Comparing Love And Betrayal In Virgil's 'The Aeneid'

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Recommended: Women in Chaucer's time

The Trojan War is such an impactful epic that has inspired authors in later ages to continuously borrow ideas and create their own development from the story of Troy. Chaucer is one of these aspiration writers whose Troilus and Criseyde is apparently influenced by Virgil’s The Aeneid. Continuing with Virgil’s steps, Chaucer provides us with an interpretation of Troy story which was built around a tragic love story. However, he intentionally goes on a different path in depicting Troilus and Criseyde’s relationship, compared to Aeneas and Dido’s. An Early Modern writer such as Chaucer certainly has his own ways to portray the theme of love and betrayal instead of reiterating medieval concepts. Both Virgil and Chaucer value love that is passionate …show more content…

She blames herself harshly for betraying Troilus and degrading women’s honor in general: “But since my guilt is settled, hard and fast-/ A falseness far too grievous to undo” (Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, V, 1069-1070). Yet, she is determined by her decision to become Diomedes's lover. Troy and Troilus are now her past while she must live for her future somewhere else, among the Greeks. Criseyde has "graduate from the role of a passive Dido to a departing Aeneas” (Stone) to make the best out of a bad situation. Chaucer pays attention to portray Criseyde as real as possible within a wide range of emotions. Even though he agrees “she’s punished well”, Chaucer still has “compassion” towards Criseyde (Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, V, 1069-1070). He pities Criseyde for her vulnerability and respects her desire to survive. Perhaps what Chaucer wants to convey is that women should not be seen as an attachment to men but as individuals who have their own wants and needs. What Criseyde has done could be immoral, but it could also be the only choice she …show more content…

He keeps sending her letters asking about her faithfulness despite her brief and ambiguous responses. He is confident enough to believe “He’d win her back again, so bright of hue” (Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, V, 1573). Criseyde contributes to lengthening Troilus' meaningless faith by keep saying “I’ll come to you, but now such is my state,/ I’m so in doubt, that what year or what day/ That this shall be,… I can’t supply a date.” (Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, V, 1618-1620). This is the most controversial detail about how Criseyde treats her old lover – Troilus after she decides to be with Diomedes. Her betrayal of Troilus is understandable but why does she lie to come back when she apparently will not? Is it because she still loves him? Or is it because she does not want to dishonor Troilus? Chaucer may want his characters to end up differently from Dido’s tragic death. If Criseyde lets Troilus know she has decided to abandon him, Troilus may react negatively and kill himself. Then, Criseyde will suffer from even worse dishonor. Whatever Chaucer has in mind writing this part, he has foreseen how Criseyde will be harshly criticized for her selfish action. In the end, it seems obvious that Criseyde herself does not have many

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