Sacrifice In The Pardoner's Tale

375 Words1 Page

Canterbury/Federigo Essay In “Federigo’s Falcon” by Boccaccio and “The Pardoner’s Tale” by Chaucer the theme is sacrifice although each sacrifice is made for very different reasons. Both stories were told in the 1300s when the plague hit. There were many deaths involved in the plague which leads to many deaths in the stories. Sacrifice may cause death. There is a lot of irony in the sacrifices. The stories are similar in some ways. They both make sacrifices for something they want, in “The Pardoner’s Tale”, they plot to kill their friend “Now look; when he comes back, get up in fun/to have a wrestle; then, as you attack,/I’ll up and put my dagger through his back” (Chaucer 248-250). They sacrificed their friend for money, their greed was stronger than their love for their friend. In “Federigo’s Falcon” Federigo wants to make the best meal for Monna so he searches and sees his falcon “And having discovered, on picking it up, that it was nice and plump, he decided that since he had nowhere else to turn, it would make a worthy dish for such a lady as this” (Boccaccio 163). He sacrificed his last pleasure for the woman he loved. In both stories the sacrifices were ironic because the rioters all ended up dying and Federigo killed what Monna came for. …show more content…

In “The Pardoner’s Tale” the rioters sacrifice for greed, two of them plot to kill the third, one said “Then draw your dagger too and do the same./Then all the money will be ours to spend,” (Chaucer 152-153). They would rather have money than a friend. In “Federigo’s Falcon” Federigo sacrificed for love because “When he heard what it was that she wanted, and realized that he could not oblige her because he had given her the falcon to eat, Federigo burst into tears” (Boccaccio 164). He sacrificed his last pleasure for love. In both stories they make sacrifices but for completely different

Open Document