Abstract
This paper discusses Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Book of the Duchess" and "Troilus and Criseyde." It describes their two young lovers, smitten by the blows of fortune - the Black Knight and Troilus, respectively and looks at the different references to fortune in each of the texts. The paper then relates the two texts to Boethian philosophy, namely that found in Boethius' "The Consolation of Philosophy."

From the Paper
"Unlike in The Book of the Duchess, however, there are a number of individuals in Troilus and Criseyde who are responsible for the events that led both up to Troilus' affair with Criseyde, as well as the separation of the lovers and the betrayal of Troilus: without Calchas' betrayal of Troy, Criseyde wouldn't have been in the vulnerable position that preceded her affair with Troilus; without Pandarus and Troilus' elaborate scheming, deceit and manipulation of Criseyde, there would have been no affair; without Criseyde's betrayal and persistent deceit of Troilus, Troilus' pain would have been lessened, and they could have stolen away together as Criseyde kept considering to do. Here, it surely is not Fortune who is false, but Calchas, Pandarus, Troilus, and Criseyde. Therefore, one could argue that the role of Fortune, in Troilus and Criseyde, is to relieve these individuals for the moral responsibility for their actions as well as the consequences of those actions. They also seem to relieve Troilus of the responsibility to himself to continue his life actively. He seems to feel that if he has no hand in his fate or fortune, then he can just lie in bed all day, that it won't make a difference; a very distorted, although convenient, interpretation of Boethius' philosophy of Fate and Fortune."

Tags:Boece, consummation, sorrows