Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to reassess the role of the Old Man in the Pardoner's Tale. I shall first present an overview of previous interpretations of the Old Man, then I shall focus on the imagery of Mother Earth and the issues surrounding suicide in the Middle Ages. This will include consideration of the Judas and Gregorius legends, and the theology of sin and redemption. I shall conclude by demonstrating the relationship between the Old Man and the Pardoner himself, locating the meaning of the Old Man within the context of the Tale.
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