The Pardoner's Tale

When an eclectic group of pilgrims take turns telling tales while on the road to Canterbury Cathedral, the Pardoner begins his tale with a confession—that he preaches against greed but swindles churchgoers by pressuring them into buying fake religious relics. However, he claims that despite his hypocrisy he can tell a moral tale, and describes a story about three greedy young men attempting to cheat death.

The Pardoner is one of the most memorable characters in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. This special edition of “The Pardoner’s Tale,” includes “The General Prologue,” “The Pardoner’s Introduction,” “The Pardoner’s Prologue,” and “The Pardoner’s Tale” in original Middle English and modern translated versions.

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