Question

What does the the rioters' response to the description of death tell you about their characters?

Answer 1

They are not afraid of death

Answer 2

What does the rioters’ response to the description of Death tell you about their characters? The rioters show how foolish/arrogant they are when they decide to “kill” Death. The rioter's response to the description of Death tells us that their character wants to get revenge for the deaths of the townsfolk and his friend. They will also fight death in the name of Jesus (and will give their lives for the mission). The rioters' response means that they are prepared for death. The rioters say that they are going to take down death. They seek death on the road/streets and think they can defeat it.

The Pardoner’s Tale is one of the 24 stories in The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. It is about three drunk rioters wanting revenge with death, but end up killing each other for greed (a reminder that death is inevitable). Death is personified as a thief who pierces the heart of his victims.