Troilus and Criseyde

‘Ye may the double sorwes here,
Of Troilus in lovynge of Criseyde,
And how that she forsook hym er she deyde’

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. The first work in English to depict human passion with such sympathy and understanding, Troilus and Criseyde is Chaucer’s supreme evocation of the joy and grief inherent in love.

In his critical introduction to this original-spelling edition, Barry Windeatt discusses the traditions, sources and interpretations of Troilus and Criseyde. The poem is provided with on-page glosses, explanatory notes and full glossary, and appendices explore topics such as metre and versification.