John Bowers, "Dronkenesse is Ful of Stryvyng": Alcoholism and Ritual Violence in Chaucer's Pardoner's Tale"

Bowers, John M. “Dronkenesse is Ful of Stryvyng”: Alcoholism and Ritual Violence in Chaucer’s Pardoner’s Tale. ELH, Vol. 57, No. 4. (Winter, 1990), pp.757-784

John M. Bowers explains Chaucer’s Pardoner by suggesting that some – if not all – of the Pardoner’s behavior and characteristics (including his emasculation) may be understood by his apparent alcoholism. The article is divided neatly in sections, each beginning with a line from the text, followed by a number of paragraphs of explication. The article is perhaps at its best when Bowers notes the prevalent attitudes of Chaucer’s time period, and Bowers cites many period texts which may be of research value. Where it seems less strong to me are at the instances in which the article relies heavily on modern theories of psychology and alcoholism, including numerous citations from texts produced by Alcoholics Anonymous. Ultimately, if a reader is able to suspend disbelief at what may seem like anachronistic moments in the argument, I think he or she will be rewarded with an illuminating and novel explanation of the Pardoner.

– Available on JSTOR
Lisa Goetz