Troilus And Criseyde

Improved Essays
In Troilus and Criseyde, there is an outgoing conflict regarding the determination of fate. The debate lies on whether the characters’s destiny has been predetermined by divine forces or is, on the other hand, defined by the individual’s decisions. Nonetheless, the characters in the poem appear to be of the belief that their judgment holds no role on the outcome of the events, as these have been already determined by mightier forces. Such is the case of Troilus, who upon being offered Pandare’s help replies by affirming that his aid will do no good given that fortune is an opponent difficult to conquer:

"Ȝe, so thow seyst," quod Troilus tho, "allas,
But, god woot, it is naught the rather so. fful hard were it to helpen in this cas, ffor wel fynde I that fortune is my fo;
Ne al the men that riden konne or go
May of hire cruel whiel the harm withstonde; ffor as hire list she pleyeth with free and bonde."
(Chaucer 136)

In many stances, Troilus himself is guilty of taking no action and maintaining a rather passive position as a manner of facing the developing situation. Many would criticize not only his initial indecision when coming to terms of his love for Criseyde, but also his failing to fight for a woman whom he claimed to love dearly. Clearly, his underlying belief in the power of fortune becomes a key
…show more content…
Most importantly, Troilus is pressured by his social status and duty to Troy. In the most important instance, for example, Troilus is conflicted by the exchange taking place. On one hand, he is reluctant to let go of his love and heartbroken once they are parted. On the other hand, however, Troilus admits that this decision is perhaps the best one concerning the welfare of Troy. He is aware of his duty to the town, conflicted by his love for Criseyde, and oblivious on how to balance

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Oedipus The King Thesis

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Outline I. Introduction with thesis a. The fall of a prideful king to a humbled man II. Summary of the story including plot and climax a. Plot – Oedipus discovers that he has fulfilled the prophecy b. Climax – when he is convinced of his guilt and Jocasta hanged herself III. Character description including critiques from outside sources IV. Relationship with other characters in the story V. Apollos writings and how they relate VI. Conclusion Beard 1 Tiffani Beard N. Risch English 102 October 4, 2016…

    • 1562 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus Free Will

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Fate is a series of events that are destined to happen but can be affected by a person’s choices out of free will. In the time of the story, Oedipus Rex, a person's fate is controlled by the gods, and trying to go against their fate is like going against the gods. Laius and Jocasta learn from the oracle that if they have a child, then their child’s fate will be to kill their father and marry their mother. When Laius and Jocasta accidently have a child, Oedipus, they attempt to avoid their fate and Oedipus’s fate by trying to kill him. Because Oedipus did not know that Laius and Jocasta were his parents, he killed his father and married his mother unintentionally.…

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Oedipus Rex, a tragic hero crushed because of his hamartia, was not a perfect man by any means. He had all he wanted, but by the end of the story everything he thought was true turned out to be untrue. Although Oedipus considered fate to be real, he had more confidence in his own knowledge and achievements to control his future. Also, Oedipus’ dependence on himself made his purpose and insight the best way to establish all of his decisions. Oedipus was very short tempered and tended to get anger if he did not agree with someone.…

    • 433 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout historical culture, the role of a wife has always been to be the obedient, loyal and passive woman which her husband has sworn to take care of. May it be in the Ancient Greece period or the 1960s; the view of a wife hasn’t changed much over the ages. However, some stories has showed the hidden side of wives in a multitude of tales, such as Penelope from The Odyssey and Nora from A Doll’s House. Through guile and cunning, they were able to keep their loyalty towards their husband. But how do they reason their motives to keep their devotion for their husbands?…

    • 576 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    If Romeo and Odysseus are the heroes of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Homer’s The Odyssey respectively, then Juliet and Penelope, the wives of both men, are the heroines. The relationship between Juliet and Penelope holds similarities only insofar as they share similar situations and the effects of them. The true differences in the lives of these woeful women lie within their responses (i.e. their love for their families in addition to their husbands) to the similar occurrences in their lives. In that sense, the similarity of Juliet and Penelope’s situations exacerbate the differences of their responses and the consequences. The differences between Penelope and Juliet paradoxically stem from their similarities.…

