The Canterbury Tales Help?

Question

At the end of his tale, the Pardoner asks the host to be the first one to pay for relics from the Holy Land. What is ironic about the Pardoner asking this and how does the Host respond?

Answer 1

a pardoner sell indulgences. an idulgence is, as a simplistic definition, forgiveness for sins that one purchases. you pay the pardoner for an indulgence which removes the sins from your record in the book of life. the ironc thing is the pardoner is in the business of selling something that he has no ownership over, and is asking the host to purchase holy relics that are almost always faked relics and have no real linkage to what they clame to be. pig bones passed as bones of saints. that sort of thing. the liar that sells lies is asking the host to purchase lies that fortify his lies. this is a simplistic answer and will most likely not be accepted by your prof, but it is the gist of what was happening. i do not remember what the hosts responce was.

Answer 2

As I recall, the Host tells him, in effect, to go jump in the lake. It's ironic because, as the previous answerer said, the Pardoner is such a fake. But he tells a great story!

Answer 3

The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer

Student Study Guides.

These links will give you a chapter by chapter summary of the book, character analysis, plot and much more, so that you will be able to answer literary questions.

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-52.html

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/canterbury/

http://www.novelguide.com/thecanterburytales/

http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/cntrtal.asp

http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/canterbury/

http://www.bookwolf.com/Free_Booknotes/Canterbury_Tales_by_Geoffrey_C/canterbury_tales_by_geoffrey_c.html

http://www.canterburytales.org/canterbury_tales.html

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html

http://www.nowhereatall.net/prioress.html#Sources

http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/chaubib.htm