It seems that without our understanding of the Pardoner as a person, this tale could have been one of the most moral told so far, having an absolute moral following it as well as containing pathetic characters (the old man) and the numerous references to religious characters. By contrasting the Pardoner as a pilgrim and the Pardoner as a storyteller Chaucer seems to be making the point that he is much more complicated than the way he portrays himself in the prologue. His brutal honesty coupled with his ability to do well in his profession (although through underhanded tactics challenge our perception of him, even when he is so unabashedly
It seems that without our understanding of the Pardoner as a person, this tale could have been one of the most moral told so far, having an absolute moral following it as well as containing pathetic characters (the old man) and the numerous references to religious characters. By contrasting the Pardoner as a pilgrim and the Pardoner as a storyteller Chaucer seems to be making the point that he is much more complicated than the way he portrays himself in the prologue. His brutal honesty coupled with his ability to do well in his profession (although through underhanded tactics challenge our perception of him, even when he is so unabashedly