Pardoner's Tale Irony

1359 Words3 Pages

Brandon Quarterman
Mrs. Thomas
English IV
24 October 2016
Dramatic and Situational Irony throughout The Canterbury Tales

Have you ever been in a situation and believed you know the end result of the situation? However, the complete opposite of what you believed would happen occurs instead. This technique of writing is called the use of situational and dramatic irony. This writing style is used both today and in the medieval periods by many writers. One story in the medieval times that used this style of writing is The Canterbury Tales. The Author Geoffrey Chaucer uses The Canterbury Tales to show many examples of situational and dramatic irony throughout the tales of "The Pardoner", "The Knight", and "The Miller's". The first tale that …show more content…

This tale starts with three friends searching for this man named Death. "There came a stealthy thief that's known as Death,Throughout this country robbing folks of breath." (The Pardoner's Tale,Line 675-676) This is the first existence of Chaucer using dramatic irony in this tale. This is dramatic irony because the reader knows that death is not a person however the three friends don't know this. As you continue in the tale the three friends find treasure behind a tree. They send the youngest one to get food and wine and this is where Chaucer uses situational irony. One of the older friends said "You know that we are two, And two of us are stronger than is one. As soon as he sits down, as if for fun Arise as though you'd have with him some play, Then in both sides I'll stab him right away While you and he are struggling as in a game.And with your dagger see you do the same.Then all this gold, dear friend, when we are through Shall be divided up twixt me and you."(The Pardoner's Tale, Lines 824-832) Chaucer uses this irony to show the reader that the two older friends will have all the money to themselves and live a happy life. While out for the food and wine the youngest thinks "If only that I might have all this treasure for myself alone!"(The Pardoner's Tale, Lines 840-841) He comes up with the plan to poison the 2 oldest friends and take the all the money for himself. This is Chaucer using dramatic irony because the reader knows that the two friends plan to kill him and take the money. These are just some example of how Chaucer uses situational and dramatic irony in "The Pardoner's

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