Ugly, Twisted, Seductive : Art as Hypocrisy :

1. Ugly, Twisted, Seductive: Art as Hypocrisy: The Pardoner’s Prologue and Tale

2. Recap: Back to Blasphemy and the Host as Figures for the Ambiguous Moral Status of the Literary 1. The man who proposes the story-telling competition that is the Tales and who acts as its referee is the Host: the inn-keeper at the Tabard. 2. As an inn-keeper, the Host is a good natural figure for community, since hospitality is his job. 3. But his name, Host, makes him a figure in a second sense, for this is the name given to the “eucharistic” host, the wafer consumed as the body of Christ at Mass. 4. We know this meaning is operating in the Tales because the Host invokes the body of Christ all the time, blasphemously swearing as part of his “I’m a good fellow” act. 5. In other words, the Tales, a poem about a Christian society, makes central use of the society’s central symbol, the host, but in an aggressively non-idealistic way.

3. The Pilgrims Dine at the Tabard Inn Woodcut from William Caxton’s Second Edition of The Canterbury Tales, published in 1483

4. What does the Host/host pun really mean? Simply put, the pun activates our sense of the tension between the ideal (host) and the real (Host). In theory, late medieval English society was Christian. According to St. Paul, Christians are those who share in the body of Christ as members of the Church, which is the body of Christ on earth, so and are sanctified. In practice, though, English society was just people, who compete, steal, fornicate, betray, and so on. They live in/are the “real world,” not an ideal, saintly one. The blaspheming Host/host is an apt metaphor for this.

5. The Mass: The Elevation of the Host “Though we are many we are one body, because we all partake of one bread.” (St. Paul, I Corinthians 12)

6. How serious is blasphemous swearing anyway?“Swearing is expresagayn the comandement of God” (The Parson) In Flaundres whilom was a compaignye Of yonge folk that hauntedenfolye, As riot, hasard, stywes, and tavernes, Where as with harpes, lutes, and gyternes, They daunce and pleyen at deesbothe day and nyght, And eten also and drynken over hirmyght, Thurgh which they doon the develsacrifise Withinne that develes temple, in cursed wise, By superfluyteeabhomynable. Hirothes been so grete and so dampnable That it is grisly for to heere hem swere. (The Pardoner’s Tale)

7. To blaspheme is to tear God’s body in your mouth, says the Pardoner … and the Parson agrees: “For Cristessake, ne swerethnat so synfullyin dismembryngeof Cristby soule, herte, bones, and body.” (The Parson’s Tale) Blasphemy belongs in the tavern: the Devil’s Church, along with drunkenness, gluttony, fornication… …. In other words: when you patronize the Host’s establishment, you might drink too much, eat too much, and flirt too much… … And who really cares? Isn’t that normal behavior? Most of the time? Our swearing Host, then, is Mister Normal, he represents our Everyday Selves. But since he’s also our sacred host, he also represents our Sunday, best selves.

8. Chaucer’s Host according to William Blake

9. Not so the Pardoner! Our professional fundraiser who makes money by offering “pardons” for sins in return for financial contributions – and who looks and behave as odd as can be… With hymther rood a gentilPardoner Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer, That streight was comen fro the court of Rome. Fulloude he soong com hider, love, to me! This Somonour bar to hym a stifburdoun; Was neveretrompe of half so greet a soun. This Pardoner haddeheer as yelow as wex, But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex; By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde, And therwith he his shuldresoverspradde; But thynne it lay, by colponsoon and oon. But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon, For it was trussed up in his walet. Hymthoughte he rood al of the newe jet; Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare. Swicheglarynge eyen hadde he as an hare. ... A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot. No berdhadde he, ne neveresholde have; As smothe it was as it were late shave. I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare. (General Prologue, The Pardoner)

11. The Pardoner is personally strange, dissolute, even queer. But as a religious fund-raiser he comes across very differently: Lordynges, quod he, in chircheswhan I preche, I peyne me to han an hauteynspeche, And rynge it out as round as gooth a belle, For I kan al by rote that I telle. My theme is alweyoon, and evere was -- Radixmalorum est cupiditas. … Thannepeyne I me to strecche forth the nekke, And est and west upon the peple I bekke, As dooth a dowvesittynge on a berne. Mynehandes and my tonge goon so yerne That it is joye to se my bisynesse. (Pardoner’s Prologue)

