"paying for religion: a pardoner's tale"
... paid for his religious services is a strong commentary on how the corruption of the English church was greatly affecting the lives of everyone. At the beginning and end of the Pardoner’s Tale, the Pardoner is shown selling trinkets and accepting money for his religious help. This type of behavior can be viewed, from the reader and those actually receiving his help, that to receive the ultimate penance from the church is to pay the church off. This type of corruption is displayed not only through the Pardoner, but also through the actions of the Monk and the Prioress. These characters exemplify the aristocratic way of life versus the noble, religious life that they took an oath of obeying. The Monk is characterized as enjoying a “nobleman’s” sport, while the Prioress’ dazzling rosary seems to be a token of endearment instead of a religious symbol. These additional instances further explore the evident corruption and mishandlings of people’s salvation in The Canterbury Tales. Th...