The Hero of The Troilus by Alfred David

David, Alfred. "The Hero of Troilus." Speculum v. 37. n. 4. October 1962. pp. 566-81.

A not too wearying read that seeks to make the Troilus of Troilus and Criseyde interesting to modern readers. The fifteen pages of David's article consists of an argument which examines the narrative of the poem in a linear fashion in order to make relevant as much as possible so that Troilus may become more three-dimensional. A great majority of the article is given to refuting critics over matters such as how strictly Troilus acts in accordance with the courtly love tradition. David argues against the critics who say that Troilus is purely flat in that respect, pointing out that the poem begins with a Troilus who mocks at love and who, ever after, is constantly diminished, physically and psychologically, by the effects of love. David also makes an interesting point about how Criseyde and Troilus are really mismatched due to their divergent views on love: Troilus' being idealist, while Criseyde's are practical; and although Troilus' views mature over time, he still gives himself up to a fatalist notion that he will rise or fall by love. David concludes the article by seeking a compromise between the two arguments of ghosts of critics past over Troilus' equivocal laugh at the end: "Troilus' celestial laughter recognizes at the same time the absurdity and the sublimity of human experience."