Humanity's ability to act foolish, a theme in "The Pardoner's Tale" from Chaucer's "The Canterbury tales"

"The root of all evil is money." Because this phrase has been repeated so many times throughout history, one can fail to realize the truth in this timeless statement. Whether applied to the corrupt clergy of Geoffrey Chaucer's time, selling indulgences, or the corrupt televangelists of today, auctioning off salvation to those who can afford it, this truth never seems to lose its validity. In Chaucer's famous work The Canterbury Tales, he points out many …

…He shows in several ways that money is indeed the root of evil. In addition to the obvious message of "The Pardoner's Tale", Chaucer also paints a vivid picture of the Pardoner's character and uses this to further reinforce his point. By examining both "The Pardoner's Tale" and the Pardoner himself, it isn't hard to see that the statement continues to ring true just as it did 500 years ago: The root of evil is money.