Six-hundred-year-old tales with modern relevance. As well as the complete text of the Pardoner's Prologue and Tale, the student will find illustrated information on Chaucer's world, including a map of the Canterbury pilgrimage, a running synopsis of the action, an explanation of unfamiliar words, and a wide range of classroom-tested activities to help bring the text to life. The Prologue and Tale is prefaced by a description of the Pardoner from the General Prologue, allowing for an initial investigation into the way the character is presented. Guided by the suggestions for study and the wide range of helpful information, students will readily appreciate Chaucer's wit and sense of irony, his love of controversy and his delight in character portrayal.

Table of Contents

Introduction; What are the Canterbury Tales; Chaucer's language; The Pardoner's contribution; The Portrait of the Pardoner; Introduction to the Pardoner's Tale; Th Pardoner's Prologue; The Pardoner's Tale; The tale told by the Pardoner; Chaucer's pilgrims; Pilgrims and pilgrimages; Geoffrey Chaucer; Background to the Pardoner's Tale; Chaucer's self-examination as a poet; The role of the church; Themes in the Pardoner's Prologue and Tale; Glossary of frequently-used words.