How we cite our quotes: (Line number)
Quote #1
Goode men and wommen, o thyng warne I yow,
If any wight be in this chirche now
That hath doon synne horrible, that he
Dar nat for shame of it yshryven be,
Or any womman, be she yong or old,
That hath ymaad hir housbonde cokewold,
Swich folk shal have no power ne no grace
To offren to my relikes in this place. (91 – 98)
The gender politics of this passage are pronounced, because although the Pardoner mentions that anyone might be guilty of a particularly shameful sin, he specifically targets women in his reference to adultery. This focus probably comes from medieval views of women, which saw them as particularly vulnerable to sexual sin. (Thanks, Eve.) The Pardoner, as usual, is just focusing on women to make money. He probably doesn't care about the gender of his sinners. Maybe women are just more generous with their offerings to him.
Quote #2
And who so fyndeth hym out of swich fame,
He wol come up and offre, on Goddes name,
And I assoille him, by the auctoritee
Which that by bulle ygraunted was to me. (99 – 102)
What the Pardoner is selling is "assoilling," or absolution. This is a religious term that means erasure of sins and their respective punishments. The pardons supposedly offer the shortening or elimination of punishment for the purchaser's sins, like commuting a sentence for a crime. It might seem strange to us, but think about this: carbon offsets. That's a little like buying absolution for the sin of destroying the environment.
Quote #3
And ech of hem at otheres synne lough. (190)
How morally depraved can you get? A good Christian was supposed to take the sins of his fellow Christian very seriously because they could lead to the other's eternal damnation. The Rioters are just like the Pardoner, who admits that he doesn't preach because he wants to correct sin and that, in fact, he cares so little for people's souls that as far as he's concerned they can "goon a-blakeberyed" – go berry picking, or do whatever they want.
Quote #4
And right anon thanne comen tombesteres,
Fetys and smale, and yonge frutesteres,
Sygeres with harpes, baudes, wafereres,
Whiche been the verray develes officeres
To kyndle and blowe the fyr of lecherye,
That is annexed unto glotonye. (191 – 196)
The cause of sin is specifically feminine in this passage, with all of the "develes officeres" being women, whether they are "tombesteres" (dancing girls) or "wafereres" (women selling cake). Women had a bad rap in religious thinking ever since Eve made those apple fritters. The women in the tavern are all temptresses, but instead of apples they're offering cake. Yum, cake. (Don't worry, we'll buy a pardon.) The passage also shows the interconnectedness of all sin, with lechery "annexed unto," or closely related to, gluttony.
Quote #5
O glotonye, ful of cursednesse!
O cause first of oure confusioun!
O original of oure dampnacioun
Til Crist hadde boght us with his blood agayn!
Lo, how deere, shortly for to sayn,
Aboght was thilke cursed vileynye!
Corrupt was al this world for glotonye! (212 – 218)
Many medieval theologians blamed gluttony for the Fall of man, because the story goes that it was Adam and Eve's hunger for the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil that made them disobey God's command. Because of their disobedience, says the theology, Christ had to buy back mankind from the devil with his own blood. For this reason, the Pardoner calls gluttony a dearly bought "vileynye."
Quote #6
But, certes, he that haunteth swiche delices
Is deed, whil that he lyveth in tho vices. (261 – 262)
Here the Pardoner refers to the Christian belief that "the way of sin is death." Those who overindulge their body's desires, like gluttons, condemn themselves to eternal damnation, which represents permanent death, in contrast to eternal life with God. Medieval Christianity was loaded with images of hell, and the Pilgrims would have been very familiar with what awaited sinners who died in a state of sin. Not good.
Quote #7
And now that I have spoken of glotonye,
Now wol I yow deffenden hasardrye.
Hasard is verray mooder of lesynges,
And of dedeite and cursed forswerynges,
Blaspheme of Crist, manslaughre and wast also
Of catel and of tyme, and forthermo
It is repreeve and contrarie of honour
For to ben holde a commune hasardour. (303 – 310)
The Pardoner's really on a roll here about how all sin is interrelated. Here, gambling (hasardrye) leads to other sins, like unpaid debts, blasphemous swearing, and even murder. It's a particularly odious sin to a medieval Christian because it's a waste of time, and all time was supposed to be spent productively.
Quote #8
Bihoold and se, that in the firste table
Of heighe Goddes heestes honurable
How that the seconde heeste of hym is this:
"Thake nat my name in ydel or amys."
Lo, rather he forbedeth swich sweryng
Than homycide, or any cursed thyng. (352 – 358)
Notice that the Pardoner is not arguing against all swearing, but "ydel" or false swearing—oath swearing that's done with a lack of seriousness. You're allowed to swear on God's name if you're doing it for a good reason. Medieval folks did it all the time; it was a way to show you were serious about a promise. The Pardoner implies that because God forbade false swearing in the Ten Commandments before most of the other sins (it's #2), he must really, really hate it. Hmmm…is oath swearing really worse than murder?
Quote #9
And atte laste the feend, oure enemy,
Putte in his thought that he sholde poyson beye,
With which he myghte sleen hise felawes tweye;
For-why, the feend foond hym in swich lyvynge
That he hadde leve hem to sorwe brynge.
For this was outrely his fulle entente,
To sleen hem bothe, and nevere to repente. (558 – 564)
The reason the devil's able to convince the Rioter to poison his friends is because he already lives such a sinful life. This makes the devil's job easy; he's been softening him up all along. The Rioter's intention never to repent is what ensures his damnation. Even the worst sinners could get to heaven with true repentance and confession; without it, it's hopeless.
Quote #10
O cursed synne ful of cursednesse!
O traytours homycide, O wikkednesse!
O glotonye, luxurie, and hasardrye!
Thou blasphemour of Crist, with vileynye
And othes grete, of usage and of pride,
Allas, mankynde, how may it bitide
That to thy Creatour which that the boghte,
Thou art so fals and so unkynde, allas! (609 – 617)
The Pardoner ends his Tale with this apostrophe, or address to an abstract concept or absent person. The point he wants to make is that all sins, great and small, are a betrayal of the Creator. This conclusion turns the focus away from the specific sins and sinners addressed in the Tale to the sins of all mankind. It's the big finish designed to make everyone feel ashamed and guilty that they're being so nasty to a loving God who wants nothing more than to save them. The solution? Just give the Pardoner your money and lessen your punishment.