What’s the falling action in The Pardoner’s Tale?
You’ve just finished the grim chase through the forest, the three “gold‑loving” men dead‑ended by their own greed. The story doesn’t just stop at the corpse‑covered road. There’s a whole slice of the narrative that eases the tension, shows the moral swing, and leaves the reader with that uneasy “so‑what?” feeling. That slice is the falling action, and it’s where Chaucer quietly ties the knot Which is the point..
What Is the Falling Action in The Pardoner’s Tale
In plain English, the falling action is the part of a story that comes right after the climax—the big, head‑bang moment—and before the final resolution. Think of it as the “cool‑down” period. The tension that built up during the climax starts to unwind, the consequences of the characters’ choices become clear, and the narrative slides toward its closing note.
This is where a lot of people lose the thread.
In The Pardoner’s Tale, the climax is unmistakable: the three rioters each meet a gruesome death, their gold turned to blood. The falling action begins the moment the bodies lie on the road and the Pardoner, still holding his relics and his “miracle” parchment, steps back onto the scene. He’s about to deliver his sermon, and the audience (both the pilgrims in the frame story and us, the modern reader) gets a chance to hear the moral that the Pardoner has been selling all along.
Why It Matters / Why People Care
Why bother dissecting that middle‑section? Consider this: without it, the story feels like a brutal punchline with no punch. Because the falling action does the heavy lifting of the tale’s moral engine. The Pardoner’s sermon—“Radix malorum est cupiditas” (the love of money is the root of all evil)—is the bridge between the gruesome plot and the larger commentary on greed, corruption, and the Church Turns out it matters..
Readers often skim past the falling action, assuming the climax is the whole point. But that’s where most of Chaucer’s satire slips in. The Pardoner, a self‑profiting church official, uses the very deaths he staged to hawk his relics. But the falling action shows his hypocrisy in full view, turning a simple morality tale into a biting critique of medieval religious fraud. In practice, that’s the part that makes the story stick in your head long after you close the book.
How It Works (Step‑by‑Step)
1. The Aftermath of the Murder
The three men—the younger, the middle, and the older—have each been killed by the same weapon: a single axe. Now, their bodies lie scattered, the gold they coveted now stained with blood. Chaucer doesn’t linger on graphic detail; he simply notes the silence that follows. This quiet is intentional. It gives the reader space to absorb the cost of the characters’ avarice Worth keeping that in mind. Practical, not theoretical..
2. The Pardoner’s Re‑Entry
The Pardoner, who has been narrating the tale to the other pilgrims, steps back into the scene with his usual swagger. He holds up the “relics”—a piece of the true cross, a saint’s bone, and a fragment of a saint’s hair—pretending they have miraculous powers. The irony is thick: he’s about to preach about greed while clutching the very objects he sells to fund his own greed.
3. The Sermon: Moral Meets Manipulation
Here’s where the falling action really shines. He points out that the three men’s deaths are the direct result of their lust for gold, echoing his own opening claim: “Radix malorum est cupiditas.The Pardoner launches into a sermon that mirrors the story he just told. ” He then pivots, urging the listeners to buy his relics to avoid the same fate. The sermon is both a moral lesson and a sales pitch—an unsettling blend that showcases Chaucer’s critique of religious profiteering.
4. The Pilgrims’ Reaction
The other pilgrims listen, some with skepticism, others with genuine fear. On the flip side, their reactions give us a glimpse of medieval attitudes toward preaching and relics. The falling action lets us see the audience’s internal conflict: they recognize the truth in the Pardon's words but are also aware of his corrupt motives. This tension keeps the story alive beyond the deaths on the road Not complicated — just consistent..
5. The Closing Hook
Finally, the Pardoner wraps up his tale with a warning: “If you love gold, you’ll end up like those three men.” He then offers his relics for sale, hoping to profit from the very lesson he just taught. The falling action ends on that uneasy note, leaving the reader to wonder whether the audience will be swayed or will see through the charlatan’s game Less friction, more output..
