DOCSLIB.ORG

Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Table of Contents Book I

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Table of Contents Book I Troilus & Criseyde by GEOFFREY CHAUCER c 1385 (a 1400) DjVu Editions E-books © 2001, Global Language Resources, Inc. Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Table of Contents Book I . 1 Book II . 29 Book III . 74 Book IV . 121 Book V . 165 - i - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I Book I The double sorwe of Troilus to tellen, That was the kyng Priamus sone of Troye, In louynge how his auentures fellen ffro wo to wele, and after out of ioie, My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye. 5 Thesiphone, thow help me for tendite Thise woful vers that wepen as I write. To the clepe I, thow goddesse of torment, Thow cruwel furie, sorwynge euere in peyne, Help me that am the sorwful instrument 10 That helpeth loueres, as I kan, to pleyne; ffor wel sit it, the sothe for to seyne, A woful wight to han a drery feere, And to a sorwful tale a sory chere. ffor I, that god of loues seruantz serue, 15 Ne dar to loue, for myn vnliklynesse, Preyen for speed, al sholde I ther-fore sterue, So fer am I from his help in derknesse; But natheles, if this may don gladnesse To any louere and his cause auaille, 20 Haue he my thonk, and myn be this trauaille. But ye loueres that bathen in gladnesse, If any drope of pyte in yow be, Remembreth yow on passed heuynesse That ye han felt, and on the aduersite 25 Of othere folk, and thynketh how that ye Han felt that loue dorste yow displese, Or ye han wonne hym with to grete an ese. And preieth for hem that ben in the cas Of Troilus, as ye may after here, 30 That loue hem brynge in heuene to solas; And ek for me preieth to god so dere That I haue myght to shewe in som manere Swich peyne and wo as loues folk endure, In Troilus vnsely auenture. 35 And biddeth ek for hem that ben despeired - 1 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I In loue that neuere nyl recouered be, And ek for hem that falsly ben apeired Thorugh wikked tonges, be it he or she; Thus biddeth god, for his benignite, 40 So graunte hem soone owt of this world to pace, That ben despeired out of loues grace. And biddeth ek for hem that ben at ese. That god hem graunte ay good perseueraunce, And send hem myght hire ladies so to plese 45 That it to loue be worship and plesaunce; ffor so hope I my sowle best auaunce, To prey for hem that loues seruauntz be, And write hire wo, and lyue in charite, And for to haue of hem compassioun, 50 As though I were hire owne brother dere. Now herkneth with a good entencioun, ffor now wil I gon streght to my matere, In which ye may the double sorwes here Of Troilus in louynge of Criseyde, 55 And how that she forsook hym er she deyde. Yt is wel wist how that the Grekes stronge In armes with a thousand shippes wente To Troiewardes, and the cite longe Assegeden, neigh ten yer er they stente, 60 And in diuerse wise and oon entente, The rauysshyng to wreken of Eleyne, By Paris don, they wroughten al hir peyne. Now fel it so that in the town ther was Dwellynge a lord of gret auctorite. 65 A gret deuyn that clepid was Calkas, That in science so expert was that he Knew wel that Troie sholde destroied be, By answere of his god that highte thus: Daun Phebus or Appollo Delphicus. 70 So whan this Calkas knew by calkulynge, And ek by answer of this Appollo. That Grekes sholden swich a peple brynge Thorugh which that Troie moste ben for-do, He caste anon out of the town to go; 75 ffor wel wiste he by sort that Troye sholde - 2 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I Destroyed ben — ye, wolde who-so nolde. ffor which forto departen softely Took purpos ful this for-knowynge wise, And to the Grekes oost ful pryuely 80 He stal anon; and they in curteys wise Hym diden bothe worship and seruyce, In trust that he hath konnynge hem to rede In euery peril which that is to drede. The noise vp ros whan it was first aspied 85 Thorugh al the town and generaly was spoken That Calkas traitour fled was and allied With hem of Grece, and casten to be wroken On hym that falsly hadde his feith so broken, And seyden he and al his kyn atones 90 Ben worthi for to brennen, felle and bones Now hadde Calkas left in this meschaunce, Al vnwist of this false and wikked dede, His doughter, which that was in gret penaunce, ffor of hire lif she was ful sore in drede, 95 As she that nyste what was best to rede; ffor bothe a widewe was she and allone Of any frend to whom she dorste hir mone. Criseyde was this lady name al right — As to my doom in al Troies cite 100 Nas non so fair, for passynge euery wight So aungelik was hir natif beaute That lik a thing in-mortal semed she, As doth an heuenyssh perfit creature That down were sent in scornynge of nature. 