The Pardoner's Tale

“The Pardoner’s Tale” and the Importance of the Relics
One thing everyone can agree on about the pardoner in “The Pardoner’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer is that he is a confusing and complex character. However, a point made by Robyn Malo in his article “The Pardoner’s Relics and Why They Matter The Most” states that during the Pardoner’s introduction in the prologue, it is the relics he carries that the audience should be focused on. Eight lines in the Pardoner’s introduction are dedicated to describing his relics and is even called to attention by the man himself. According to Malo, “the amount of space allocated to relics clearly shows their importance to Chaucer’s conception of the Pardoner.” The author argues that even though the Pardoner’s character qualities are vital to understanding him, so are the relics he sells. The author’s main point is that one must study relics, their devotional practices, and, most importantly, understand occupations associated with them (relic custodians) to enhance the understanding and get a full grip on who the Pardoner is.
Malo, and other critical analyzers of this tale, believe

They show the reader that this person will sell fake magical healers and bones just to make a profit. He uses people’s weaknesses, the need to be accepted by God, in order to boost his social standing and live comfortably, just like many other members of the church at that time. However, that is as far as the real importance of those relics go. The audience already knows about the Pardoner’s sexuality due to the part where it says he is “geldyng or a mare.” This article is a prime example on how people read too much into literary works and completely butcher the true meaning or find meaning in things where there was not any. It is like when a person is in a pitch dark room. If one looks long enough, their brain is bound to see something, even when there is not anything