The Old Man in "The Pardoner's Tale" of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales

Who is the old man in "The Pardoner's Tale" of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales?

Responses:

  • Death
  • Hope
  • a thief and wanderer
  • a mean-spirited villager

Answer:

In "The Pardoner's Tale" from Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," the old man symbolizes Death.

Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales," specifically "The Pardoner's Tale," features an old man whom the three rioters encounter. This old man serves as a representation or personification of Death in the story. He is not a symbol of hope or a mean-spirited villager; rather, he embodies the concept of Death.

The old man plays a crucial role in the narrative by nervously directing the three rioters to a hidden treasure. However, this leads them to their own demise, as they end up succumbing to the very death they were seeking to inflict on others. This highlights the moral lesson of the tale, which is that greed ultimately leads to destruction.

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