”
The Pardoner’s Tale”
p. 151
from The Canterbury Tales
 Part I: VOCABULARY: Record the definition and sentence example for the
words in the yellow box. P. 149
Directions: As you read the “Pardoner’s Prologue” (pages 151-52) and “The
Pardoner’s Tale,” (pages 152-159) answer the questions below in COMPLETE
SENTENCES on a separate sheet of paper.
 Part II: The Pardoner’s Prologue
1. Write down two examples of simile in the opening lines of “The Pardoner’s Prologue”
2. Write down two flaws that the Pardoner reveals about himself in lines 9-22?
3. What will be the moral of this tale? (indicated in the 1st stanza)
4. How does the Pardoner claim he makes his living? How does this conflict with religion?
5. Write down four “desires” that the pardoner states he “means to have.”
6. What does the pardoner want to have in every town?”
 Part III: The Pardoner’s Tale
7. What type of men were the rioters? What does the term rioters imply about the men?
8. Why is Death capitalized?
9. In The Pardoner’s Tale, why do the three revelers set out to find Death?
10. What do the three men vow to do with Death?
11. The repetition of “Mother” in lines 129-133 is an example of personification. What is being
personified?
12. What do the young rioters find when they reach the tree?
13. What problem must they solve?
14. What solution does one of the men from the group propose?
15. What do the two men guarding the treasure secretly plan to do?
16. What is ironic about the reason the young man gives for buying poison?
17. Explain how the rioters ended up killing each other.
18. What is the moral of the tale?