The Pardoner - Pardoners
granted papal indulgencesreprieves from penance in exchange for
charitable donations to the Church. Many pardoners, including this
one, collected profits for themselves. In fact, Chaucer's Pardoner
excels in fraud, carrying a bag full of fake relicsfor example,
he claims to have the veil of the Virgin Mary. The Pardoner has
long, greasy, yellow hair and is beardless. These characteristics
were associated with shiftiness and gender ambiguity in Chaucer's
time. The Pardoner also a gift for singing and preaching whenever
he finds himself inside a church.