Consider the significance of the role of the Old Man in The Pardoner's Tale

Although the character appears for only a few lines in Chaucer’s The Pardoner’s Tale, the Old Man is a character of great significance to the text. He appears to act as a foil to the other sinful characters in the poem, may symbolise the supernatural idea of death and is presented as an arcane figure that intrigues the reader. It is clear that many of these significant aspects to the Old Man’s role link with elements of the Gothic genre.

  Chaucer presents the Pardoner as an ambiguous, arcane and mysterious character in his poem. We as a reader never truly know anything about him because his name, as well as information with regards to where he has come from or where he is going, are not revealed to us. The most significant mystery about his character is his role in the reveller’s death later in the text. The Old Man sends them up the “croked weye” towards the money and where they ultimately die. Whilst the word “croked” could connote how their “abhominable” behaviour is corrupt and immoral, and that it can only lead to destruction, a much greater significance is its ambiguity. We do not know whether it is their “grisly” behaviour or the Old Man’s intervention that leads to their damnation and death at the end of the tale. There are hints that it could be the Old Man’s sinister plan when he ominously says “in age, if that ye so longe abide”. This appears to strengthen the argument further that the Old Man does intend to send them to their death. Despite this, we still do not truly know for certain. This uncertainty and obscurity about the Old Man’s character may have been used to create tension and unease. We often fear what we do not understand, so Chaucer may have wished to use this absence of information to evoke a thrilling sense of terror and uncertainty from the reader.

  A much greater significance of the Old Man is his role as the antithesis of the corrupt and sinful characters in the text. When we are first introduced to the Old Man, Chaucer presents him as humble, gentle and benign: he is described as “ful mekely” and wishes upon the revellers that “God yow see!” them through their day. This connotes his innate goodness; the Old Man appears to be a welcoming character who treats the revellers with kindness. Chaucer juxtaposes this with other immoral characters in the text, such as The Pardoner who narrates this tale. The Pardoner is the antithesis of the Old Man: he is a “ful vicious man” of “avarice” rather than selflessness. This use of the word “vicious” suggests corruption, wickedness and a decayed sense of morality- qualities the Old Man does not appear to possess. The Pardoner, in contrast, would easily let “children sterve for famine” or take from the “povereste page” to satiate his covetousness. Some would argue that Chaucer does this to highlight how monstrous The Pardoner truly is. The Old Man may act as a foil which highlights why the narrator, whose only intention is to “winne” money, is someone the reader should be utterly repulsed by. The poem appears to be didactic in its message as it presents us with a symbol of virtue, the Old Man, to juxtapose with and condemn the corrupt Pardoner. However, a much stronger reading suggests that Chaucer is not creating revulsion for the Pardoner; rather, he may be highlighting the irony and folly of his Christian role. In Medieval England, the Pardoner and all religious clergymen would have been expected to be a good-natured, holy and moral. Chaucer presents the reader with the complete opposite, subverting our expectations of a religious man. Through the Old Man’s virtues, Chaucer may be choosing to satirise the corruption of the Catholic Church. After all, it is almost comic how a ‘fictional character’ in the Pardoner’s moral tale is actually more virtuous than the preaching narrator himself.

  The greatest significance of the Old Man is his complex relationship with death. He is initially presented as a supernatural character who could be the personification of death itself. Chaucer has lexicalised the description of the Old Man- “forwrapped”; “bones” and “vanisshe”- so that it evokes a sense of decay and withering. The Old Man’s striking physical description is one that appears to symbolise erosion and decay; contextually, it may even represent the Black Death which had plagued Europe. It could be argued Chaucer wished to use him as symbolic of death itself. After all, the revellers do describe him as death’s “espye”. By doing this, Chaucer does appear to be suggesting that the Old Man has greater, otherworldly powers than we first imagined. When the three revellers die at the end, we as readers naturally remember the macabre Old Man who sent them up the “croked weye”. However, a much stronger interpretation does suggest that the Old Man is a character we sympathise with, rather than fear, because he has lost the ability to die. The character is presented as having been cheated of the one quality every human being shares- the ability to die. Instead, he is a “restless kaitif” who is often pleading for his death to come: “leet me in!” to my grave he begs; he is often despondent over the fact “none.. chaunge his youthe for myn age”. The sympathy lies in the fact he has lost something he clearly seeks, but cannot have (even if he travelled from here to India). Death is something everyone has, even the “abhominable” revellers are allowed the right to this very human experience. Yet, the Old Man does not, and this ultimately creates a lot of sympathy for this almost victimised character who is denied the experience he wants the most.

