Troilus and Criseyde : Summary
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.
Summary
The Epic poem, Troilus and Criseyde, is divided into five separate books. In the first two books, the writer introduces Troilus and persuades Criseyde to fall in love with him. In the third book, the couple celebrates their love. In the fourth book, they are separated. The fifth one sketches their fates while they are apart.
About Trojans and Troilus: The story happens during the siege of Troy. A Trojan soothsayer named Calchas predicts that Troy will soon fall. Fearing this, he flees from the city and goes to the Greek camp, promising his loyalty to the Greeks. He leaves his daughter, Criseyde, behind. The Trojans did not like this and hated her because of her father’s actions. The Trojans worshipped Gods. Even during the war, they did not stop celebrating festivals. In April, when the fields were full of flowers, they held a feast at the temple of Palladium or Pallas Athena. The hero of this poem, Troilus, was a young warrior but indifferent to love. He always made fun of lovers and enjoyed seeing their pain. The God of love, Cupid, did not like this and became angry.
Troilus and Criseyde’s Meeting and Love: On the day of the festival, like everyone else, Troilus went to Palladium. There he saw Calchas’s beautiful daughter, Criseyde. He liked her at first sight and fell in love. He felt he could not live without her. Criseyde’s uncle Pandarus told Troilus to regret for his previous outlook against love and advised him to stay loyal to the God of love. He also helped him write a letter to Criseyde. Meanwhile, Pandarus met his niece and told her about Troilus’s love. He made her happy by saying a knight like Troilus had fallen in love with her. He also said that if she did not love Troilus, both he and Troilus would kill themselves. When Troilus returned from war, Criseyde saw him through a window. She thought about her weak state. She realizes that she needs social security.
To refresh her mind, Criseyde went to the garden with her nieces Flexippe, Tharbe, and Antigone, and listened to Antigone’s love songs. At night in bed, she dreamed that a white eagle was taking her heart from her chest and replacing it with its own. Then they started writing letters. Pandarus helped them in writing letters. He even told them what to write in the letters. Criseyde was a bit indifferent about writing the letter, but her uncle insisted her to write.
Pandarus planned to have the two meet at Deiphobus’s house. He brought Troilus to Deiphobus’s house and advised him to pretend to be sick. Troilus did as promised and met Criseyde for the first time. Pandarus advised him to talk respectfully with Criseyde. Troilus promised he would. Then they started exchanging letters again. One afternoon, Criseyde came to Pandarus’s house, and when it started raining, Pandarus asked her to stay at his house. Troilus secretly watched this. Pandarus took Criseyde to a secret room in his house. Then Troilus met her there. This was the first time they physically united.
Criseyde’s Enter to the Greek Camp: Meanwhile, the Trojans exchanged prisoners because their famous warrior Antenor had been captured by the Greeks. Calchas became very popular in the Greek camp for his future predictions. He contacted King Agamemnon and arranged for his daughter to be brought to the Greek camp in exchange for Antenor. Although Troilus initially vetoed this exchange, thinking of Antenor, he agreed. He consulted with Pandarus. Pandarus advised him to find someone new. But Troilus rejected this idea. Then he advised Troilus to elope with Criseyde. But Troilus told him that since he was a brave warrior, it would not be right for him to do something that would ruin his honor. Troilus and Criseyde met again.
Criseyde reassured him that she did not want to ruin the honor of their love. She would rather betray her father. She promised to run away and return within 10 days. Three years passed since Criseyde went to the Greek camp. After going to the Greek camp, Diomedes took charge of her security. Meanwhile, Pandarus brought Troilus to Sarpedon’s villa. Everyone came there to have fun. Troilus was alone. Troilus spent his days remembering past happiness.
Criseyde’s Love for Diomedes: Meanwhile, Criseyde was looking for security, so she accepted Diomedes’s love proposal.
- Troilus’s dream of a Wild Boar: Meanwhile, when his beloved had not returned, Troilus dreamed that a wild boar was taking his beloved away. He wrote a heart-touching letter to Criseyde in the morning. He asked why she had not returned yet. Then Troilus went to Cassandra to understand the meaning of his dream. Cassandra said the wild boar was Criseyde’s new lover. Troilus could not believe that Criseyde could have a new lover. Then Troilus wrote her more letters. But the reply came in a very brief form. However, she had said she would return.
- Troilus’s Discovering the Brooch: Once a garment of Diomedes fell into the Trojans’ hands. There Troilus found a brooch that he had given to Criseyde. Troilus then lamented. Because he still loved her. And he could understand that Criseyde had betrayed him.
Troilus’s Final Fate: For the first time, Pandarus could not give him any advice. He also felt a lot of pain inside. Troilus wanted to kill Diomedes in battle. They even faced each other on the battlefield, but Troilus could not kill him. And Troilus was eventually killed by Achilles. After his death, Troilus’s soul went up to heaven. From heaven, he laughed at those lovers who were still involved in romantic relationships. The narrator then briefly ends about Troilus and reminds us that human life is very short.