Evaluate The Ingredients of Romance in Troilus and Criseyde.

Answer

Evaluate the ingredients of romance in “Troilus and Criseyde”. [2020, 2018, 2015] ✪✪✪

Geoffrey Chaucer’s (1340-1400) “Troilus and Criseyde” (1385) is one of the finest love stories in English literature. It is a romantic tale full of love, beauty, joy, sorrow, and tragedy. Set in ancient Troy, it tells how Troilus. He is the brave son of King Priam. He falls in love with the lovely widow Criseyde. The poem mixes passion, fate, and betrayal in a moving way.

Love at First Sight: The story begins in Troy, during the festival of Palladion. Prince Troilus walks proudly through the temple. He first laughs at lovers. He mocks others and says, 

“O verrey foles! nyce and blinde be ye.”

(Oh, truly foolish people! You are silly and blind in love.)

Cupid, the god of love, did not like it. He shoots a love arrow in Troilus’s heart. So, inside the Temple of Palladion, he sees Criseyde and falls in love. She is a young widow. She stands quietly in a black widow’s dress. In Troilus’s eyes, Criseyde is now,

“So aungellyk was hir natyf beautee.”

(Her natural beauty was so angel-like.)

He forgets his pride and becomes a true lover. His heart burns with desire, and from that moment, his life changes completely. It is the perfect example of love at first sight, sudden, deep, and full of emotion.

Secret Meetings: With the help of Pandarus, Criseyde’s uncle, the two lovers start meeting in secret. Their love grows in quiet rooms and hidden corners. Pandarus arranges everything: the letters, the visits, and the secret nights. These secret meetings make their love more romantic and dangerous. Their love hides from the eyes of Troy but blooms like a flower in the dark. 

Help from Friends: No love story in the Middle Ages is complete without a middleman. Here, Pandarus plays that role. He is the heart of their romance. He