  Chaucer uses the minor character of the Old Man to create a lot of meaning. The ambiguity about him, his juxtapositioning with the Pardoner and his supernatural immortality all appear to have been used to evoke different emotions from the reader. Whilst these evoked emotions could be negative ones, such as fear and unease, it is clear the Old Man represents the virtues and goodness of humanity when juxtaposed with many of the other characters lack in this poem. Thus, a lot of sympathy is created because he is punished to the greatest extent through immortality, whereas morally corrupt characters such as The Pardoner and the revellers do not experience such comeuppance.

To what extent do you think that gothic literature is characterised by a fascination with death?

Some may argue that gothic writing is characterised by a strong focus on death because of the way it affects the characters in each text. Whether they die themselves, or lose someone else to death, it appears that gothic writing is fascinated with the ways death can affect our psyche or behaviour. However, there are other key themes that many gothic texts appear to be fascinated by, such as ambition, sin and transgression.

  It initially appears that The Pardoner’s Tale is fascinated by death due to the ways the protagonist uses death in their rhetoric. The Pardoner is presented as having a great insight into our fear of death, and uses this to extort money from his audience. In his tale, death is personified as an unstoppable supernatural predator: a “privee theef” that takes any life he chooses. Thousands have been “slain” by the opening of the tale, and by the end the three rioters have also died by their own hands. This cyclical structure suggests that this gothic text is fascinated by death, as the Pardoner repeatedly relates to his audience how death “took” anybody at any time. Furthermore, the Pardoner subtly suggests that death is not confined to the tale, and creates a lot of terror, when he hypothetically states that “paraventure hir breke a nekke atwo”. Thus, it appears that The Pardoner’s Tale is characterised by death, and its role with fear and terror. The Pardoner’s message ominously states that if you are not careful, death can easily come- “fallen of a hors”- before your sins are absolved.

  However, this gothic text appears to have a much greater fascination with the gothic concept of sin. The revellers are presented as the epitome of immorality and wickedness: “superfluitee abhominable”; they reside in the “develes temple”. The poem appears to be fascinated with condemning their sins, which is perhaps why they die at the end. Their death may be a punishment for their endless hedonism “dronken… al day and nighte” and how their excess greed (they were “glad of the sighte” of the gold). Whilst the poem does close with death, it appears that the greater focus is on the sins that precede it. Even when The Pardoner mentions the idea of death at the end of the tale, it is immediately followed by an offer of “absolucioun” and help to the “blisse of heaven”. In an innately religious medieval society, where an eternal afterlife in hell was a very real fear, it appears that this text would have been received as having a greater focus on “sinne”.

