Three English Epics: Studies of Troilus and Criseyde, The Faerie Queene, and Paradise Lost

Description: Chaucer explicitly identifies TC as an epic. Like most epics,it uses the structural and thematic device of the "descensus." It also contains many reminders of and allusions to other epics, but also frees him from the confines of Christian allegory and allows him to focus on human emotions in a human landscape.; However, even though TC focuses on human emotions, it still lacks a legitimate, conventional hero. The "imitatio christi" and the "imitatio troili" are the two alternatives confronting Everyman; he can journey to the city of man or to the city of God. TC is a roadmap of such a journey. It prepares Everyman for the choice that must be made.