The Power of Pandarus in Troilus and Criseyde Aside from the actual narrator of the poem, the character Pandarus is the most influential force in shaping Book III of "Troilus and Criseyde". Pandarus does claim at several points to be swept along with the course of events, insisting "Withouten hond, me seemeth that in towne,/ For this merveille ich here ech belle sown" (188-89). Ultimately, however, he takes responsibility for his actions while also acknowledging his need for secrecy. "But wo is me, that I, that cause al this" (271). Because the influence of Pandarus is so significant, any broad thematic discussions developed throughout the work as a whole are potentially qualified or compromised by the presence of Pandarus. Pandarus is more than a mere catalyst, though; he positions himself to be in complete control of each encounter with Troilus and/or Criseyde. He manipulates, orchestrates their relationship down to the smallest detail. "For I ful wel shal shape your comynge" (196). In some sense, the love he helps to manufacture is nothing more than a game to him. "For the have I bigonne a gamen pleye" (250). His close friend and even his own niece are subject to his whims. Pandarus does understand the all too real consequences of the deceptive games he plays. He is willing to accept these risks because he is convinced that Troilus' motives are true. Pandarus does not, therefore, act out of malice toward either individual. In a discussion with Troilus, Pandarus counsels that his own role in their courtship must remain a secret. If discovered, "al the world upon it wolde crie,/ And seyn that I the werst trecherie/ Dide in this cas that ever was bigonne," (277-79). He understands that wisdom can be distorted, harmed by well intentioned fools as well as villains. Ironically Pandarus asks Troilus to heed the advice of a proverb that Pandarus himself could never put into practise: " 'first vertu is to keep tonge" (293). As an ever-present observer, Pandarus is both the author and audience to a sequence of events he essentially helps to create. There is at least the implicit suggestion that the narrative Pandarus helps to direct is designed and elaborated solely for his own amusement. Perhaps, if extended to the larger narrative frame, Chaucer's narrator places the reader's (and his own) enjoyment above or on equal footing with enlightenment. Works Cited Chaucer, Geoffrey. Troilus and Criseyde. Ed. R.A. Shoaf. East Lansing, MI: Colleagues Press, 1989.
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In “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Geoffrey Chaucer masterfully frames an informal homily. Through the use of verbal and situational irony, Chaucer is able to accentuate the moral characteristics of the Pardoner. The essence of the story is exemplified by the blatant discrepancy between the character of the storyteller and the message of his story. By analyzing this contrast, the reader can place himself in the mind of the Pardoner in order to account for his psychology.
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However, after hearing his tale it is quite shocking about his frankness about his own hypocrisy. We know that he bluntly accuses himself of fraud, avarice, and gluttony, all things that he preaches against throughout this tale. It is in lines, 432-433 that the Pardoner states, “But that is not my principal intent; I preach nothing but for convenience.” It is here that we truly begin to learn that The Pardoner’s Tale is merely an example of a story that is often used by preachers to emphasize a moral point to their audience. That is why, this tale in particular helps to comprehend Chaucer’s own opinions, and how he used satire to display them.
Teiresias’ role in the story is relatively small in terms of stage time, yet what he says is so influential and important that it has an extreme effect over the attitude of Creon. Creon expresses his profound respect for Teiresias when he says, “I’ve always been attentive to your counsel … So ...
In Oedipus the King, Sophocles suggests that the impact of seeing the truth is harmful rather than enlightening. Whenever Oedipus strives to discover more to strengthen Thebes’ perspective of him, it leads him closer to his fate as determined by prophesy. Tiresias stands as a model in the play for the individual who is able to see the meaning beyond plot of events although his is blind, and Oedipus represents the oblivious arrogant individual who is never content because they need to be the unsurpassed individual. In the play, Sophocles illustrates the downside of a personality like Oedipus who desires to see the truth by ending the play with the brutality of gouging out his own eyes. Ultimately, the play reinforces that seeing the truth is harmful and being content with what you have, without greedily striving for more, can help avoid fate and a related deposition.
