Other editions of book Troilus & Criseyde

Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer are widely regarded as one of his more influential works, alongside The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer wrote this poem in a rime royal, a unique stanza form introduced in his works. Rime royal consists of seven-line stanzas written in iambic pentameter and has been employed by poets such as William Shakespeare and William Wordsworth. It also served as the basis for the Spenserian stanza, first introduced by Edmund Spenser.Chaucer wrote Troilus and Criseyde in Middle English sometime during the 1380s. Chaucer’s work, like Shakespeare’s after him, could touch both the common people and nobles at Court; for this reason, courtly romances like Troilus and Criseyde gained popularity among different classes. Although the story had been told before in France and Italy, Chaucer’s version is slightly less cynical and misogynistic. In the centuries that followed, many writers referenced Chaucer’s version of the story, including Shakespeare, who brought it to the stage as Troilus and Cressida.

Set during the fierce Trojan War, Troilus and Criseyde is the poignant tale of love won and lost. The beautiful Criseyde becomes the object of desire for Troilus, the son of King Priam, and he is able to win her affection through the machinations of his uncle, Pandarus. They experience a brief time of bliss together, but despite their vows of faithfulness, they are soon separated by the fortunes of war. Nevill Coghill's matchless translation skilfully transmits the genius and vigor of Chaucer's 14th-century romantic poem, widely regarded as his finest achievement. Listen as probably the greatest love poem of the Middle Ages comes alive, combining elements of comedy and tragedy to form an exquisite tale of romantic love and human frailty.

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