Consider Chaucer’s ‘Troilus and Criseyde’ as a Poem of County Love Tradition.
Troilus and Criseyde is a notable literary work by Geoffrey Chaucer. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Troilus and Criseyde.
Answer
Consider Chaucer’s ‘Troilus and Criseyde’ as a poem of county love tradition.
Courtly love was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing various deeds or services for ladies because of their “Courtly Love.” “Troilus and Criseyde” (1385) is a luminous example of Courtly love by the father of English poetry, Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-1400). Before focusing on Troilus and Criseyde’s courtly love, we will focus on its origins and rules. It will help us discover the courtly love in “Troilus and Criseyde” and provide us with its whole conception.
The Definition of Courtly Love: Courtly love is a tradition in Western European literature between the 12th and the 14th centuries. It idealizes the love between a knight and a noblewoman, usually a married lady.
Origination of Courtly Love: Courtly love is the theme of comprehensive literature that originated in the late 11th century. Andreas Capellanus is the inventor of Courtly Love. Later, the Troubadour poets in France started writing poems that applied the theme of courtly love. Soon, this theme of poetry became much more popular. So, it spread throughout Europe.
Rules of Courtly Love:
- Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.
- Who is not jealous cannot love.
- One can be bound by a double love.
- Love may increase or decrease.
- Boys do not love until they arrive at the age of maturity.
Troilus and Criseyde as a Poem of Courtly Love: The poem ‘Troilus and Criseyde’ deals with the theme of Courtly love. But it tends to the earlier French poetry of Boccaccio. “Troilus and Criseyde” was written in the 14th century. Chaucer writes the poem with certain modifications. He never strictly followed the rules of 11th-century Courtly love. He modified the poem towards sensibility.
Marriage is no Real Excuse for not Loving: Troilus is an unmarried young TrojanUnlock this study guide now