", but he eventually becomes more forceful in his conviction and frustrated with their reluctance to pay, as he orders the Host to "unbuckle [his] purse", clearly showing his greed for money rather than his spiritual devotion to absolving people's sins (257). Thus, the Pardoner uses his see...