Common Mistakes / What Most People Get Wrong
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Calling the sermon the climax – Many readers think the Pardoner’s speech is the story’s high point because it’s loud and dramatic. In reality, the climax is the moment the three men die. The sermon is the falling action that follows.
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Skipping the falling action entirely – Some study guides jump straight from the deaths to the moral conclusion, ignoring the transitional steps. That’s a mistake because the falling action shows how the moral is applied to the characters and to the audience.
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Treating the Pardoner’s sermon as pure preaching – It’s easy to see the sermon as a straightforward moral lesson. The truth is, it’s a self‑servicing sales pitch. Overlooking that dual purpose blunts Chaucer’s satire Practical, not theoretical..
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Assuming the falling action is “just filler” – Because it’s less action‑packed, readers sometimes dismiss it as filler. In fact, it’s the narrative glue that binds the plot to the theme, giving the tale its lasting bite It's one of those things that adds up. That alone is useful..
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Missing the irony of the relics – The relics are never truly miraculous; they’re props. Ignoring that they’re part of the Pardon's scheme misses the full picture of his hypocrisy No workaround needed..
Practical Tips / What Actually Works
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Read the tale aloud – Hearing the cadence of the Pardoner’s speech helps you spot the shift from story to sermon. You’ll notice the tonal change that marks the falling action.
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Map the structure – Draw a simple three‑part diagram: (1) Setup (the old man’s warning), (2) Climax (the murders), (3) Falling action (the sermon and sales pitch). Seeing it visually clarifies why the falling action matters And that's really what it comes down to..
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Focus on the audience – When you re‑read the falling action, pay attention to the pilgrims’ reactions. Their doubts and fears are the real “response” to the moral, and they give the passage its emotional weight Took long enough..
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Spot the satire – Highlight any line where the Pardoner’s words conflict with his actions. Those contradictions are Chaucer’s way of exposing medieval church corruption.
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Connect to modern equivalents – Think about modern “preachers” who sell miracle cures or get‑rich‑quick schemes. Drawing that line helps you appreciate why the falling action still feels relevant But it adds up..
FAQ
Q: Is the falling action the same as the resolution?
A: Not exactly. The falling action is the bridge that leads from the climax to the resolution. In The Pardoner’s Tale, the resolution is the Pardoner’s final offer to sell relics, while the falling action is his sermon that explains why the gold‑loving men died Worth knowing..
Q: Does the Pardoner’s sermon count as part of the falling action or the climax?
A: It’s part of the falling action. The climax is the moment the three men are killed. The sermon follows that event, unpacking its meaning.
Q: Why does Chaucer include the falling action at all?
A: To let the moral sink in and to expose the Pardoner’s hypocrisy. Without it, the story would feel abrupt and the satire would be muted And that's really what it comes down to. Less friction, more output..
Q: How does the falling action affect the overall theme of The Canterbury Tales?
A: It reinforces the collection’s recurring critique of greed and false piety. By showing a corrupt church official preaching his own moral while profiting, Chaucer adds another layer to the tapestry of medieval society he’s painting Less friction, more output..
Q: Can the falling action be used to compare the Pardoner to other characters in The Canterbury Tales?
A: Absolutely. Look at the Miller’s bawdy tale or the Wife of Bath’s prologue—both have their own “cool‑down” moments where the narrator steps back and reflects. Comparing those moments highlights each storyteller’s agenda.
The short version is this: the falling action in The Pardoner’s Tale is the sermon‑turned‑sales‑pitch that follows the three men’s bloody end. It’s the part where Chaucer lets the moral breathe, shows the Pardoner’s double‑talk, and leaves the pilgrims (and us) to wrestle with the uneasy truth that the very person warning against greed is the one who profits most from it.
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So next time you revisit the tale, linger on that quiet stretch after the climax. You’ll find the real punchline hidden in the Pardoner’s whisper, not his sword Took long enough..
