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The Canterbury Tales

by Geoffrey Chaucer

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Student Question

In "The Pardoner's Tale," how did the youngest man plan to kill the other two?

Quick answer:

The youngest man in "The Pardoner's Tale" planned to kill the other two by poisoning the wine. While he was sent to town to fetch food and drink, the other two plotted to kill him to avoid sharing the gold. However, the youngest bought poison to add to the wine, intending to kill them. Ultimately, all three men died due to their greed, illustrating the tale's moral.

Expert Answers

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If you remember, the whole point of this tale is supposed to be that greed is a bad thing.  What happens with the three men really shows this.

The three men have found all this gold.  The youngest has been sent back into town to get them some food and drink.  While he's gone, the other two plot to kill him so they won't have to share the gold.

But the youngest man has his own plan.  He buys poison and puts it in the wine.  They kill him, drink the wine, and die.  All three are dead because of greed.

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