The Pardoner seems to be the most contentious character in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales for many reasons. His job as a pardoner is to grant written absolution from sin to people who ask for forgiveness. In exchange for the absolution the people would make a donation to the Church through the Pardoner, who would often pocket the money. This profession was seen as an unsavory one in medieval Europe, as churchmen questioned the legitimacy of simply "paying off" the church for absolution from sins.
             In his Prologue, the Pardoner tells us that the main theme of his preaching is "Greed is the root of all evil," and his tale shows the terrible consequences of greed. He also reveals in his Prologue that he, himself, is a greedy individual, which is the very sin that he preaches against so that people will give him money. This outrageous hypocrisy becomes apparent throughout his tale, as he admits not only to being greedy, but also to gluttony, drunkenness, gambling and swearing. Even more outrageous than his blatant hypocrisy is the persistent pride he takes in his immorality.
             As the Pardoner finishes his tale, he displays false relics and asks for contributions from the pilgrims, just like he would at the completion of his sermon, as if he never exposed the deceitfulness of his operation to them. It's as if the Pardoner was challenging himself to convince the others into believing his tale, even though he knows they are aware of his corrupt disposition. The pardoner's attempt to sell indulgences to the pilgrims causes bitterness, as he violates the notion of fellowship on which the pilgrimage is based. The Pardoner insults his fellow pilgrims by preaching of the sins that they are reluctant to admit to, and at the same time he insults the story-telling game that they are playing.
             Overall, the Pardoner is comparable to a present-day con artist. He tells pe
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