12. As a fund-raiser, armed with “bulls” of pardon, “relics,” and a patter, the Pardoner is brilliant…. Bulles of popes and of cardynales, Of patriarkes and bishopes I shewe And in Latyn I speke a wordesfewe, To saffron with my predicacioun, And for to stire hem to devocioun. Thanneshewe I forth my longecristal stones, Ycrammedful of cloutes and of bones, -- Relikes been they, as wenen they echoon. … Goode men and wommen, o thyngwarne I yow -- If any wight be in this chirche now That hath doonsynne horrible, that he Dar nat, for shame, of it yshryven be, Or any womman, be she yong or old, That hath ymaadhirhousbondecokewold, Swich folk shal have no power ne no grace To offren to my relikes in this place. And whoso fyndethhym out of swich blame, He wol come up and offre in goddes name, And I assoille him by the auctoritee Which that by bulleygraunted was to me. (Pardoner’s Prologue)

13. But we can already tell the Pardoner is acting. And indeed he boasts as much: By this gaude have I wonne, yeer by yeer, An hundred mark sith I was pardoner. I stondelyk a clerk in my pulpet, And whan the lewedpeple is dounyset, I preche so as ye han herd bifoore, And telle an hundred false japes moore. Of avarice and of swichcursednesse Is al my prechyng, for to make hem free To yevenhir pens, and namely unto me. For myn entente is nat but for to wynne, And nothyng for correccioun of synne. I rekkenevere, whan that they been beryed, Though that hirsoules goon a-blakeberyed! For certes, many a predicacioun Comthoftetyme of yvelentencioun… Thus spitte I out my venym under hewe Of hoolynesse, to semen hooly and trewe. but shortly myn entente I woldevyse -- I preche of no thyng but for coveityse. Therforemy theme is yet, and evere was, Radixmalorum est cupiditas. Thus kan I precheagayn that same vice Which that I use, and that is avarice. (Pardoner’s Prologue)

14. The Pardoner is a Hypocrite:Yet he still claims that his preaching can be effective – that his tale can be “moral”: … Thus kan I precheagayn that same vice Which that I use, and that is avarice. For though myself be a ful vicious man, A moral tale yet I yow tellekan, Which I am wont to preche for to wynne. Now hooldyoure pees! my tale I wolbigynne. Thus the challenge of the Pardoner’s Tale is this: can a “vicious man” tell a “moral tale” for a “vicious” reason and still do good? Is such a tale moral? What work can it do in the world under these circumstances?

15. Be ready for death… Sire, quod this boy, it nedeth never-a-deel; It was me toolder ye cam heer two houres. He was, pardee, an old felawe of youres; And sodeynly he was yslayn to-nyght, Fordronke, as he sat on his bench upright. Thercan a priveetheef men clepethdeeth, That in this contree al the peplesleth, And with his spere he smoot his herteatwo, And wente his weywithoutenwordes mo. He hath a thousand slayn this pestilence. And, maister, er ye come in his presence. Me thynketh that it were necessarie For to be war of swich an adversarie. Beth redy for to meetehymeveremoore; Thus taughte me my dame; I seynamoore.

16. The rioters swear fellowship: a compact to kill Death… Ye, goddesarmes! quod this riotour, Is it swich peril with hym for to meete? I shalhymseke by wey and eek by strete, I make avow to goddesdigne bones! Herkneth, felawes, we thre been al ones; Lat ech of us holde up his hand tiloother, And ech of us bicomenotheres brother. And we wolsleen this false traytourdeeth. He shal be slayn, he that so manyesleeth, By goddesdignitee, er it be nyght! Out they go into the countryside to seek and slay Death. In a field, by a style, they meet, instead, an Old Man, ancient, crippled, and unable to die… Ne deeth, allas! ne wolnathan my lyf Thus walke I, lyk a resteleeskaitif, And on the ground, which is my moodres gate, I knokke with my staf, botheerly and late, And seyeleevemooder, leet me in! Lo how I vanysshe, flessh, and blood, and skyn! Allas! whanshul my bones been at reste? Mooder, with yow wolde I chaunge my cheste That in my chambrelongetyme hath be, Ye, for an heyreclowt to wrappe in me!

