Throughout “The Pardoner’s Tale,” many archetypal elements, such as ‘pairs of three, a test of morals, a mysterious guide, and a just ending’ characterize the exemplum. In regards to these elements, a key character in this tale is the old man, who clearly acts as “the mysterious guide” and leads the three rioters to their unforeseen death, adding to the allegory. In fact, the true identity of this old man is often debated. Accordingly, some readers may assume that the old man is a spy for Death, as suggested by the rioters in lines 177-180. On the other hand, some may believe that the old man is simply an innocent bystander due to the fact that the rioters heckle him after he “humbly” greeted them (lines 134-139). However, despite these two
