As a poem that presents tragedy in love as inevitable, in Troilus and Criseyde, Chaucer also explores the forces that control this downfall: luck, the planets, and free will. These can be divided into two categories, those that exist in the human world and those that have a higher power. However, Boethius' 'Consolation of Philosophy' – a key text in Chaucer's writing process – states that “the free exercise of human will is part of destiny”[1]. This definition makes the distinction between free will and luck imprecise if human will is seen as part of a larger scheme. This is represented through Chaucer's work as human intervention occurs in the form of Pandarus and yet Troilus is thrown from the wheel. Therefore, Troilus and Criseyde explores not only the effects of tragedy in love, but also the cause of both good fortune and bad luck that is bestowed upon the characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Within the poem, fortune is seen as the traditional symbol of a wheel. Although the associations with Fortune are good, Chaucer specifies that she would "cease to be Fortune soon"[1] if she were not able to put another on the wheel in her favor. This suggests that for the idea of ​​Fortune to exist in Troilus and Criseyde, it must be a force with the ability to induce pain as well as pleasure. This is evident from Book I, which provides a hint of inevitable failure in love in the verses to come: "as his adventures fell / From sorrow to well-being, and after to joy" (Chaucer, Book 1:l.6-7 ). Structurally, the phrase echoes the overall structure of the five books; the 'happiness' of good fortune characterizes approximately the first three books, while the last two are enclosed by the 'trouble' of bad luck. This results in a wheel where Troilus is placed in good favor for almost the same amount of time as he is in bad favor, presenting the idea of ​​a balance. For a balance to remain not only in Troilus' fortunes but in the rest of the human world, good must be balanced against evil and vice versa. It also suggests a self-fashioning in Chaucer's writing, suggesting a further theme that Fortune is not so arbitrary in showing her as symmetrical. However, the focus cannot be on the two experiences as separate entities but which come together "for joy"; love is the unifying factor, suggesting that you cannot love someone without also feeling pain. This also includes the medieval idea of ​​courtly romance as one experiences an intense feeling of lovesickness during a courtship. However, the repetition of different forms of "wo" presents the idea not only of a love sickness, but of mourning the loss of love, thus echoing symbolic death and "twynnyng" (Chaucer, Book IV, l.1302) of lovers. in Book IV. Furthermore, one can also see not only how Fortune must exist as a wheel, but also that the control of the wheel lies above the earthly sphere. This suggests an undeniable element of tragedy within the romance as, whether Fortune is an arbitrary force or not, Troilus and Criseyde are unable to control where they are placed on the wheel. Furthermore, while Fortune is described as a wheel over which humans have no control, Chaucer suggests some degree of control within the human sphere in how each individual responds to what they are given. While Troilus mourns Criseyde until her death, she tries to make the best of a bad situation. Therefore, Chaucer sees Fortune not as a way to bring good luck, but as abalance; for good to occur in the world, there must be a balance of evil. Once Chaucer establishes that Fortune is a force beyond human control, he continues to explore whether it is tailored to each individual or whether it is a force common to all. This also explores whether luck is a completely arbitrary force or whether the luck it bestows is in direct correlation with the actions of individuals. And when a man is hired while throwing, then she laughs and makes him mow. (Chaucer, Book IV, l.6-7) From the beginning of Book IV, Fortune is described as a force that targets Troilus individually rather than being random. This is emphasized through the patriarchal use of language - "hym" - which suggests that Fortune is not only adapted to individuals, but only to Troilus. Yet tragedy doesn't just happen to Troilus; a love story typically denotes man and woman. Criseyde is omitted not only from this sentence, but from almost the entire grieving process. This mischievous behavior is emphasized by her gesture of laughing, suggesting that as a larger force Fortune cares little about the consequences of the events she brings about in a single person's life. Furthermore, the grimace inducing provides one of many mirror acts within Troilus and Criseyde. In the same way that Troilus experiences pain through lovesickness in Book II, he now experiences pain through the loss of this love. However, the treatment of Fortune here is dualistic as it also appears as an arbitrary force. Despite the earlier references to Troilus as an individual, the impersonal phrase "a specter" presents this statement as a broader commentary on the fortune of all men. Furthermore, the phrase "and when" suggests that being thrown from the "wheel" is simply inevitable; if there had been a possibility that man could exist by good fortune alone, Chaucer might have simply used "if." The use of pronouns in this Book is especially important since Fortune is personified as "she," suggesting that human intent permeates every action she takes. Mann[1] suggests that by capitalizing on Fortune in honor of the goddess Fortuna, humans may delude themselves into considering strength as independent of themselves. This is supported by the traditional image of blindfolded Fortune, suggesting that she too is controlled by chance when granting good or evil. We thus proceed to the conclusion that perhaps the nature of Fortune has not changed over the course of the three books; it remains a question of perspective. At the beginning of Book IV, Troilus remains in the grip of grief and therefore sees Fortune not as an arbitrary but a specific force to push him into tragedy. To see it from Diomedes' perspective, his fortunes at this point change for the better. Furthermore, from Criseyde's perspective, a tragedy has occurred, but she understands that due to lack of choice she must find another lover for protection. Therefore, Chaucer's treatment of Fortune, although fixed, changes through the character's perspective and does not happen "without a reason." Therefore, it can be argued that whether Fortune predestines someone's future or whether this happens by chance, it is not about controlling destinies but about the human reaction to what it has given to each of us. While Fortune plays an important role in the romance of Troilus and Criseyde, Chaucer also recognizes Fortune as only one of the non-human entities that control human lives. Planets like Venus and Mars have some influence when they are in the right alignment; their influence depends on what each planet represents and how this corresponds to events on Earth. By tracing the influence of Venus in the books, we can see where the planets also have an influence. A crucial section of Book II shows how Fortune and Venus work in unison: "E, 2003)