Troilus and Criseyde
Assigned by 2 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- c. 1382-1386
- Era
- Medieval
- Form
- Epic poetry
- Language
- Middle English
- Length
- Medium · 300 pp120 to 300 pages
- Difficulty
- Difficult4 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendTroilus and Criseyde, translated by Barry WindeattOxford University Press (Oxford World's Classics), 2008A modern prose rendering by the poem's leading editor, with a full introduction; readers with some Middle English should try the original.
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A long poem in rhyme royal, adapted from Boccaccio, set during the siege of Troy. Troilus, a son of Priam who has mocked lovers, is struck by the sight of the widow Criseyde, and her uncle Pandarus manoeuvres the two into bed. After three years of secret happiness Criseyde is traded to the Greek camp in a prisoner exchange, promises to return within ten days, and instead accepts the protection of the Greek Diomede. Troilus is killed by Achilles, and from the eighth sphere looks down and laughs at the world's vanity.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Troilus and Criseyde are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