105 This lady which that alday herd at ere Hire fadres shame, his falsnesse and tresoun, Wel neigh out of hir wit for sorwe and fere, In widewes habet large of samyt broun, On knees she fil biforn Ector adown 110 With pitous vois, and tendrely wepynge, His mercy bad, hir seluen excusynge. Now was this Ector pitous of nature, And saugh that she was sorwfully bigon, And that she was so faire a creature; 115 - 3 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I Of his goodnesse he gladede hire anon, And seyde, "lat youre fadres treson gon fforth with meschaunce, and ye youre self in ioie Dwelleth with vs, whil yow good list, in Troie. "And al thonour that men may don yow haue, 120 As ferforth as youre fader dwelled here, Ye shul haue, and youre body shal men saue, As fer as I may ought enquere or here." And she hym thonked with ful humble chere, And ofter wolde, and it hadde ben his wille. 125 And took hire leue, and hom, and held hir stille. And in hire hous she abood with swich meyne As til hire honour nede was to holde; And whil she was dwellynge in that cite Kepte hir estat, and both of yonge and olde 130 fful wel biloued, and wel men of hir tolde — But wheither that she children hadde or noon, I rede it naught, ther-fore I late it goon. The thynges fellen as they don of werre Bitwixen hem of Troie and Grekes ofte; 135 ffor som day boughten they of Troie it derre, And eft the Grekes founden no thing softe The folk of Troie; and thus fortune on lofte And vnder eft gan hem to whielen bothe Aftir hir cours, ay whil that thei were wrothe. 140 But how this town com to destruccion Ne falleth naught to purpos me to telle; ffor it were here a long digression ffro my matere and yow to long to dwelle; But the Troian gestes as they felle, 145 In Omer or in Dares or in Dite, Who-so that kan may rede hem as they write. But though that Grekes hem of Troie shetten And hir cite biseged al aboute, Hire olde vsage nolde they nat letten, 150 As for to honour hir goddes ful deuoute; But aldirmost in honour, out of doute, Thei hadde a relik heet Palladion That was hire trist abouen euerichon. - 4 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I And so bifel whan comen was the tyme 155 Of Aperil, whan clothed is the mede With newe grene, of lusty Veer the pryme, And swote smellen floures white and rede, In sondry wises shewed, as I rede, The folk of Troie hire obseruaunces olde, 160 Palladiones feste forto holde. And to the temple in al hir beste wise In general ther wente many a wight To herknen of Palladion the seruyce; And namely, so many a lusty knyght, 165 So many a lady fressh and mayden bright, fful wel arayed, both moeste, mene, and leste, Ye, bothe for the seson and the feste. Among thise othere folk was Criseyda, In widewes habit blak, but natheles, 170 Right as oure firste lettre is now an A, In beaute first so stood she makeles; Hire goodly lokyng gladed al the prees. Nas neuere yet seyn thyng to ben preysed derre, Nor vnder cloude blak so bright a sterre, 175 As was Criseyde, as folk seyde euerichone, That hir behelden in hir blake wede; And yet she stood ful lowe and stille allone, Byhynden other folk in litel brede, And nei y the dore, ay vndre shames drede, 180 Simple of atire and debonaire of chere, With ful assured lokyng and manere. This Troilus, as he was wont to gide His yonge knyghtes, lad hem vp and down In thilke large temple on euery side, 185 Byholding ay the ladies of the town, Now here, now there, for no deuocioun Hadde he to non to reuen hym his reste, But gan to preise and lakken whom hym leste. And in his walk ful faste he gan to wayten 190 If knyght or squyer of his compaignie Gan forto syke or lete his eighen baiten On any womman that he koude espye; He wolde smyle and holden it folye, - 5 - Chaucer: Troilus and Criseyde Book I And seye hym thus, "god woot, she slepeth softe 195 ffor loue of the, whan thow turnest ful ofte.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Knight's Tale
