Considered one of Chaucer's finest poems, second only to The Canterbury Tales in richness and depth, Troilus and Cressida is a tragic love story set against the background of the siege of Troy by the Greeks. Written in the 1380s, it presents Troilus, son of Priam and younger brother of Hector, as a Trojan warrior of renown who sees, and falls deeply in love with, the beautiful Cressida. Cressida is the daughter of Calchas, a Trojan priest and seer...

In an authoritative performance by actor Richard Bebb, two sections from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales are presented in Old English, under the advisement of the leading living scholar on Chaucerian pronunciation, Professor Derek Brewer.

Four more delightful tales from one of the most entertaining storytellers of all time. Though writing in the 13th century, Chaucer's wit and observation comes down undiminished through the ages, especially in this accessible modern verse translation.The stories vary considerably from the uproarious Wife of Bath's Tale, promoting the power of women to the sober account of patient Griselda in the Clerk's Tale.

Troilus and Criseyde (c.1385) is an epic poem written by English poet Geoffrey Chaucer. Composed in Middle English, Troilus and Criseyde is the story of two lovers forced apart by the Greek siege of Troy. Often considered Chaucer's finest work for its structural consistency and completeness, the poem adapts Homer's Iliad and other ancient sources which expand on its tradition to tell a Christian moral tale about the importance of faith and the sacred...

Featuring twenty major works of European poetry over a period of a thousand years, this collection charts the development of verse from the fall of the Roman Empire to the birth of the Renaissance. Contrary to popular belief, the poetry of the Dark Ages enjoyed a pioneering development, exploring new metres and complex imagery. Throughout the Middle Ages, poetry adopted numerous forms across the continent, from the epic greatness of the 'chanson

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Geoffrey Chaucer, born in London around 1340, was an English poet, author, philosopher, scientist, diplomat and politician. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry", but he should be considered, in a broader sense, for the breadth of his interests and the richness of his works, the father of English Humanism. He is seen as crucial in legitimising the literary use of Middle English when...

An oddly diverse group of twenty-nine people meet at an inn. Each of them is on a pilgrimage to a martyr's shrine in Canterbury. The Host suggests the strange bunch journey together and tell stories to pass the time. The group heads off, including a Knight, a Miller, a Wife, a Cook, a Shipman, and a Nun, among others, telling stories that range from bawdy exploits to foolish workers to the lives of saints. A classic of English literature, this unabridged...