Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer - Essay Example

Troilus and Criseyde Troilus and Criseyde is one of the acclaimed poems of all times. The manner in which it brings out the various aspects of literature portrays a rather clear and decisive manner in which to view literature. Geoffrey Chaucer is one of the greatest literature artists in history and thus the flow and the characterization in the poem brings this out rather vividly. The story line involves the tale of two lovers in a period when the world was facing some of the vast and inhumane characters. The manner in which the story unfolds brings out very many different themes and for the story to appear less illusive, it is clear to understand the setting. The setting of the story is the most important aspect as it determines the perception the readers get. Being set in Troy is very important as it shows two completely different phenomena playing out in one field – the field of war. The most common notion that people have upon the mention of the term “Troy” is war. Troy was a town that was located in contemporary Turkey. The Trojan War is associated with this city from the fact that it took place there. This war is most famous due to the fact that many Greeks died in it as they waged war against the city of Troy. The war had an origin from the quarrels between many of the Greek goddesses in the ancient days. The love poem, Troilus and Criseyde, was set in Troy and has the storyline mentioning various aspects of the war. The fact that there was the combination of the aspect of war and the opposite theme of love in the same poem brings out the various emotions and characteristics in a rather concise manner. From the plot of the story, Criseyde is described as the daughter of a seer. However, further explanation reveals the fact that this young woman lives alone from the fact that the father abandons her and turns against his own kind to go and support the Greeks (Chaucer 95). This aspect of war brings in the theme of betrayal clearly. The fact that the father goes and leaves the daughter alone shows negligence to the community and had the plot not been set describing the war, there would have been no sides to choose from and thus the two important themes of negligence and betrayal would have remained flat. Having been set in Troy, the atmosphere was always that of war and thus the people did not actually pay attention to other activities that were going on and some individual behavior went on unnoticed. The best description of this is from the manner in which Criseyde simply falls in love. At her age, she was supposed to have someone to guide her through all the activities that she carried out and assist her in her personal life involving emotions and related characteristics. Everyone was so busy engaged in war, so as the men were out in the fields fighting, the women were busy preparing healthy meals for their husbands where they would take it to them at war. This left the young woman to fall for her desires and as explained, she saw Troilus and never felt that much desire before – desire that made her fall in love with the person. She had no explanation of her feelings and due to the fact that the war took away all the attention, she had no-one to guide her except her uncle who did not assist as much as expected. The aspect of war is also influential in the setting as it describes the manner in which love can be affected by social factors. This comes out clearly from the explanation that the two young people fell in love in a manner that none of them could describe. They grew loving each other more each day. Their love was enhanced by the many times that Criseyde’s uncle, Pandurus, made praises of her to Troilus. This made Troilus treasure Criseyde more. However, their love and affection cut short or rather was reduced by the fact that the war made them prisoners of war. This separated them as they were exchanged between different communities (Chaucer 131). The fact that the plot is described in a war setting brings out the aspect of redemption clearly. This is described from the manner that Calchas, Criseyde’s father, comes to her rescue after learning of her becoming a prisoner of war. Calchas knows the fact that Troy was about to get destroyed and that many people would get killed. He had inquired this intelligence from the fact that he was working with the Greeks opposing his own land. Moreover, the atmosphere of the war started with Troy seemingly strong but as it continued, the Greeks had an upper hand and it was sure that they would win the war. Redemption in collaboration with parental love is well portrayed from the setting being a war zone. This is from the point where Calchas asks the Greeks to carry out an exchange where Criseyde would get traded for Antenor, another prisoner. This step was bound to ensure that her daughter was safe from bearing the risk of Troy being destroyed. His redemption was so strong and the guilt inside him could not allow him to sit back and watch as the city where his daughter was dwelling as a prisoner was destroyed, killing her in the course. The setting of a war zone is also clear to describe the notion of love fading. Upon her father forcing the exchange that saw Criseyde taken to the Greek side and separated from her soul mate, Troilus, she makes a promise to him. She promised to do this once the war was over or rather there was less tension between the two opposing sides, she could get back to him and they could have the life that they had dreamt. Despite the great anticipation that they both had of a future together, Criseyde’s father knew very well that once his daughter had crossed over to his side, she did not have any hopes of hooking up again with Troilus. However, the two young people in love did not acknowledge this and continued anticipating their reunion. However, the ten days that she had promised him fade without any ray of hope of her father letting her back to Troilus. This theme clearly comes out from the fact that the setting was that of a war area. Had the place been peaceful, the separation of these lovers could not have happened and thus the theme could not have come out clearly. In the poem, the distance between the two leads to them having separate lives and thus they eventually fall out of love (Chaucer 157) The theme of revenge comes out clearly in the war field. The fact that Criseyde fell out of love with Troilus gets him heartbroken and this leads him to wanting revenge upon the man that separated them. In this case, the revenge is not against Criseyde’s father but against one of the top generals in the Greek army, Deiphobus. Troilus is hurt so much by the separation that he uses the war arena as a reputable field to carry out his actions. He goes into war clearly psyched and with the ambition of killing the general. By doing this, he hopes that he could assist his side in winning the war and thus in recovering his lost love and then living the life that they anticipated. Despite the great charisma that Troilus displays, his anger leads him to risky places in Troy where he finds himself surrounded by the opposing army. This leads to his dying from attacks by the Greeks. Upon learning of his death, Criseyde is overcome by emotions despite the fact that she had completely fallen out of love with the person. However, she gets over him as the war continues. The fact that the setting of the poem is in Troy brings out many themes that reveal the real concepts that the author wanted the readers to uncover. This is important in that the war in Troy had a lot of themes that are portrayed in the contemporary lives of people. This well brings out various perceptions in the narrative, one of the rubrics in literature. Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. Troilus and Criseyde. New York: Kessinger Publishing, 2004. Print. Read More