Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales showcases a wide array of characters, each with unique traits, social positions, and educational backgrounds. Among them, the Pardoner stands out as a morally ambiguous figure whose education level provides insight into his social role and personal motivations.
Who Is the Pardoner?
The Pardoner is a medieval church official responsible for selling indulgences and pardons. Known for greed and deceit, Chaucer uses the Pardoner’s education and literacy to illustrate how knowledge can be applied for personal gain rather than moral or spiritual purposes.
The Pardoner’s Literacy and Knowledge
Chaucer indicates that the Pardoner is literate, able to read and write—skills that were not common for lower-class medieval citizens. His knowledge focuses on practical and rhetorical skills, enabling him to manipulate audiences effectively.
Religious and Theological Education
Although a church official, the Pardoner’s understanding of theology is superficial. His education appears to include some clerical training, but he prioritizes persuasion over genuine spiritual instruction, highlighting the gap between formal education and moral integrity.
Social Background and Educational Opportunities
The Pardoner likely comes from a lower or middle-class background, which limited access to formal scholarly education. His skills in reading, writing, and rhetoric were acquired through practical experience rather than structured schooling.
How Education Shapes the Pardoner’s Role
The Pardoner’s education is utilitarian: literacy and rhetorical ability allow him to read, preach, and sell indulgences, but his knowledge is applied primarily for economic gain rather than ethical or intellectual development.
Comparison with Other Characters
Compared to the Clerk or the Knight, the Pardoner’s education is narrow and pragmatic. While the Clerk pursues scholarly study and intellectual growth, the Pardoner demonstrates how education can be exploited for personal advantage.
Conclusion
The Pardoner’s education level in The Canterbury Tales is moderate, focused on practical literacy and rhetorical skills. Chaucer uses this to critique how education, when misapplied, can serve greed rather than enlightenment or morality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What level of education did the Pardoner have?
He had basic literacy and some clerical training, sufficient to read, write, and persuade, but lacked deep theological knowledge.
Was the Pardoner formally educated?
Likely not in a traditional scholarly sense. His learning was practical and vocational.
How does the Pardoner’s education affect his character?
It allows him to manipulate people and profit from his position, illustrating Chaucer’s moral critique.
Is the Pardoner more clever than other characters in the story?
He is practically clever in persuasion but lacks the intellectual depth of scholarly characters like the Clerk.
Why did Chaucer emphasize the Pardoner’s education?
To highlight how literacy and rhetorical skill can be misused, reinforcing his critique of moral and social corruption.
