sees Criseyde and falls in love She is a young widow She stands quietly in a black widow s dress In Troilus s eyes Criseyde is now So aungellyk was hir natyf beautee Her natural beauty was so angel-like He forgets his pride and becomes a true lover His heart burns with desire and from that moment his life changes completely It is the perfect example of love at first sight sudden deep and full of emotion Secret Meetings With the help of Pandarus Criseyde s uncle the two lovers start meeting in secret Their love grows in quiet rooms and hidden corners Pandarus arranges everything the letters the visits and the secret nights These secret meetings make their love more romantic and dangerous Their love hides from the eyes of Troy but blooms like a flower in the dark Help from Friends No love story in the Middle Ages is complete without a middleman Here Pandarus plays that role He is the heart of their romance He comforts Troilus in pain and carries his messages to Criseyde He takes the risk for their happiness Without his clever plans Troilus could never have reached Criseyde s heart Promises and Betrayals Their love is built on sweet promises Criseyde swears to love Troilus forever She says she will stay true even if fate parts them But later when she is sent to the Greek camp in exchange for prisoners her promise breaks Troilus writes letters to Criseyde but her replies become less frequent and affectionate His heart is broken when he gets the brooch he gave Criseyde as a token of his love in Diomedes' coat Chaucer remarks And eek a broche and that was litel nede That Troilus was she yaf this Diomedes And also a brooch though there was little need she gave to Diomede the same brooch that once belonged to Troilus So Troilus laments at the end O lady myn Criseyde Wher is your love wher is your trouthe O my lady Criseyde where is your love now Where is your faith and truth that you promised me This betrayal adds pain and tragedy to the romance It shows how love can die under the weight of distance and fear Fate Chaucer shows that no one can control fortune The Wheel of Fortune turns high and low Troilus reaches the height of love then falls into misery Fortune separates lovers It makes joy short and sorrow long The fall of Troy and the parting of lovers are both ruled by destiny Idealized Love Troilus loves Criseyde with perfect devotion His love is pure patient and full of worship Even after her betrayal he does not hate her He dies with her name on his lips For him love is sacred His feelings show the idea of ideal love to be noble selfless and spiritual Chaucer turns Troilus into a model lover of medieval romance Thus Troilus and Criseyde stands as a true medieval romance It unites sudden love secret passion loyal friendship betrayal fate and ideal devotion In tragic Troy Chaucer shows that love brings both bliss and sorrow yet ends in noble spiritual peace