Answer:
C. By revealing the clergy's vindictive abuse of power.
Explanation:
Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" is a collection of tales told by the pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. These tales were told by different personalities ranging from a nun, knight, a cook, a squire, and even a pardoner.
The given excerpt is from the Prologue to The Pardoner's Tale where the author uses satire to criticize preachers and holy men. The pardoner reveals that he "spit out venom, under guise Of piety, and seem sincerely pious." Moreover, by saying "That's how I deal with people who annoy us;" the pardoner seemed to refer to the practice of holy men in criticizing others who criticize them, in the guise of holy teaching.
Thus, the correct answer is option C.