    The Knight: his Portrait and his Tale 1 Here is the portrait of the Knight from the General Prologue The Knight is the person of highest social standing on the pilgrimage though you would never know it from his modest manner or his clothes. He keeps his ferocity for crusaders' battlefields where he has distinguished himself over many years and over a wide geographical area. As the text says, he is not "gay", that is, he is not showily dressed, but is still wearing the military padded coat stained by the armor he has only recently taken off. A KNIGHT there was and that a worthy man That from the tim• that he first began 45 To riden out, he lov•d chivalry, Truth and honóur, freedom and courtesy.1 Full worthy was he in his lord•'s war, lorde's = king's or God's And thereto had he ridden--no man farre farther As well in Christendom as Heatheness heathendom 50 And ever honoured for his worthiness. His campaigns At Alexandria he was when it was won. captured Full often times he had the board begun table Aboven all• natïons in Prussia.2 In Lithow had he reis•d and in Russia Lithuania / fought 55 No Christian man so oft of his degree. rank In Gránad' at the siege eke had he be Granada / also Of Algesir and ridden in Belmarie. At Ley•s was he and at Satalie When they were won, and in the Great• Sea Mediterranean 60 At many a noble army had he be.
    [Show full text]
  • Ovid's Wand: the Brush of History and the Mirror of Ekphrasis Presented In
    Ovid’s Wand: the brush of history and the mirror of ekphrasis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Reid Hardaway, M.A. Graduate Program in English The Ohio State University 2017 Dissertation Committee: Ethan Knapp, Advisor Karen Winstead Sarah-Grace Heller Copyright by Reid Hardaway 2017 Abstract The recent work on the manuscript reception of Ovid’s canon and Ovidian commentaries in western Europe has affirmed the author’s significant literary influence in the late Mid- dle Ages. The production and reception of Ovidinia flourished, and Ovid’s poems in- creasingly became read as coherent compositions rather than dissected for bits of moral exempla. In particular, the Metamorphoses profoundly affects the literary landscape of late medieval France and England. Allusions to Ovid’s poem reemerge throughout the late Middle Ages at defining moments of poetic self-consciousness, most often through figures of ekphrasis, the use of poetry in order to portray other media of art. By examin- ing such moments from a selection of influential medieval poems, the mind of the late medieval poet reveals itself in perpetual contestation with the images and figures of an Ovidian lineage, but the contest entails the paradoxical construction of poetic identity, which forces the poet to impose the haunting shadow of literary history onto the mirror of his or her craft. ii Acknowledgements The following work would not have been possible without the considerate and insightful assistance of my advisor, Ethan Knapp, as well as the other members of the dissertation committee, Karen Winstead and Sarah-Grace Heller.
    [Show full text]
  • Davies. Troilus and Siege
    ! ‘Wereyed on every side:’ Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde and the Logic of Siege Warfare* D"#$%& D"'$%( Geo)rey Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde is a narrative of war that disavows any interest in recounting the events of war. Set towards the end of the Trojan War, Chaucer’s tale turns its back on valorous deeds and bloody battles in favour of the love a)air between a Trojan prince and a beautiful widow, Troilus and Criseyde. *is attitude is epitomized by a line from the opening of the poem that Chaucer closely translated from Giovanni Boccaccio’s Il Filostrato: ‘*e thynges fellen, as they don of werre’ (+.+!,).+ *ings happened, as they do in war: armies attacked the city, the city fought back; pitched battles occurred, soldiers died; the war of attrition continued. *e events of the Trojan War are ‘wel wist’ (+.-.), and it is not Chaucer’s task or his intention to recapitulate what we already know about the war. *is idea is repeated at the end of the poem, where Chaucer states that if he had intended to write ‘*e armes of this ilke worthi man, / *an wolde ich of his batailles endite; / But for that I to writen /rst bigan / Of his love, I have seyd as I kan’ (-.+.0-–+.01). If Chaucer had meant to write about Troilus’ military endeavours, then * For their criticism, commentary and support, I would like to thank Kellie Robertson and the two anonymous readers of New Medieval Literatures, Aaron Bartels-Swindells, Arthur Bahr, Rita Copeland, Helen Cushman, Jonathan Morton, Paul Saint-Amour, Emily Steiner, Spencer Strub and David Wallace, and audiences at the Sewanee Medieval Colloquium, Delaware Medieval Association and La Poésie dans les temps de guerre for comments and suggestions.
