Technical Features

Abstract

To the present-day reader the way in which the Pardoner takes us into his confidence and reveals his deceptions and greed may be rather puzzling, especially in view of the fact that he later goes on to try to sell his services to his fellow pilgrims. Part of the explanation lies in the fact that Chaucer was using an established convention in having him expose his motives in this way. The closest analogue comes from a long French poem called Le Roman de la Rose, which was written in the thirteenth century by Guillaume de Loris and Jean de Meung and translated by Chaucer early in his career. It is a dream poem about love, and takes place in a beautiful garden in which a lover is searching for his lady. He comes across many allegorical figures, including one called Fals-Semblant (‘False-Appearance’ or ‘Hypocrisy’). Fals-Semblant becomes the servant of Love. Fals-Semblant explains that he can be found in many walks of life, secular and religious, not with the poor but with those who are proud and full of crafty tricks, and who eat the best foods and drink good wine. Furthermore he has many different guises. Sometimes he takes on the appearance of a knight or a castle-keeper; at other times he assumes a religious guise and gives easy absolution, without asking too many awkward questions.