Troilus and Criseyde

How does Chaucer use the Trojan setting to deepen the meaning of the poem? How would his audience’s familiarity with the background of the Trojan War have impacted the narrative?

Discuss the role of Pandarus throughout the plot. What values guide his actions? Which of his actions illustrate the prejudices of his time?

What is the role of Chaucer’s narrative voice throughout the poem? How do the authorial interjections influence the tone of the work?

Describe the effect of songs and letters in Troilus and Criseyde. What does Chaucer achieve by including these sections written in the voices of the characters?

Power, sovereignty, and rulership are concepts that characters frequently discuss throughout the poem. How do love and gender impact the way that characters view their own power?

Diomede’s love for Criseyde is portrayed as a deliberate choice, whereas Troilus’ love is involuntary and uncontrollable. Does the poem equate this uncontrollable quality with authenticity? What does this suggest about the poem’s understanding of love?

Chaucer wrote Troilus and Criseyde at the same time that he was translating the philosophical works of Boethius. Compare and contrast the portrayal of fate and free will in Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde and Boece.

Does Chaucer indicate that the tragic outcome of the poem could have been avoided? Why or why not?