In Oedipus the King, by Sophocles, a plague has spread throughout the city of Thebes causing widespread death. Oedipus, the king, sends Creon to the prophet at Delphi to find an answer to the plague and save the people. In order to stop the plague, the prophet says that Oedipus must determine the killer of Laius, the previous king, and banish him from the land. Oedipus is determined to discover the truth, and his path towards the truth results in him questioning several individuals. His determination to solve the plague leads to his eventual discovery of the truth and his downfall. As the mystery surrounding begins to unravel, Oedipus begins to learn about the truth surrounding his birth before discovering the killer of Laius. Throughout the play, Oedipus’s personality propels him toward solving the mystery and discovering the truth. His path towards the truth suggests the dominance of fate in controlling the outcome of his life.
There is overwhelming evidence corroborating the notion that the perplexity as well as bewilderment underlying man’s destiny along with his deeds is what may qualify Sophocles “Oedipus” as a real human tragedy in the sense that the whole story is about mysterious and enigmatic inquiries about truth as well as human tragedy.
On page 78, Machiavelli asserts the belief that cruelty was necessary in Cesare Borgia’s reconciliation of Romagna and that it made Borgia a commendable leader, especially in comparison to the leaders of the Florentine people, who, electing not to employ cruelty in their reign, allowed for an entire city to be destroyed. Machiavelli’s argument for a preference of fear over love is found on page 79. In questioning whether it is better to be feared or loved by one’s subjects, Machiavelli resolves that it is in fact safer to be feared because people will remain loyal out of fear of punishment. Odysseus combines these two principles in his rule of Ithaca as evidenced by his execution of the women servants who slept with the suitors. This act of cruelty was necessary in securing Odysseus’ power in his household in that it made an example of those who proved disloyal to him while he was away. Executing the women servants instilled some measure of fear in those servants who were left, ensuring their unwavering loyalty in the future as they are now afraid to meet the same fate as the executed
To conclude, Chaucer sure loves the use of satire. It is one of his main uses when making fun of the church to help prove his point. Every one of his characters was made up by him to reflect his view points of the church. In other words, just because a person has a certain title or label for themselves, does not mean that they are really like they say they are. No one is what they seem.
This play brings spiritual renewal by showing that people cannot change their fate, but can choose how to prosper from it. Sophocles achieves this spiritual renewal by how the characters manage to realize the tragic situation. For example, Oedipus and Jocasta choose to let their bad fate control their lives, while Creon prospers from Oedipus’ fate.
One, then, must realize that Chaucer, “was not a poet who happened to be a diplomat and government official; he was a government official and diplomat who, in his spare time, happened to
In this spirit of uncertainty and as Aristotle's conception of the "ideal" tragedy, Oedipus the King revolves around just such an elusive "why". This play, like all tragedies, defies our notions of cause and effect--no single action or fault of the hero could have rightly vaulted him into the intense shame of incest and patricide. In the incessant search for what could have created this downfall, one line of thought gives responsibility for Oedipus' story to the heavy hand of destiny. If this theory is to be believed, his entire life can be viewed as a confirmation of a prophesized fate, much as a reading of the text is a fulfillment of the story we already know. Whether a prewritten destiny dictated the king's actions, or whether he earned this destiny with the faulted life foreseen by the gods, an analysis of Oedipus' behaviors may suggest why he was forced to f...
...twist. She sharply contrasts with Troilus with her rationality and even her practicality. She measures every action first, while Troilus just follows whatever way will lead him to his perceived goal. All combined, Chaucer manages to create an ideal constantly embued with originality that invokes the readers continual interest in the epic poem, Troilus and Criseyde.
In the end the narrator briefly recounts Troilus's death in battle and his ascent to the eighth sphere, draws a moral about the transience of earthly joys. In distinction Criseyde loses what she once considered most important, her name and reputation, but she adapts herself practically to whatever circumstances befall her. Yet we can have sympathy for the choice a woman caught between two worlds makes, almost against her will.