The story in one page
Troilus, a prince of Troy, mocks love until he spots Criseyde. With the maneuvering of her uncle Pandarus, the two establish a secret affair during the long siege. Their privacy ends when Criseyde is traded to the enemy camp for the prisoner Antenor. She vows to return to the city within ten days, but she instead turns her affections to the warrior Diomede. Troilus, left waiting at the gates of the city, eventually discovers her shift in loyalty through a piece of captured clothing. His grief over the loss consumes him, and he falls in battle at the hands of Achilles, marking the final end of his long, turbulent romance.
Who's who
- Troilus
A Trojan prince who transitions from love-skeptic to heartbroken casualty.
- Criseyde
A cautious widow who chooses survival in the Greek camp over her vows.
- Pandarus
Criseyde's uncle who orchestrates the secret meetings between the lovers.
- Diomede
The Greek warrior who successfully woos Criseyde after her exile.
- Achilles
The fierce Greek hero who slays Troilus in battle.
What it's really about
- Mutability
- The shifting nature of fortune, politics, and human affection.
- Betrayal
- The conflict between personal loyalty and the pressure of survival.
Why it's memorable
- Troilus laughing at the grief of his own funeral from the seventh celestial sphere.
- Criseyde arguing with herself about the risks of loving a king's son.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After Achilles kills him, Troilus’s ghost travels to the seventh sphere of heaven. From this vantage, he views the small, spinning earth and laughs at the vanity of his own mortal suffering and the fleeting nature of worldly lust. He proceeds to the location where he is to dwell, an eternity removed from the chaotic cycles of Trojan war and desperate, doomed attachments.
For your book club
- The tension between Pandarus's enthusiastic matchmaking and the tragic outcome of his meddling.
- Whether Criseyde's betrayal is a personal failure or a necessary response to her precarious status.