The Pardoner's Tale characters

Appears from the start

A church official traveling with the Canterbury pilgrims who openly explains how he makes money by preaching against greed while displaying false relics. He admits that profit, not moral reform, motivates him, then tells an example about the destructive power of avarice.

Appears from the start

The leader of the pilgrimage party, who asks the Pardoner for a tale with a moral lesson. He listens to the Pardoner's account of his methods before hearing the tale itself.

First appears in chapter 2

Three unnamed young men whose lives center on drinking, gambling, swearing, and excess. On hearing that a companion has died, they make a reckless oath to seek out and kill Death.

First appears in chapter 2

A child serving in the tavern who identifies the passing funeral as that of one of the rioters' companions. He reports that many people in the district have recently died and attributes the deaths to a figure called Death.

First appears in chapter 2

An aged wanderer whom the three rioters meet on the road. He says that he longs to die but cannot find anyone willing to exchange youth for his age, and he directs the men toward an oak where he says they will find Death.

First appears in chapter 2

A drug seller in a nearby town from whom the youngest rioter requests a powerful poison, claiming that he needs to kill vermin. The apothecary supplies a substance potent enough to cause rapid death.

First appears in chapter 2

A fellow pilgrim who intervenes after the Pardoner and the Host exchange angry words following the tale. He restores peace between them and allows the company to continue its journey.