  Similarly to The Pardoner’s Tale, death in Frankenstein is presented as a punishment for both Frankenstein and the Creature’s crimes. Both commit very horrifying and inhuman deeds. Frankenstein arrogantly usurps the role of God “a new species will bless me as its creator and source”, and the Creature murders many innocent victims, such as the “sweet” William. A contemporary reader would consider the death of a child who was “so gentle” and “innocent”, which connotes vulnerability and being in need of protection, to be the worse crime. In contrast, a reader in the 1800s may have a greater abhorrence for Frankenstein’s transgression. His arrogance as he desires to reach the God-like power of breaking the “ideal bounds” of life and death may have been considered the most horrifying and sacrilegious of all crimes. Death, in this case, is presented as an apt punishment for his transgression and for trying to break beyond his limitations. Whilst it could be argued that this novel is more focused on the ambitious act of transgression itself, a much greater reading suggests that this novel does have a greater fascination with death. It is effectively used to close the novel, creating a satisfying and just conclusion to Frankenstein’s character development. The ending of this gothic text thus appears obsessed with how death can be used to restore the natural order that Frankenstein had so greatly disturbed.

  Many may argue that Macbeth has the greatest fascination with death, for there are excessive amounts of violence and bloodshed.  This play also has a cyclical structure, as the narrative begins with a battle where the protagonist “unseamed” his enemies in order to protect his king, and closes with Macbeth’s “brandished… head on a pole”. The play opens and closes with death, with the rest of the narrative being characterised by Macbeth’s murderous crimes during his rise in power. Furthermore, the play also appears to be fascinated with Macbeth’s relationship with death. During the opening, it takes Macbeth an entire act to become “settled” on murdering Duncan. By the end, he is presented as desensitised and indifferent to it, as the “firstlings of my heart become the firstlings of my hand”. Murdering other soldiers soon becomes reason for him to “smile at”. Thus, it could be argued that Macbeth is fascinated with a killer’s relationship with death, and how one grows accustomed to it with the more murders they commit.

  However, a much greater reading suggests that Shakespeare’s play has a stronger focus on ambition than death. Through the repeated use of asides and soliloquies, we get insight into Macbeth’s “deep desires”. He is presented as a character defined by his “vaulting ambition”, and his desire to “overleap” the established natural order at the time. Every murder he commits is presented as being a way of satisfying this ambition: Duncan’s murder allows him to be crowned, and Banquo’s murder is committed to prevent his kingship becoming “fruitless”, dead and “barren”. Whilst the amount of death in this play is excessive and extreme, it appears that this gothic text is characterised by a fascination with ambition with death.

  Gothic writing initially appears to be characterised by a strong focus on death. Many of the texts examine our complex relationship with death, such as our fear of dying and how we can become desensitised to it over time. However, a much greater reading suggests that gothic writing is not fully characterised or fascinated with the theme of death because it has a much greater focus on themes such as sin and ambition. Whilst death does often appear to be a consequence of these other two gothic themes, it is clear that the focus is still on ambition and sin, and how they may affect different characters throughout the course of the narrative.

Explore some of the ways in which Mary Shelley uses different settings to contribute to the gothic effects of the novel

Shelley uses settings to create many gothic effects for the reader, such as isolation, horror and a dark insight into the human psyche. However, there are often more effective narrative methods that Shelley uses to create the gothic tone of the novel, such as structure and characterisation.

  Shelley appears to use the Orkney Islands to evoke a sense of gothic alienation. The use of the superlative “remotest” connotes how this is the most isolated place that Victor can reside in; there is nowhere more “vacant” and empty. The setting is “barren” and lifeless, as well as the perfect place for Victor to create the female creature in “solitude”. This “remote spot” appears to have been used to evoke a gothic sense of isolation for the reader. It really emphasises how removed from society Victor has become- he is utterly “alone” on this island. However, Shelley’s use of structure proves to be more effective at creating this gothic tone of the novel. This novel is told in a framed narrative; Victor’s narration is being told to Walton rather than narrated to the reader directly. This more effective at creating this sense of isolation about Victor because we are distanced from him. Everything he tells us is filtered through the character we are structurally closest with: Walton. Furthermore, Victor never replies to the letters from his “dearest Elizabeth”, which highlights how alienated this character is from his own family. Whilst settings are used to create the gothic effect of isolation and alienation, it is clear that the use of the novel’s structure is more effective.

