Troilus’ Double Sorrow in Love

In the beginning of the poem, Troilus and Criseyde Chaucer refers to ‘double sorrow’. Troilus, son of King of Priam of Troy, underwent this double sorrow, first in winning the love of Criseyde, a young widow of charming beauty and secondly, after her departure from Troy when she declined her love for Troilus and embraced Diomede as her lover.

Troilus in the start was indifferent to women and love, rather he did not care for the love of women and cut jokes over those who sought the love of women. One day, when Criseyde attended the ceremony of Palladium in a temple, the eyes of the young Prince Troilus fell upon her and the beauty worked a magic upon him and he became mad for her love in the following days. He had to undergo a lot of sorrows to win her love. At last, he succeeded in his quest of love.

But after a period of happiness, Criseyde had to leave Troy but she promised to return within ten days. Troilus was impatiently waiting for her. But she did not keep her promise and Troilus suffered terribly for her and ultimately met death. Thus, Troilus suffered double sorrow in love.