What is the importance of friendship in troilus and creseyde

Love is central to Chaucer’s tale, and Troilus and Criseyde’s love affair follows many conventions of the medieval concept of "courtly love." This includes worship of the maiden from afar (Book 1), rejection of the male by the virtuous lady (Book 2), and chivalric behavior (Book 5). In Book 2, Troilus complains of a sickness that he cannot recover from, and he regularly faints. These are presented as symptoms of "lovesickness," a medieval idea that suggested to be deprived of one’s love was akin to a physical illness.

The maiden initially rejecting her suitor was also a characteristic element that is included in Chaucer's text. As the convention goes, the lady must first be seen as publicly demure, and reject the man's first advances before submitting to his desire. However, Chaucer's story differs slightly from other literary romances in that it doesn't comfort readers with a happy ending. Instead, Criseyde decides to betray Troilus for Diomede for the sake of comfort and security.

Troilus' insurmountable heartbreak is a rather dire conclusion to the drama, yet it is a conscious plot choice by the author, who uses his hero's downfall to impart a lesson to his readers about the true nature of love. For Chaucer, the silly conventions of courtship and infatuation are a mere shadow of a greater spiritual love which must first be directed towards God. All else, as demonstrated through Troilus' example, brings immense suffering and binds one ultimately to the illusion of "worldly vanity."