    [Show full text]
  • Criseydanconversations5.Pdf (51.42Kb)
    5 Books IV and V: Exchange and Inconstancy Following the consummation scene and close of Book III, the figure of Criseyde spirals downward to her fate as the exemplar of inconstancy and fickleness as she has come to be known. In Book IV the affair of Troilus and Criseyde moves beyond the private space and into the realm of public politics. Pandarus’ “zone of private power,” as Sarah Stanbury calls it, is shattered, and his control is severed. So, too, we witness the narrator’s own unraveling under the weight of impending scenes which he seemingly wishes not to render. But Criseyde continues to be the hinge on which the story pivots, and it is on her actions, as always, the outcome seemingly depends. Elizabeth Archibald (“Declarations of ‘Entente’ in Troilus and Criseyde”) continues her study of ‘entente’ in Book IV, in which she argues “every use of the word is connected to Criseyde’s intentions and decisions” (203). In fact, she states, “Criseyde’s ‘entente’ is the focus of Book IV, and by the end of the book the narrator gives us clear indications that we are to take Criseyde’s intentions as ephemeral and untrustworthy” (205). Troilus determines to accept Criseyde’s desires in her trade to the Greeks: For which he gan deliberen, for the beste, That though the lordes wolde that she wente, He wolde lat hem graunte what hem leste, And telle his lady first what that they mente; And whan that she hadde seyd hym hire entente, Therafter wolde he werken also blyve, 70 Theigh al the world ayeyn it wolde stryve.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF 928.08 KB
    Devils to Ourselves An analysis of the humanistic pessimism that links Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde to Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida as well as Romeo and Juliet Juliette Mann Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Prerequisite for Honors in English Literature under the advisement of Cord Whitaker April 2017 2017 Juliette Mann 1 Table of Contents: Dedication and Acknowledgements (Page 3) Chapter 1: Troilus and Troilus: An examination of the flawed nature of Chaucer’s and Shakespeare’s respective heroes (Page 13) Chapter 2: Criseyde and Cressida: How differing depictions of “falsehood” shape Shakespeare’s and Chaucer’s respective morals (Page 30) Chapter 3: Redemption from Chaucer to Shakespeare An analysis of religious morals in Troilus and Criseyde and Romeo and Juliet (Page 47) Chapter 4: Romeo and Juliet to Troilus and Cressida A discussion of how ideals of love and life shift within Shakespeare’s own work (Page 60) Conclusion (Page 78) Bibliography (Page 81) 2 For D.R.M. I would like to acknowledge the work of my advisor, Professor Cord J. Whitaker, and thank him for his tireless work on my behalf. Without his advice and direction, this work would not exist. Thank you as well, to Professor Yu Jin Ko and Professor William Cain, for their comments which ultimately helped shape my final draft. Thank you once more to Professor Ko for first introducing me to Troilus and Cressida, and to my Oxford tutor, Laura Ashe, for the endless inspiration. 3 Although Chaucer and Shakespeare lived and wrote roughly 200 years apart, they both managed to produce works that set the precedent for tragedy and romance.
    [Show full text]
  • Geoffrey Chaucer's House of Fame
    Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1996 Geoffrey Chaucer's House of Fame: From Authority to Experience Victoria Frantseva Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in English at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Frantseva, Victoria, "Geoffrey Chaucer's House of Fame: From Authority to Experience" (1996). Masters Theses. 1905. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1905 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THESIS REPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candidates (who have written formal theses) SUBJECT: Permission to Reproduce Theses The University Library is rece1v1ng a number of requests from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow theses to be copied. PLEASE SIGN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. I respectfully request Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University not allow my thesis to be reproduced because: Author Date GEOFFREY CHAUCER'S HOUSE OF FAME: FROM AUTHORITY TO EXPERIENCE BY Victoria Frantseva THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS 1996 I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE DATE DATE Abstract Geoffrey Chaucer's House of Fame is one of the most provocative dream-vision poems written in the fourteenth century.
