Author

Geoffrey Chaucer

Posthumous or imagined likeness of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Posthumous or imagined likeness of Geoffrey Chaucer. Source · Public domain

Frequently Cited

“The double sorwe of Troilus to tellen”
Troilus and Criseyde, Book I, opening lines · Reader
Troilus and Criseyde

Geoffrey Chaucer

c. 1380s · Medieval · Poetry

Troilus and Criseyde retells a story from the Trojan War tradition, but its real subject is erotic psychology under the pressure of fortune, language and time. Troilus, a Trojan prince and son of Priam, initially mocks lovers until he sees Criseyde in the temple and is struck by desire.

high medical relevanceLove DesireFate / Free WillLanguage / Storytelling