  Pathetic fallacy may have been used to evoke a sense of horror and misery from the reader. When Frankenstein’s creature comes to life, the weather appears to reflect the atrocity of his crime. The setting is described as a “dreary night”, and the rain “pattered dismally”. This lexicalisation of synonyms of misery and depression serves to emphasise the horror of what Frankenstein has done. His laboratory is shrouded in darkness- “half-extinguished light”, “candle was nearly burnt out”- as well as this melancholic use of weather. The setting appears to reflect how an 1800s reader may have interpreted Victor’s creation: a monstrous and sacrilegious act against God. The darkness and the despairing weather appear to symbolise the horrifying nature of his arrogance as he tries to become a divine figure: “a new species will bless me as its creator”. It may have been received as an utterly abhorrent usurpation of God’s by a reader in the 1800s, and the setting may be a catalyst for these gothic effects. However, a much more effective narrative method for creating horror is Victor’s characterisation. He describes his creation as a “catastrophe” which suggests that it is completely wrong and should never have happened. He is presented as filled with “disgust” and “breathless horror”, as well as completely repulsed by what he has done. Shelley appears to be using Victor’s role as narrator to evoke a sense of horror from the reader. His point of view is that this is a “horrid” abomination, and we as readers may be influenced by his perception because it is through his eyes that we see the novel. Thus, the use of Victor’s characterisation proves to be a more effective source of horror and despair than the use of setting.

  In fact, natural settings in Frankenstein are most effective at creating romantic effects in the novel, rather than a gothic tone. Shelley presents nature as romantically sublime, after possibly being influenced by the romantics, who were her contemporaries. Natural settings have many positive and beneficial effects on the narrator: it “elevated my spirits”; “greatest consolation” and subdued his pain. Nature is presented as a source of relief and treatment in this novel. It is presented as healing and soothing, which is the antithesis of what is considered to be a gothic effect. It “tranquilised” pain rather than provoke more horror and despair. Whilst some may argue that the “terrific” and “violent” weather, apparent when Victor first meets the Creature, may symbolise the darkness and turbulence of his psyche, this is not the primary use of nature. Shelley appears to use natural settings in this novel to contribute to a sense of sublime beauty and the healing powers of our world, rather than to reflect the horrifying and gothic aspects of our psyche.

  Whilst it does appear that Shelley uses settings to create a gothic tone to her novel, developing many of the gothic themes such as isolation, horror and the darkness of the human psyche, setting is not the most effective method Shelley uses to evoke these effects. Often, narrative devices such as characterisation and the novel’s structure appear to be much more successful at contributing to the gothic effects of her classic novel.

“Gothic writing warns of the dangers of aspiring beyond our limitations”. How far does your reading of gothic writing support this view?

Throughout gothic writing, there are many protagonists who are presented as extremely ambitious; they are characters who aspire beyond the limitations imposed upon them by society and religion. Often, they appear to succeed. They appear to achieve their aims, which could interpreted as an encouragement of such behaviour. However, by the end of each text, it becomes clear that success does not follow their aspirations. In many cases, they are punished for revolting against their restraints, which would lead to the interpretation that gothic writing warns against the dangers of aspiring beyond our limitations.

   In The Pardoner’s Tale, the eponymous protagonist is presented as aspiring beyond his limitations within the Church system so that he can satiate his extreme greed. Throughout the entire tale, he portrays himself and his role as more important than it actually is: “myn heigh power”; “suffisant pardoner”. He even tells his audience that it is an “honour” to have him there, which connotes how he has elevated his sense of self-worth and importance within the Church. The Pardoner in this text aspires beyond the limitations imposed by the role, as he arrogantly believes he has the “auctoritee” to absolve people of their sins for his own “covetise”. Initially, it appears Chaucer is warning against the Pardoner’s ambitious nature, and highlighting the dangers of what he does to break his limitations. At the end of poem, the Host challenges the Pardoner’s hypocrisy and even threatens to “kutte of” parts of his body. This attack causes the Pardoner to lose his voice- “answerde nat a word”; “no word ne wolde he seye”- which is arguably the most powerful tool he has in the manipulation of his audience. For him to lose his voice, which he has been using to extort money from the “lewed” audience, could be considered a loss of his absolute power, and even a punishment for his actions. Thus, it could be interpreted that Chaucer is warning against the dangers of aspiring beyond your limitations, for it appears that the Pardoner receives his comeuppance for his aspirations.

