Mirror Imagery in Chaucer's Trolius and Criseide
Graduation Date
Spring 1970
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Document Form
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Program Name
Humanities
Abstract
Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseide, written almost 600 years ago, continues to delight those who read it and continues to invite new avenues of interpretation.
Among the aspects of the poem which have been carefully studied are the enigma of the heroine's personality and the reasons for her betrayal of Troilus. Critics differ markedly in their opinions on these matters.
My thesis suggests that Chaucer's use of the traditional medieval mirror image helps to clarify Criseide's character and her function within the poem. Criseide reflects a glimpse of an absolute ideal for Troilus; the image is transitory and illusive because it is secular. She also mirrors the ambiguous qualities of human light and darkness.