Prologue (Continued)

Pardoner:
 ‘Religious’ figure, takes money from people in exchange for their sins to be
pardoned/forgiven.
 The money is split between himself and the church.
 Corruption, immoral.
Chaucer depicts the pardoner as a eunuch: a feminine man, with a high-pitched voice, no beard, and
suggests/asserts that he is gay, but never directly says it.
Why: Encourages the audience to dislike the pardoner more, and highlights/criticises the hypocrisy of
the church, ironic. Chaucer is cynical towards pardoning.

1517: Martin Luther 95 Theses:

 Wittenburg Church (Germany).
Dr Faustus sells his soul to the devil for knowledge, and was set in Wittenburg.
 Reformed the Protestant movement.
 Disliked pardoning.

07/02/23

The Pardoner’s Interruption: Lines 163-192

Vocabulary:
 Bye it: Pay for it
 Levere: Rather
 Er: Before
 Savoure: Savour
 Maystow chese: You may choose.
 Abroche: Break
 Be war of it: Beware of it/Wary
 Ensamples: examples

164-169 (Pardoner):
Calls the WOB a “noble preacher.” He says he was going to be wedded soon, but he doesn’t want to
lose ownership of his own body, so he’d rather not get married. Could be a joke from Chaucer again
implying he is gay, hence he doesn’t want to be wedded.
“Why should I buy it on my flesh so dear?”

170-184 (WOB):
WOB warns him that she hasn’t finished her tale, but that it will get worse as she continues. She will
give ten examples.
(Greek scholar) Ptholomee: If you aren’t wary of these other men (listen to me) you will become an
example just like them.
 Pardoner’s Exchange with the Wife
“For mine intent is not but for to play.”

 Echoes pardoner from his prologue “For mine intent is not but for to win.”
Despite working for the church, he is not an example of a devout Christian- he is only in it for the
money. Portrays his selfishness.
 Both characters are contradictory.
 The wife is doing this solely for entertainment- satirical.
 Goes against her entire argument- gives further reasons for the audience to not take her seriously,
potentially undermines her/Chaucer’s argument.
Alternatively- could be seen as her attempting to placate her male audience.
Chaucer can either be promoting or mocking the wife.

The First Three Husbands 194-223

Vocabulary:
 Moote: may
 Sooth: truth
 Unnethe might: hardly might
 Statut: rule/law
 Woot: know
 Swinke: sweating labour
 Yeven: given
 Deynetee: value
 Hooly: wholly/completely
 Ese: pleasure
 Weilawey: woe is me
 Trowe: believe
 Fawe: eager
 Spitously: cruelty

194-200:
The WOB had 3 good husbands, who were old and rich. They hardly ever ‘paid their debt’ that they owed to the
WOB.

“Unnethe might they the statut hold…bounden unto me.”

 Sexual euphemism and biblical allusion: contradictory ideas.

 Gives WOB power/superiority over them- they pay debts towards her, they owe her sex.

201-214:
The wife says she didn’t need to care for them or cater to them, as they’d already given her all of their
money/gold/land.

“But it were for mine profit and ease?”

 Selfish- only concerned about herself.

 Mimics pardoner.
“I had them hoolly in mine bond.”

 WOB has power over her husband.

 Unconventional marriage dynamics for Medieval England- role reversal.
Can be seen as progressive/feminist.

Exam Question: How is marriage presented?

 Presented as a contract of obligation, rather than a declaration of love.
 Power imbalance: WOB holds power over her husbands, they ‘pay’ her but she does not in return, despite
the bible saying both the man and women should give themselves away to their partner- hypocritical.

21/02/23
Recap 194-223:
 The WOB is presented as authoritative and dominant in her marriage.
 Quotes that suggest her dominance: “They were bound unto me,” “I had them wholly in my hand.”
 Why is she presented this way?