    • 1131 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the aftermath of Odysseus’ departure for the Trojan war and his misfortune at sea, Telemakhus has grown into a young man and Penelope has fallen into depression. Both mother and son have lamented Odysseus’ absence and apparent death for years; to make matters worse, all of Ithaka’s eligible men have flocked to Odysseus’ home to eat his livestock and court his wife. However, the anguish in Telemakhus’ heart is soon addressed by the goddess Athena, who comes in the form of a weary traveler to assure Telemakhus that Oddyseus is not dead. As Athena guides Telemakhus in his confrontations and travels, it becomes apparent that Telemakhus is a brave and intelligent (albeit young and inexperienced) boy.…

    • 1049 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, In his desperate request for aid, Odysseus chooses to approach the Phaecian Princess Nausicaa verbally rather than physically because he is “…frightening sight, disfigured with brine,” as well as nude (NAOWL pg 339). He is in a vulnerable position with nothing to offer therefore must persuade. Part of being experienced rhetorician is knowing what you desire and how to acquire it. This proved hero had to rely on oral The most effective display of Odysseus’s verbal skills came in his persuasive speech to the Phaecian Princess Nausicaa.…

    • 868 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Odyssey Loyalty is the devotion towards a person that can bring both prosperity and shortcomings, depending on the actions a person takes to remain loyal or disloyal. Loyalty is like a double-edged sword that can be used to protect loved ones; however, it can also be used to betray close companions. Life offers many challenges and temptations; however, loyalty can be used to fight against these appeals or to fight towards these desires. In epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, loyalty is expressed as an important quality in Greek culture that brings happiness and praise, while disloyalty brings betrayal and criticism.…

    • 1485 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Trials of the Hero’s Journey An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. In the epic poem “The Odyssey”, the author Homer describes the fictional journey of a Greek hero, Odysseus, as he travels through many physical and emotional stages of hardship and success. There are three stages of his journey; the Separation, the Initiation and Transformation, and the Return.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He was too far gone, too convinced of his own narrative, to entrenched in his false identity. He was unable to give up his dream that he might become someone who matters if he only becomes rich and legendary enough to win Daisy…

    • 1268 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He criticizes that romanticism can create false hope by blinding people of the truth. This blindness will then have to be made clear when reality sets back in and reverts people to their old ways as seen with Huckleberry’s…

    • 1060 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sophocles’ tragic play, Oedipus the King, serves as yet another didactic tool of Ancient Greek culture. It heavily focuses on the recurrent theme that a fate assigned by the gods can not be escaped by any means. Sophocles embodies this theme through his tragic hero Oedipus. Even though Oedipus proves himself as a confident capable leader, his tragic flaw is seen through his consistent use of human reason in his attempt to locate the murderer of king Laius. His hubris contributes to his downfall because it allows him to think he can use reason to conquer his fate.…

    • 1042 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Even after the Civil War, in which all African-Americans no longer were deemed as slaves, the life of the black person did not get easier. For generations, the struggle to come out of impoverished lifestyles had been deemed as almost impossible. Faced by segregation, no equal rights, and the KKK, the newly freed African-Americans were not able to completely submerge themselves to “freedom”. Little by little, new opportunities emerged; however, the depths of acrimony and pain prevented blacks to completely embrace them. Those who fought for the chance to make history, emerged successful, but those who let the past hold them back, continued to live in the restrictions of the past.…

    • 1992 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Throughout the course of human history, reverence to one or many gods has affected the ways of life and literature. Higher powers controlling one’s life are commonly written about, referenced, and even evaded. It can be seen throughout the text Oedipus Rex, that Greek culture greatly influences Sophocles in displaying the thematic message that fate is ultimately unavoidable. Within the text of Oedipus Rex it can distinctly be seen that the Greek time period and lifestyle inspired and affected Sophocles in his writing.…

    • 1084 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Antigone Fate Vs Free Will

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In a speech by Paulo Coelho, he stated, “I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfil our destiny, but our fate is sealed” (Fate Quotes). This shows the idea of fate vs free will. It demonstrations how ones fate is controlled by God, but one has the choice to determine how they will react to his or her own fate.…

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays