Plot & Events
What do the three rioters originally set out to find?
Death
How many rioters are there?
Three
What is ironic about the rioters' search for Death?
They go looking and ultimately cause their own deaths
What is the Pardoner's main sermon message?
"Greed is the root of all evil"
What do the rioters find underneath the oak tree instead of death?
A large pile of gold
What does the old man say he wants but cannot recieve?
Death
What major theme is shown when all three rioters secretly plan against one another?
Betrayal
What does the Pardoner admit is his real reason for preaching?
To make money
Why do the rioters decide to wait until nighttime to move the gold?
They're afraid people will think they stole it/Being punished
Why do the two rioters at the tree decide to kill the youngest?
So they can divide the gold between two instead of three
Why is finding gold instead of Death ironic?
The gold becomes the thing that eventually leads them to death
What makes the Pardoner a hypocrite?
He condemns greed while admitting that he himself is greedy
Why is the youngest rioter sent to town?
To bring back food and wine while the other two guard the gold
Why does the youngest rioter buy poison?
He plans to keep all the gold for himself
What makes the youngest rioters plan especially ironic?
He poisons the wine to kill his friends, but they kill him before he can benefit from his plan
What does the Pardoner do immediately after telling a story warning others of the harm of greed?
He tries to get the listeners to pay for pardons and relics
How do all three rioters eventually die
The two older rioters kill the youngest, then drink the poisoned wine he brought back and also perish
What contradiction exists between the rioters' promise and their later actions?
They promise to treat one another like brothers, but later all three secretly plan to betray and kill each other
Why is the oak tree important symbolically?
Its where the rioters expect to find Death but instead find the gold that leads to their deaths
The host