   However, a much greater interpretation connotes that the Pardoner is not punished at all. Due to the Knight’s intervention, the Host stops challenging the Pardoner. They “kiste” and ignored what just happened, presumably carrying on as normal as they “riden forth hir weye” towards Canterbury. The Pardoner’s extreme “avarice”, and desire to satiate his “covetise”, appears to have gone unpunished. The only person to challenge him, and bring him some form of retribution, is silenced by the Knight. Thus, it could be argued that Chaucer is not warning of the dangers of aspiring beyond our limitations- the Pardoner lives on without any penalties, despite doing so. Rather, it appears that Chaucer may actually be reflecting a deteriorating and fallen world. He appears to be satirically highlighting the corruption of the Catholic Church: an inverted religious institution where a desire to “winne” is more important than the “correccion of sinne”, as well as one where no one is willing to challenge the corruption that is so prevalent in society.

  Lady Macbeth is presented as having greater ambitions than the Pardoner when she aspires beyond the societal limitations of a woman in the Jacobean era. She seeks to defy the authority of God as she attempts to change everything which makes her human: “stop up… access to remorse”; “fill me… of direst cruelty”. This is a character who appears unable to accept her humanity, rejecting it in favour of "gall" and evil. Rather than abide by God’s authority and accept who she is, she aspires beyond that. She wants to connect with the “murdering ministers” and lose any human emotion which may affect the ruthless pragmatism she uses to plot Duncan’s murder. Initially, she appears to succeed in doing so, which would allow one to argue that Shakespeare is encouraging her ambitious nature. Before the act of regicide, she is able to use her powerful influence to control Macbeth. Once he was “strong against the deed”, but after being manipulated by his wife, it is clear he has become “settled” on murdering him. Her aspirations appear to have been rewarded in this scene. Aspiring to completely reject her humanity, which is best exemplified when she reveals she would “dashed the brains out” of her own child, has allowed her to be pragmatic and manipulate her husband. She has been rewarded with success and power over her husband, which infers that this text is encouraging a desire to break limitations.

  However, a much greater reading suggests that Shakespeare is not praising her ambitions; rather, he appears to be highlighting the dangers of them. At the end of the play, she is presented as succumbing to a guilt that is destroying her. Her sanity appears to be decaying as she begins sleepwalking, which suggests that she is lacking inner peace and rest. She realises “all the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten my little hand” or wash away her guilt. Whereas before she believed “a little water clears us of this deed”, her strong character has broken down so that she keeps re-living the “so much blood” from Duncan’s murder. It could be argued that this guilt is a form of punishment for her earlier acts of transgression. Thus, it appears that Shakespeare is warning of the dangers of her aspirations. Whilst she initially appears to be rewarded with the success of being able to overpower Macbeth, it is clear that her aspirations are punished with guilt later in the play.

