Read this excerpt from "The Pardoner's Tale." in which the old man is speaking to the rioters.
"Well, sirs, he said, "if it be your design/to find out Death,turn up this crooked way/Towards that grave,I left him there today/Under a tree, and there you will find him waiting."
What is he doing by telling them something that he himself knows is not true?
A: He is trying to get them to find Death, so they will die.***
B:He is encouraging them to drive Death from the region.
C:He is mocking their belief that Death is a literal person.
D:He is trying to keep them from learning that they are already dead.
Is A correct?
I agree with Reed that none of these answer choices are terrific.
The only one I'd choose, though, is C -- and that's because the others are so "off the wall"!
Fair enough. Those are the choices given. Thank you!
No, A is not correct. The old man is not trying to get the rioters to find Death so they will die. To determine the correct answer, let's closely examine the excerpt and the possible options:
The excerpt from "The Pardoner's Tale" features the old man speaking to the rioters, suggesting a location where they can find Death. However, the key to understanding the old man's action lies in the context and the overall theme of the tale.
In "The Pardoner's Tale," the overarching theme is the destructive nature of greed and the consequences it brings. The rioters themselves are driven by a desire for wealth and revenge. They encounter the old man on their journey and ask him why he is still alive despite his old age. In response, the old man reveals his desire to find Death and end his life, expressing a weariness with the world.
When the old man mentions the location of Death, he arguably does not believe his own words are true. Instead, he is mocking the rioters' belief that Death is a literal person that can be found in a specific location. The old man understands that Death is unavoidable for everyone, and he is essentially trying to teach the rioters a lesson about the futility of their pursuit.
Therefore, the correct answer is C: He is mocking their belief that Death is a literal person.