Chaucer's Deal With Humour in Troilus and Criseyde

Chaucer is a born humourist. He was the master of humour and irony. He was the first true humorist in English literature and it is by humour that Chaucer has won a permanent place in the hearts of his readers. Humour was the stuff and substance of his entire mental constitution and the essence of his art.

Chaucer Deal With Humour in Troilus and Criseyde

In the poem, Troilus and Criseyde Chaucer’s humour is found in various ways. He makes humour with love in the first book when Troilus goes to attend the ceremony of Palladium in the temple of Apollo. Troilous laughs heartily at the lovers and calls them roots; He says,

"O very foolis, nice and blind ye
There his not one can war by other be"

Chaucer was essentially a poet of man intensely interested in man and his affairs. He had large humanity and good humored tolerance. He had no dislike for fools, no disgust for rascals. He loved to dwell on their funny traits, looked at their pranks and tricks with amused delight. Pandarus illustrates this aspect best. He is a funny character and the source of delight to the poet. He never paints him as unsuitable to the situation. Being the uncle of a lady, he serves as a go-between between Troilus and Criseyde. In doing his function, he even teases his niece in such a way as does not make her angry.

Pandarus is Shakespeare’s Falstaff, a great comic creation. He dictates the love letter of Troilus to Criseyde. When Troilus hesitates and fears to see her, Pandarus says:

Thou wretched mouse’s herte
Art thouaghast so that she will thee bite?

Pandarus rebukes his niece before she is left alone with Troilus. “If a woman keeps a man dangling a long time in love calling him her sweet heart and dear one and then hoodwinks him by loving another at the same time, she brings shame upon her and does an evil trick.”

At last Criseyde surrenders to Pandarus and permits him to do what he likes.

After some time, when Troilus enters the room, Pandarus dictates what she should do. He says, Now, you have begun well. Niece, let him sit on the side of your bed so that you can hear each other better”. But the voice of this genial man is no more heard alter Criseyde’s betrayal. Endess is the flow of humour which runs throughout the poem.

Chaucer mixes pleasure with pathos in this tragi-comedy which gives an inimitable excellence to the poem.