The Testament of Cresseid

work by Henryson

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June 18, 2026

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The Testament of Cresseid is a narrative poem by Robert Henryson, written around the mid-15th century. It serves as a tragic sequel to Geoffrey Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde. The poem focuses on the character of Cresseid, who betrays Troilus for the Greek hero Diomedes. In Henryson's continuation, Cresseid is rejected by Diomedes and falls into prostitution. She is then afflicted with leprosy, a grim and tragic fate that highlights themes of betrayal, justice, and the variability of human love. The work is noted for its rhetorical skill and its blend of the grotesque with a concern for justice.1

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Robert Henryson
In The Testament of Cresseid, a narrative and “complaint” in 86 stanzas, Henryson completes the story of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, giving a grim and tragic account of the faithless heroine’s rejection by her lover Diomede and her decline into prostitution. The Testament is more than…
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In The Testament of Cresseid, a narrative and “complaint” in 86 stanzas, Henryson completes the story of Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, giving a grim and tragic account of the faithless heroine’s rejection by her lover Diomede and her decline into prostitution. The Testament is more than…
Read More