The Three Rioters In The Pardoner's Tale

The three rioters, an old man, and Death himself were some of the main characters in the Pardoner’s tale. The three rioters were witnesses to a funeral knell which took place while the threesome was drinking at a tavern. One of these young men was informed that the corpse that was being carried was one of their companions, the readers are unsure about this statement because these young flemish men were described as drunk by the Pardoner. The old man instructed the flemish rioters on where they can find Death whom they blame for the murder of the body in the coffin. From one perspective, the old man represents the potential evil within an individual. Because of his old age, the elder prayed for Death to take him and has been waiting for Death to come by ever since. However, the old man was willing enough to risk his chances with Death by leading the rioters to find Death. Though the readers never actually meet Death, one could determine that Death

He then launches into a long tangent of how gluttony and drunkenness are the roots of all sin. He then continues to tell of three drunkards in a tavern, who looked outside on a funeral knell to see a corpse being carried down the street. One of them sends a slave to see who the corpse was only to find out that he was an old companion of his whose heart was smashed by a stealthy thief named Death. The three drunkards became rioters as they decide to avenge their dead companion by destroying Death. After walking for about half a mile, the threesome ran into a pitiful old man who had been waiting for Death to come to take his heart. One of the rioters rudely demanded from the old man for information on where to find Death. Politely. the old man told the threesome that Death could be found up a crooked path, underneath an oak