The Canterbury Tales
What is the relationship between the summoner and the pardoner?
The General prologue says they are "of the same feather". What does that mean?
The General prologue says they are "of the same feather". What does that mean?
The comparison is relatively clear when we consider Chaucer's perception of the medieval church. Chaucer believed the church was very corrupt, and thus his portrayal of the majority of the religious people on the trip is negative. The pardoner and the summoner are both doing work for the church that is basically fraudulent. They sell fake relics, summon people to church courts which will not give a fair judgment. The summoner appears to be dirty (hair hanging in hanks) and perhaps even "gay" with Chaucer's line "I judge he was a gelding or a mare." He even scares children.