The Canterbury Tales Group

Question:

dominickbui
dominickbui
Student
High School - 12th Grade

How do the tavern knave and the publican personify Death in "The Pardoner's Tale"?

and what does the rioters' response to the description tell you?

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Posted by dominickbui on Sunday October 11, 2009 at 10:18 PM and tagged with canterbury, pardoner, pardoner's, tale, tales, the canterbury tales.

Answers:


  1. luannw Teacher
    High School - 11th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    The tavern-knave and the publican both know exactly who has died.  The tavern-knave tells the three brash young men that Death has taken a friend of theirs.  He goes on to warn them that they should be wary of Death because he is such a strong adversary.  The publican goes on to say that Death lives around there and that he might dishonor the young men if they aren't careful. The publican is the one who tells them which village to go to in order to find Death.  The tavern-knave and the publican clearly know more than people would about Death.  Later, when the three men, encounter an old man whom they verbally abuse, he, too, is Death personified.  Death is leading the three young revellers to him and he is successful by taking advantage of their greed.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/canterbury-tales/pardoners-tale-sum...
    http://www.enotes.com/canterbury-tales/themes

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    Posted by luannw on Monday October 12, 2009 at 4:18 AM