Canturbury Tales: Situational Irony in the Pardoner’s Story

Situational Irony in The Pardoner’s Story In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer the Pardoner’s activities of deceitfulness and insatiability are prime instances of situational incongruity. Situational incongruity is when a person or thing does something contrary to what is normal. ‘In church he was an honorable ecclesiast’ (Chaucer 141) The Pardoner is as far as anyone knows a righteous man, yet he doesn't act like it. He is discourteous and even untrustworthy. Be that as it may, he puts on a show of being exemplary by recounting to scriptural stories and lecturing. By being fraudulent and voracious the Pardoner is the ideal case of situational incongruity. To start, the Pardoner shows situational incongruity by being deceptive. He takes from the congregation continually. ‘†¦with others I have influence to win them from it, I can carry them to repent†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chaucer 151) Basically, he goes about as a sales rep by convincing individuals to purchase more absolves, and afterward saves the cash for himself. He utilizes his ability of thinking and reacting quickly and concocting incredible scriptural stories to acquire cash, ‘A country person mind cherishes accounts of old, being the caring it can rehash and hold†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chaucer 152) He persuades individuals the things they have done are more regrettable than they are, hence they are conned into giving him more cash, which he saves for himself. As unexpected all things considered to see the Pardoner be untrustworthy, it is considerably progressively amusing how covetous is. Like referenced before he makes his living off of selling pardons, even acquits against eagerness, yet he is voracious himself. He concedes he’ll follow anybody for cash. ‘I intend to have money†¦though it were given to me by the most unfortunate lad†¦ ’ (Chaucer 152) He confesses to lecturing simply because he needs cash saying, ‘A work. I don't lecture in vain†¦I intend to have money†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chaucer 152) It is likewise extremely clear that the Pardoner is sufficiently voracious to take from the assortment containers in chapel, ‘But best of all he sang an Offertory†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chaucer 141) This infers he takes the cash from that point too. Taking everything into account, the Pardoner in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is a living case of situational incongruity. He is unscrupulous and eager. Rather than carrying out his responsibilities to the congregation and helping other people with sins, he exploits peoples’ blame and pockets the cash. He couldn't care less about the congregation and even admits disliking work, ‘†¦Let me lecture and ask from kirk to kirk and never work superbly of work†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chaucer 152) This fair summarizes the situational incongruity of the Pardoner. He seems, by all accounts, to be a godly man helping individuals exculpate there sins, yet amusingly he is deceptive and avaricious.