  Frankenstein, the titular protagonist from Shelley’s novel, is presented as having the greatest desire to pass beyond his limitations. His ambitions are much grander than those of Lady Macbeth and The Pardoner. During the creation of his Creature, he imagines a future where a “new species will bless me as its creator”, when he is the “source” of a new type of life. The use of biblical terms such as “creator” and “source” suggest that Frankenstein is a character aspiring to reach a God-like status, and gain the absolute power associated with that. This extremely ambitious character seeks to break the “ideal bounds” of life and death and discover the “secrets of life”. This arcane knowledge would have been considered by an 1800s reader as only belonging to God. Frankenstein’s aspirations to discover it may have been considered an arrogant usurpation of God’s role, and certainly reaching beyond his limits. Furthermore, he desires to create this being because the “wisest men” from history were unable to do it. Not only does he aspire to a God-like status, he also seeks to become the best of humanity. This extreme ambition appears to be followed by success, which leads to the interpretation that this novel does not warn against the dangers of aspiring beyond your limitations. He creates the Creature, succeeding in his goals. His ambitious “endeavours” have led to the greatest scientific discovery imaginable, and his “ardent” curiosity is satiated as he finally discovers nature’s “secrets”. Thus, it could be argued this gothic novel is encouraging Frankenstein’s aspirations, for he appears to have been rewarded with the success of a God-like status.

  However, a much greater reading would suggest that Frankenstein does not reach this God-like status at all. In what is a complete reversal of the relationship between God and Satan in Paradise Lost, where the creator (God) has power over his creation, Frankenstein is presented as controlled by his own creation. The Creature later labels Frankenstein as a “slave”, and himself the “master”. Despite being Frankenstein’s ‘child’, it is clear the dynamics of this relationship have been inverted so that it is the Creature who “have power” over his maker  The absolute power in this relationship lies with the Creature, and Frankenstein has no choice but to “obey” his demands. Moreover, the Creature’s murderous rampage, which leaves characters such as William and Elizabeth dead, causes much “anguish” for Frankenstein- and Frankenstein is powerless to stop it. It appears that Frankenstein’s ambitions only lead to “slavery” and "anguish", not to the God-like status he sought after. Thus, it could be interpreted that Shelley is warning against aspiring beyond our limitations, for it brings nothing but death and misery to this transgressive protagonist.

   Some gothic protagonists, namely the Pardoner, do escape punishment and retribution for aspiring beyond his limitations, which suggests that gothic writing does not warn against the dangers of aspiring beyond our limitations. However, it is clear that the ambitious characters of these texts are presented as more punished, facing greater retribution for their actions than they do rewards. Their aspirations often lead to mental torment and pain, not success. If these characters face such serious consequences for aspiring beyond their limitations, it can thus be argued that Gothic writing warns against the dangers of such behaviour. With the exception of the Pardoner, ambition is rarely encouraged as it does not lead to rewards or success in gothic writing. 

To what extent do you agree that the presentation of The Pardoner is more terrifying than horrifying?

In Chaucer’s The Pardoner’s Tale, there are many aspects of the eponymous narrator’s presentation that creates terror for the reader. Whether it is his power over the other Pilgrims, his hypocrisy or his sacrilegious behaviour, Chaucer appears to be creating a mysterious terror about The Pardoner. We cannot help but question everything about him. Whilst terror is created from the uncertainty about his character, it is also clear that horror is inspired from what we actually do know, such as his disregard for Church values, selfishness and hypocrisy.

Chaucer presents The Pardoner as the most powerful character in this poem, which may evoke a sense of terror and apprehension from the reader. This narrator’s true power lies in his knowledge and command of language. The Pardoner openly admits to using Latin to “saffron with my predicacioun” as well as biblical allusions “of victories in the Olde testament” to preserve his authority. This knowledge and control of language naturally gives the character a certain superiority; a power over his vulnerable audience. He often describes them as “lewd” and, for one Pilgrim, “noght his propre name”. This infers the idea that knowledge has elevated him above his “doun yset” audience. A sense of terror may be evoked as the reader questions how he came to gain this power and whether there is a limit to his commanding demeanour. However, a contrasting reading suggests that the dominating presentation of the Pardoner evokes much more horror. This feeling of immense horror and abhorrence may stem from his “principal entente”: to exploit. He repeatedly states that “myn entente” is to “winne silver” and become wealthy. The repetition of “myn” and “I” certainly emphasise his egocentric nature, and his sole concern for “myn” wealth is evidenced as he takes advantage of other people’s fears, such as having “doon sinne horrible”, to swindle money. Thus, the reader may be horrified as they realise that The Pardoner’s great power is not used responsibly. In fact, it is used in a repulsively selfish manner that completely defies the societal expectations of a religious preacher in the 1300s, who were expected to live generous lives helping out the poor.

