Geoffrey Chaucer describes a man full sin in The Canterbury Tales. Yet, he does it with humor and irony. The story is often referred to as an illustration, which helps convey its important message. The pardoner is a con artist who uses people’s faith against them and tells them that if they don’t donate money, they won’t go to Heaven. In the end, the Pardoner will do whatever he has to in order to make a profit. The Pardoner starts out by opposing anyone who drinks, blasphemys, or gambles. However, he later confesses to being guilty of these sins. It is funny because he is making a mockery of himself and people are still donating to him. Chaucer subtly makes a comment on the corruption within the church. He does this in a lighthearted way. Many people enjoy giving advice, but they don’t have the same ideas as them. The main idea in the Tale is “Radixmalorum ist cupiditas” meaning, “Greeds are the root cause of all Evil.” However, while the Pardoner preaches about avarice and making money through the exploiting of Church members, it is humorous for those who read it.

The pardoner’s tale is both about sin and corruption. It seems that the story was intended to undermine the Church’s people. Although the pardoner is an official of the Church, he clearly works for the church’s economic gain. The Pardoner, in The Prologue, makes it clear that he is greedy. The Pardoner is a sinister man who lives in cupiditas. He doesn’t care what his sermons are about, he only cares about how much money he gets after he preaches them. A Pardoner should consider the well being of those who listen and give him money. The Pardoner explains God’s prohibitions, while pointing out all traits or activities that he may have. The Pardoner is willing to lie in order to make money. The pardoner tricked people into kissing “relics,” which were not authentic. Because of his commitment to God, the Pardoner had no limit to his greed.

The message, although written over a decade ago, is still relevant today. The Pardoner does more than tell his story. He also talks about three men who lost everything because of greed. The Pardoner’s Tale’s main theme, avarice, depicts the negative consequences of greediness within society, as well as individuals, now and in the future.