17. After they have insulted him, the Old Man tells them how to find Death… Now, sires, quod he, if that yow be so leef To fyndedeeth, turne up this crokedwey, For in that grove I laftehym, by my fey, Under a tree, and there he woleabyde; Noghtfor youre boost he wole him no thynghyde. Se ye that ook? right there ye shalhymfynde. God save yow, that boghteagaynmankynde, And yow amende! thus seyde this olde man; (Adam’s tomb)

18. Determined to keep the gold, the rioters send one of their number, the youngest, into town to get them drinks while they wait. Meanwhile, the other two hatch a DASTARDLY plot… That oon of hem spak thus unto that oother – Thou knowestweltho art my sworen brother; Thy profit wol I telle thee anon. Thou woostwel that ourefelawe is agon. And heere is gold, and that ful greet plentee, That shal departed been among us thre. But nathelees, if I kan shape it so That it departed were among us two, HaddeI natdoon a freendestorn to thee? When their friend returns, one of them will smile and embrace him, while the other STABS him unexpectedly… Little do they know, however, that their “fellow” is hatching a similar plot against them… This one involves RAT POISON… And attelaste the feend, oure enemy, Puttein his thought that he sholdepoysenbeye, With which he myghtesleen his felawestweye;

19. So they all die… horribly, and in their sins Such is the punishment for AVARICE, for the greed that looks only to its own good, that destroys COMMUNITY, that eats away at the self : the love of money that is THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL All in all, you had better give money to the Pardoner, if you want to avoid this terrible sin, and the fate that awaits those who commit it… “And therefore do I preche…”

20. Shocking moments in the Tale 1. The tale reverses the message of one of Jesus’ famous parables: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44) 2. The tale parodies the Last Supper and the Mass that Commemorates it. The Rioters “drink to their own damnation” For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.… For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (I Corinthians 11)

21. The Pardoner Goes Too Far… But, sires, o word forgat I in my tale -- I have relikes and pardoun in my male, As faire as any man in Engelond. Whichewere me yeven by the popes hond. If any of yow wole, of devocion, Offren, and hanmynabsolucion, Com forth anon, and knelethheereadoun, And mekelyreceyveth my pardoun … I rede that ourehoostheereshalbigynne, For he is moostenvoluped in synne. Com forth, sire hoost, and offre first anon, And thou shaltkisse the relikeseverychon, Ye, for a grote! unbokele anon thy purs. Nay, nay! quod he, thanne have I Cristescurs! Lat be, quod he, it shalnat be, so theech! Thou woldest make me kissethynolde breech, And swere it were a relyk of a seint, Though it were with thy fundementdepeint! But, by the croys which that seintEleynefond, I wolde I hadde thy coillons in mynhond In stide of relikes or osseintuarie. Lat kutte hem of, I wol thee helpe hem carie; They shul be shryned in an hoggestoord!

22. The Knight has to intervene to save the situation…. This pardoner answerdenat a word; So wrooth he was, no word ne wolde he seye. now, quod ourehoost, I wol no lengerpleye With thee, ne with noon oother angry man. But right anon the worthy knyghtbigan, Whanthat he saugh that al the peplelough, Namooreof this, for it is right ynough! Sire pardoner, be glad and myrie of cheere; And ye, sire hoost, that been to me so deere, I prey yow that ye kisse the pardoner. And pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer, And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye. Anon they kiste, and ryden forth hirweye.

23. The Pardoner and the Host If the Host represents a spectrum then, within which the Tales can be told, in all their variety – from holy tales to historical tales to melodramatic tales to frankly rude tales to problematic tales… … the Pardoner represents something more complicated A hypocrite – someone who feigns, makes up, pretends – an Artist – the Pardoner shows how stories, literature, art may not build community but may threaten to destroy it. The Canterbury Tales, through the Pardoner and others, is alive to the destructive potential of story-telling.