Troilus and Criseyde [Paperback]

R. A. Shoaf (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0870135368 | ISBN-13: 978-0870135361 | Publication Date: September 30, 1999 | Edition: New edition

Troilus and Criseyde (circa 1380-87) is Geoffrey Chaucer's classic poem in rhyme royal (rime royale, seven line stanzas rhyming ababbcc) re-telling the tragic love story of Troilus, a Trojan prince, and Criseyde. Scholarly consensus is that Chaucer completed Troilus and Criseyde by the mid 1380's. Many Chaucer scholars regard this as his best work, even including the better known but incomplete Canterbury Tales. The tragedy of Troilus and Criseyde is one of the greatest narrative poems in English literature. Set during the siege of Troy, it tells how the young knight Troilus, son of King Priam, falls in love with Criseyde, a beautiful widow. Brought together by Criseyde's uncle, Pandarus, the lovers are then forced apart by the events of war, which test their oaths of fidelity and trust to the limits.
     Described by Barry Windeatt as Chaucer's "most ambitious single achievement, his masterpiece," Troilus and Criseyde is the first work in English to depict human passion with such sympathy and understanding.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

R. A. Shoaf is Alumni Professor of English in the University of Florida, has published ten books, including The Poem as Green Girdle: 'Commercium' in 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight' (Florida, 1984), Milton, Poet of Duality (Florida, 1993), and Thomas Usk: 'The Testament of Love' (Kalamazoo, 1998). He has twice held Fellowships of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and he has won six teaching awards in the University of Florida and the Southeastern Region of the MLA in the past 10 years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Michigan State University Press; New edition edition (September 30, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870135368
• ISBN-13: 978-0870135361
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Subtle tragedy of love (and life), November 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Troilus and Criseyde (Hardcover)

Chaucer's narrative mastery is more subtlely envidenced here than in the Canterbury Tales, but mastery it is. This poem is a wry but kindly perspective on the vigor and impetuosity of young love. The closest analogy is Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. A singular work. Well worth your time

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent student edition, August 6, 2011

By 

Lazar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Troilus and Criseyde (Paperback)

When I first encountered Troilus and Criseyde, I was an undergraduate, and my text was Troilus and Criseyde (Penguin Classics) (Old English Edition), which Amazon mysteriously refers to as the "Old English Edition." I must say that I did not care for the placement of Windeatt's translations and glosses; both are to be found at the bottom of the page in what looked to me (at the time) to be a confusing snarl of Middle English words, modern definitions, and translations. For fear of treating Windeatt unfairly, I recently clicked the "Look inside this book" option, and sure enough--Windeatt's apparatus is still as hideous and uninviting as I remembered it. The biggest issue here was a constant game of glancing down, finding the word I wanted to define, glancing back up, and then repeating the process for over 8000 lines of Middle English verse.

Shoaf's version changes all of this. In his introduction to the edition, he states his goal as follows: ". . . to supply . . . an edition of the poem prepared especially for those setting out for the first time on the extraordinary adventure of reading one of the greatest love poems in English." First of all, he side-glosses the text, which readers of Middle English will recognize as being vastly superior to bottom-glossing. The bottom of the page is instead reserved for translations and footnotes. Everything is in its own place, which to me is highly gratifying. On the subject of footnotes, Shoaf demonstrates an admirable reticence concerning interpretation. Nothing is more annoying than a footnote that explains too much, or uses the opportunity to advance a particular critical agenda. Shoaf does neither. His notes are almost always references to previous episodes in the text, etymological concerns, and noting of allusions--just enough information to help students, but not enough to coddle them.

For those who are reading the poem for the first time, and are not committed to buying the Riverside, I would highly recommend this edition. For those who are planning on teaching the poem, and don't want to force your students to buy the Riverside, I urge you to assign this edition. The list of critical readings, while not extensive, includes authorities such as David Aers, Paul Strohm, Richard Green, and Larry Benson. There is even a one page glossary of often repeated words. While it is slightly more expensive than the Penguin, I promise it will be an extra $8 well spent.