As a religious authority, the Pardoner's largest fault takes the form of hypocrisy. He preaches against sin but indulges in all forms of sin at the same time. The Pardoner even tries to excuse his behavior by favorably comparing himself to other hypocritical preachers who seek power or inflame hate.

Do you view the Pardoner as hypocritical or honest Why?

Expert Answers

The Pardoner in Chaucer's The Canterbury Talesis honest to his immediate listeners (the other travelers), and dishonest and hypocritical to his usual listeners (the people he usually preaches to when he makes his money).

What kind of person is the Pardoner?

The pardoner tells the story and emphasizes the sins of others. He uses the story to provoke the other pilgrims to buy his pardons. This shows that the pardoner is a greedy, hypocritical man. Still, he is a good preacher and the message of his tale, though corrupted, is also good.