Achilles, warrior who kills Troilus and Hector in battle
Antenor, a soldier held captive by the Greeks, led to the fall of Troy, traded for Criseyde's safety
Calchas, a Trojan prophet who joins the Greeks
Criseyde, Calchas' daughter
Helen, wife to Menelaus, lover of Paris
Pandarus, Criseyde's uncle, advises Troilus in the wooing of Criseyde
Priam, King of Troy
Cassandra, Daughter of Priam, a prophetess at the temple of Apollo
Hector, Prince of Troy, fierce warrior and leader of the Trojan armies
Troilus, Youngest son of Priam, and wooer of Criseyde
Paris, Prince of Troy, lover of Helen
Deiphobus, Prince of Troy, aids Troilus in the wooing of Criseyde
Synopsis
Criseyde, the daughter of the seer Calchas, lives alone in Troy after her father abandons the Trojans to help the Greeks. Eventually she catches the eye of Troilus, a man who had previously scoffed at love, and becomes the object of his overwhelming desire. With the help of Criseyde’s uncle Pandarus he wins her love but soon loses it when the Greeks and the Trojans conduct an exchange of prisoners. Calchas, who knows of Troy’s imminent destruction, persuades the Greeks to exchange Antenor for his daughter and thus saves her from the doomed city. Criseyde promises Troilus that she’ll return to him after ten days but once she’s back in the care of her father she realizes the impossibility of her promise. Resigned to her fate, Criseyde yields to the flirtations of Diomedes, and her love for Troilus fades. When Deiphobus wins the armor of Diomedes, Troilus discovers a brooch he gave Criseyde upon her departure pinned to it. Heartbroken, he tries to find Diomedes and take his revenge during battle but after slaying many is in his turn killed by Achilles. As his spirit goes to heaven he reflects on the absurdity of all life itself.
work cited
Wikipedia online encyclopaedia
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