How we cite our quotes: (Line number)
Quote #1
Lordynges, quod he, in chirches whan I preche,
I peyne me to han an hauteyn speche,
And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle,
For I kan al by rote that I telle. (43 – 46)
"An hauteyn speech" is a loud, impressive speech, one that everyone can hear. The Pardoner's able to make his pitch so well because he knows it all by heart. This keeps him from needing to look down at a book; he can direct his speech right at the audience. Every salesman knows that you have to rope in your audience to make the sale; the Pardoner has practiced this speech so he can be entertaining and look spontaneous, sincere, and convincing. If you've ever had to attend a lecture where the teacher read from notes, you know what we mean.
Quote #2
Of avarice and of swich cursednesse
Is al my prechyng, for to make hem free
To yeven hir pens: and namely, unto me! (114 – 116)
Psychologists and advertisers know that creating a particular mood in someone can make him or her act in certain ways. The Pardoner knows this, too. The success of his business depends upon his ability to stir up emotions like guilt in his listeners, and he preaches specifically about greed so that people will be ashamed to hang on to their money. They give it to him and feel virtuous and generous. Preaching about God's love wouldn't make him any money.
Quote #3
For myn entente is nat but for to wynne,
And no thyng for correccioun of synne.
[…]
For certes, many a predicacioun
Comth oft tyme of yvel entencioun.
Som for pleasance of folk, and flaterye,
To been avaunced by ypocrisye,
And som for veyne glorie, and som for hate. (117 – 118, 121 – 125)
The medieval church knew that the true word of God could be distorted and used for ungodly purposes by people like the Pardoner. The question of whether a sinful person could give a sermon that really inspired repentance was hotly debated. The Pardoner tells the pilgrims that sermons can be preached for other reasons than true piety and that a sermon motivated by greed or other evil reasons can still convince its hearers to repent. No self-interest at all in that point of view, right? Shmoop can't imagine believing a word of what someone says if we thought they were lying, greedy, drunk hypocrites. Having said that, maybe the difference was that the Pardoner's audiences were hearing what they believed to be the word of God. And they all chose to attend a sermon on penitence. So regardless of the character of the sermonizer, the words might still be helpful and uplifting.
Quote #4
Thus kan I preche agayn that same vice
Which that I use, and that is avarice.
But though myself be gilty in that synne,
Yet kan I maken oother folk to twynne
From avarice, and soore to repente;
But that is nat my principal entente.
I preche no thyng but for coveitise. (141 – 147)
The Pardoner's actually wrong to say that his "principal entente" isn't to cause people to repent for their greed. Although it's true that greed motivates his sermons, if he didn't make them feel guilty, they wouldn't hand over their money. The Pardoner is a real communication expert. He knows the powerful effect of words on the emotions of the listeners, so he's chosen his topic carefully.
Quote #5
Thanne telle I hem ensamples many oon
Of olde stories longe tyme agoon.
For lewed peple loven tales olde;
Swiche thynges kan they wel reporte and holde. (149 – 152)
Part of the Pardoner's strategy for winning over his audience is simply to give them what they want—good stories. He says that uneducated people like the simple old stories because they can remember them and repeat them to their friends. This is a hugely successful strategy, because if the people associate the Pardoner with entertainment, they'll want to come hear his sales pitch. Today, the equivalent to this strategy is the commercial that tells a story as part of its product endorsement. Fred Craddock, who was considered one of the best sermonizers in the history of preaching, was known for weaving fascinating stories into his preaching. And he wasn't in it for the money; he just knew this was the best way to get a point across to the folks in the pews.
Quote #6
Hir othes been so greet and so dampnable
That it is grisly for to heere hem swere.
Oure blissed lordes body they totere. (186 – 188)
The Pardoner compares the Rioters' blasphemous swearing to tearing Jesus' body to pieces. The origins of this figure of speech are complicated, but here it continues a theme of the real, material effects of speech. This is a pretty powerful deterrent for cursing if you believe that every word is an assault on the body of Jesus. Apparently the rioters didn't believe it.
Quote #7
Thy tonge is loste, and al thyn honeste cure;
For dronkennesse is verray sepulture
Of mannes wit and his discrecioun,
In whom that drynke hath dominacioun.
He kan no conseil kepe, it is no drede. (271 – 275)
The tongue of a drunk man is "lost," along with his "honeste cure"—the ability to think before you speak. In a culture concerned with careful speech, and particularly in a Prologue that's all about the powerful effects of speech, this is a serious issue. And while the Pardoner is a bit sanctimonious about it, we've all seen drunken rants. It's practically a celebrity meltdown cliché—saying outrageous stuff while drunk then apologizing like crazy once you sober up.
Quote #8
Gret sweryng is a thyng abhominable,
And fals sweryng is yet more reprevable.
The heighe God forbad sweryng at al,
Witnesse on Matthew; but in special
Of sweryng seith the hooly Jeremye,
"Thou shalt seye sooth thyne othes, and nat lye,
And swere in doom and eek in rightwisnesse;"
But ydel sweryng is a cursednesse. (345 – 352)
The reason that false swearing was such a sin in medieval times was that people were generally devout believers, so swearing on something in God's name was taken very seriously. When you swore an oath, you were invoking God. So "ydil sweryng" was a desecration of God's holy name. The rioters were prime examples, drunkenly swearing "by God's arms," "by God's holy bones," and "by God and the Bible." These were common phrases of the time, but when they weren't used seriously, they were a one-way ticket to you-know-where.