The Nun’s Priest’s Tale

The Nun’s Priest’s Tale, one of the 24 stories in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, “The
Nun’s Priest’s Tale” is based on the medieval tale of Reynard the Fox, common to French, Flemish,
and German literature. The protagonist of this mock-heroic story is Chanticleer, a rooster with
seven wives, foremost among them the hen Pertelote. Pertelote dismisses Chanticleer’s dream of
being attacked and tells him to go about his business. A fox soon approaches and flatters him,
recalling the exquisite song of Chanticleer’s father. The vain rooster is thus tricked into closing his
eyes and crowing, only to be seized by the fox and carried off. As Chanticleer’s owners and the
animals of the barnyard run after them, Chanticleer suggests that his captor yell to tell them to
turn back. When the fox opens his mouth, the rooster escapes. The tale ends with a warning
against flattery.

1. Why is the Nun’s Priest’s Tale considered a beast fable? The Nun’s Priest’s Tale is considered a
beast fable because it features animals as the main characters who exhibit human-like
qualities and behaviors. Chanticleer the rooster, Pertelote the hen, and the fox is
anthropomorphized, allowing them to convey moral lessons and satirical commentary
through their actions and interactions.

2. How is this a satire of medieval romance? This tale satirizes medieval romance by presenting
a mock-heroic narrative featuring animals instead of noble knights and courtly figures.
Chanticleer, the rooster, embodies the heroic protagonist, while Pertelote, the hen,
represents the conventional damsel. The exaggerated and humorous portrayal of their
relationships and adventures mocks the conventions of courtly love and chivalry.

The Prologue to The Pardoner’s Tale

1. Why does the Pardoner admit he preaches to make a personal profit? The Pardoner admits that
he preaches for personal profit, confessing his own hypocrisy and greed. He acknowledges that his
preaching is a means to obtain wealth, as he manipulates people's fears and desires to extract
money from them.

2. In medieval times, people were keenly concerned about the seven deadly sins: pride, avarice,
lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth. According to the church, these sins brought eternal
damnation unless the sinner confessed and obtained a pardon. Of which of the seven deadly sins
does the Pardoner admit to? The Pardoner admits to being guilty of avarice (greed), as he openly
confesses that his preaching is motivated by his desire to accumulate wealth rather than to
genuinely help people repent of their sins.

The Pardoner’s Tale

3. SUMMARY: Lines 58-62: Summarize the action: The Pardoner describes his preaching style,
boasting about his ability to deliver captivating sermons filled with lies and deceit. He admits to
exploiting people's fears and desires to enrich himself.

4. ALLEGORY: Many characters in moral stories are allegorical--that is, they stand for abstract ideas,
such as virtue and beauty. Identify the allegorical character presented in lines 72-89. The allegorical
character present in the lines is Death Who fears him? The character Fear fears Death Why?
Because it threatens his life.

5. IRONY: In lines 90-98, why is it ironic that the rioters vow as brothers to kill Death? Ironically, the
rioters vow as brothers to kill Death because Death is an inevitable part of life and cannot be
physically overcome. Their vow to kill Death is futile and reflects their ignorance and folly.

6. CHARACTERIZATION: What qualities of the three men does Chaucer emphasize in lines 93-107?
Predict what will happen to them based on these text clues. In the three men, Chaucer brings to
our attention the qualities of greed, arrogance and recklessness. With such attributes, it is just easy
to prophesy that their footsteps are nothing but a way to their own destruction.

7. INFERENCE: 108-116: Who is the old man? What might he represent or what purpose might he
serve in the story. The old man is likely a personification of Death or a symbolic representation of
mortality. He serves to remind the rioters of their own mortality and the futility of seeking to
conquer Death.

8 IRONY: What is ironic about the attitudes of the rioters and the old man toward Death in lines
117-123. The rioters mock Death and express disdain for it, while the old man welcomes it as a
release from suffering. This contrast highlights the irony of their attitudes towards Death.

8. PERSONIFICATION: 129-137: What does personification of Death as a mother suggest? The

personification of Death as a mother suggests a nurturing or comforting aspect, which contrasts
with the fear typically associated with Death.

9. INFERENCE: 145-146: Why does the old man add “if you should live till then”? The old man adds
"if you should live till then" to imply the uncertainty of life and the inevitability of death, even for the
youngest and healthiest.

10. IRONY: 171: What is ironic about this line: “No longer was it death they sought.” The line "No
longer was it Death those fellows sought" is ironic because they are seeking Death to kill it, yet they
ultimately find death themselves.

11. PERSONIFICATION: 178 What does the capital F in Fortune tell you? (Look at the margin for the
footnote.) The capital F in "Fortune" refers to a personification of Fortune that alludes to the
all-powerful and influential force governing people's lives.

12. INDIRECT CHARACTERIZATION: 183-200 In this example of indirect characterization, what does
the speaker’s word reveal about him. The speaker's words reveal his cynicism and lack of faith in
human nature, as he believes that everyone is motivated solely by self-interest.

13. IRONY: 205-233 Why is this discussion between the two rioters ironic? Irony in the exchange
between the two rioters is the fact that they talk of great friendship when in the actual sense, they
betray and want to kill the other.
14. THEME: 241-242 All three rioters make frequent references to religion. This is ironic since they
are such evildoers. How do these references connect thematically to the Pardoner who tells the
tale? The frequent references to religion by the rioters ironically highlight their hypocrisy and moral
corruption, reflecting the themes of sin and hypocrisy explored by the Pardoner.

15. IRONY: 254-259 What is ironic about the reason the young man gives for buying poison? The
young man's purported aim to employ poison for therapeutic purposes contrasts with his actual
plan to use it for murder, which is where the irony resides.

16. IRONY: 280 What is the irony implicit in the narrator’s question? The narrator's question seems
to be a simple and very normal one on who refills the pay for his services first and quite harmless
although, but in the real sense, he is exploiting the situation for his benefit. This is where the irony
in the question is hidden. The question of the pardoner is misleading in that it is being exposed of
his pretentious nature, since he was using the manipulation of the circumstances in demanding
money from the host in the guise of having religious forgiveness.

17. IRONY: 296 to the end: What motivation for the Pardoner’s telling his tale is revealed in these
lines? The underlying motivation for the Pardoner's tale was rooted in personal gain with the hopes
to perpetually acquire profit, through his sale of relics and indulgences by preying on the fears and
fallibilities of his audience.