The Canterbury Tales: The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale

.:.Prompt.:.[Medieval narrative poetry – exemplum]: The Canterbury Tales, “The Words of the Host to the Physician and the Pardoner; The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale” (Portable Chaucer pp 316-335)
          BLOG: Define Pardoner, indulgence, relic. “The Pardoner’s Tale” is an exemplum. Define exemplum? The Pardoner says he preaches only one text: radix malorum es cupiditas. What does that mean? Although the Pardoner has “spilled his guts” in his Prologue, he does something bizarre at the close of his Tale; what is it? What does this reveal about him? Include images of relics similar to those the Pardoner carries.
The Canterbury Tales, “Chaucer’s Retraction” (Portable Chaucer pp 341-342).           
          BLOG: What does retraction mean in this context? Is he seriously taking everything back? If not, why is the Retraction included?

.:.Blog.:.

          "The Pardoner's Tale" is an exemplum or an anecdote that illustrates or supports a moral point, as in a medieval sermon. The tale itself spoken by the pardoner, or a man bestowed by the church to sell forgiveness, which states a lot about the actual tale. By offering up indulgences -- being freed from one's sin, and the relics -- a piece of the body of a saint, an item owned or used by the saint, or an object which has been touched to the tomb of a saint, the Pardoner keeps true to his word. The Pardoner says that he preaches only one text: radix malorum es cupiditas. This is phrase is displayed in Latin; however, in English, it means the root of all evils is desire. The Latin phrase symbolizes greed. The Pardoner himself is a very greedy man, as we see in the ending. Something very bizarre, something that I think only Chaucer himself would of done in a situation like this. Like many pardoner's during this era, this Pardoner offered up the relics for the people around him to confess their sins and be forgiven; however the Host, in which the Pardoner was talking to, replied with a blunt statement:

"You balls instead of relics! I'll be bound,
just cut 'em off, I'll help you carry 'em round."

The Pardoner had no response, but the honorable Knight had something to say in response to the Host.

"And you, Sir Host, who are so dear to me,

Come, kiss the Pardoner, I beg of you,

And Pardoner, draw near, and let us do

What we have been doing,  let us laugh and play."

And so they kissed, and rode along their way.

The final line, in my opinion is one of the funniest during the ending. Chaucer stated right out in the open something that was common and yet in today's society so much looked down upon. Gayety. In both meanings does this hold true, them being happy and jolly and yet enjoying the company of the same sex. Oh Chaucer, how I love the words you use!

"Chaucer's Retraction"

          In the retraction, Chaucer apologizing for what he has done.  He realizes the terrible sins he has committed and is renouncing them all.  He even describes the apology with great detail. This portrays great meaning and distinction upon his apology.  However, I do not believe he himself is truly sorry but merely trying to apologize to those who he may have angered a time or two or even made fun of. More of a public "I'm sorry" rather than a heart felt "do forgive me for these sins I have done."