The characterisation of the Pardoner is presented as more horrifying when the hypocrisy about him is fully introduced. His tale is arguably the most moral in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, and the Pardoner even states his theme is “radix malorum est Cupiditas”. This would naturally imply the Pardoner is a self-restrained man who attempts to avoid the temptation of money. The use of apostrophe “o glotonye” initially appears to emphasise his dramatic opposition to the concept of greed, which is “ful of cursedness”. Nevertheless, Chaucer presents him as more like the antithesis of a temperate clergyman. The Pardoner openly admits to the hypocrisy which defines his character: he is “gilty of the sinne”, practicing the “same vice” which he preaches against. His “theme” constantly juxtaposes with his avaricious nature. It does not matter whether someone is the “poverest page” or a vulnerable child about to die of “famine”. The Pardoner “wol have” money from them all, which presents him as extremely greedy, as well as hypocritical. It could be argued that terror is created from these opposing representations of the Pardoner. We as readers may be left in anticipation and thrilled by the fact he continues to get away with it. His hypocrisy could attract our interest as we desire to know whether his greed will be punished. However, a much greater interpretation would suggest that this hypocrisy inspires horror rather than terror. For a Medieval reader, the hypocritical Pardoner may serve as an abhorrent symbol of the corruption of the Catholic Church in 1300s England. It may horrify, rather than terrify, to see how a Pardoner is capable of using religion dishonestly (not for “correccioun”)  in order to extort “pens and grotes” from the vulnerable in society.

Chaucer’s presentation of the Pardoner is at its most horrifying when his sacrilegious behaviour, and utter dismissal of Church values, become apparent. Despite swearing to a life of celibacy, the Pardoner will have a “joly wenche in every toun”. With fake “bulles of popes”, the Pardoner abuses his position as a Pardoner to make money, when he should have sworn to a life of poverty. He is presented as utterly dismissing all church principles: he cares “nothing for the correccioun of sinne”. His only goal is “but for coveitise”, which further connotes that he is devoid of all religious and moral values. Hell and sin were seen as very real concepts which frightened many readers in Medieval England. Yet, The Pardoner remains indifferent to it so long as he has “wonne” his money. This may create a sense of terror for the reader as we eagerly await whether this corrupt character will ever learn from his moral tale about the “dampnable” company, or from his sermon concerning figures like Stilboun and Attilla. By the end of the poem, we are left unsure as to whether he ever will repent from his self-confessed “avarice”. However, a much stronger reading suggests that his reckless behaviour would horrify many readers. It is appalling to see how he values money in contrast to his own eternal life and humanity. He understands that greed caused humanity to fall from “Paradise to wo” and that it has corrupted many authoritative figures “lasse in reputacioun”. Yet, he is willing to remain ignorant to this insight, as well as all religious values, in order to satisfy his gluttonous “vice”. To “winne silver”. This presents him as excessively greedy and inverted in all his values, and this is where the most horror stems from within his presentation. 

The Pardoner is a character capable of inspiring a thrilling sense of terror. We are left uncertain about many aspects of his character: the limits on his powerful use of language and knowledge; if he can continue to get away with his crimes and whether he finally learn from his own tale by the end of the narrative. However, it is clear that the Pardoner’s presentation is, in fact, more horrifying than terrifying. His exploitative intentions to gain as much money as possible, his hypocrisy and his disregard for Church values all serve to create abhorrence for the reader. Chaucer’s presentation of The Pardoner stimulates more horror as they steadily realise how corrupt and greedy this abhorrent character is.