    [Show full text]
  • Geoffrey Chaucer's the Knight's Tale and Its 2003
    GEOFFREY CHAUCER’S THE KNIGHT’S TALE AND ITS 2003 BBC ADAPTATION Word count: 21,184 Fien De Brie Student number: 01406411 Supervisor(s): Prof. Dr. Guido Latré A dissertation submitted to Ghent University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Taal- en Letterkunde: Engels - Duits Academic year: 2017 - 2018 GEOFFREY CHAUCER’S THE KNIGHT’S TALE AND ITS 2003 BBC ADAPTATION Word count: 21,184 Fien De Brie Student number: 01406411 Supervisor(s): Prof. Dr. Guido Latré A dissertation submitted to Ghent University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Taal- en Letterkunde: Engels - Duits Academic year: 2017 - 2018 Verklaring ivm auteursrecht De auteur en de promotor(en) geven de toelating deze studie als geheel voor consultatie beschikbaar te stellen voor persoonlijk gebruik. Elk ander gebruik valt onder de beperkingen van het auteursrecht, in het bijzonder met betrekking tot de verplichting de bron uitdrukkelijk te vermelden bij het aanhalen van gegevens uit deze studie. Het auteursrecht betreffende de gegevens vermeld in deze studie berust bij de promotor(en). Het auteursrecht beperkt zich tot de wijze waarop de auteur de problematiek van het onderwerp heeft benaderd en neergeschreven. De auteur respecteert daarbij het oorspronkelijke auteursrecht van de individueel geciteerde studies en eventueel bijbehorende documentatie, zoals tabellen en figuren. 7 Acknowledgements First of all I would like to thank my supervisor prof. Dr Guido Latré. His guidance helped me to narrow down my focus and provided me with useful sources and tips to go further. I could always send in chapters for feedback, and my questions were answered extensively until the very end.
    [Show full text]
  • The Canterbury Tales
    0 The Canterbury Tales by GEOFFREY CHAUCER A READER-FRIENDLY EDITION Put into modern spelling by MICHAEL MURPHY GENERAL PROLOGUE 1 GENERAL PROLOGUE The opening is a long, elaborate sentence about the effects of Spring on the vegetable and animal world, and on people. The style of the rest of the Prologue and Tales is much simpler than this opening. A close paraphrase of the opening sentence is offered at the bottom of this page.1 When that April with his showers soote its showers sweet The drought of March hath pierc•d to the root And bath•d every vein in such liquor rootlet / liquid Of which virtúe engendered is the flower;2 5 When Zephyrus eke with his sweet• breath West Wind also Inspir•d hath in every holt and heath grove & field The tender cropp•s, and the young• sun young shoots / Spring sun Hath in the Ram his half• course y-run,3 in Aries / has run And small• fowl•s maken melody little birds 10 That sleepen all the night with open eye Who sleep (So pricketh them Natúre in their couráges), spurs / spirits Then longen folk to go on pilgrimáges, people long And palmers for to seeken strang• strands pilgrims / shores To fern• hallows couth in sundry lands,4 distant shrines known 15 And specially from every shir•'s end county's Of Eng•land to Canterbury they wend go The holy blissful martyr for to seek, St. Thomas Becket That them hath holpen when that they were sick. Who has helped them 1 When April with its sweet showers has pierced the drought of March to the root and bathed every rootlet in the liquid by which the flower is engendered; when the west wind also, with its sweet breath, has brought forth young shoots in every grove and field; when the early sun of spring has run half his course in the sign of Aries, and when small birds make melody, birds that sleep all night with eyes open, (as Nature inspires them to) --THEN people have a strong desire to go on pilgrimages, and pilgrims long to go to foreign shores to distant shrines known in various countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Book Iii Troilus and Criseyde Book Iii
    BOOK III TROILUS AND CRISEYDE BOOK III BOOK III Invocation to Love 1. O blissful light, of which the beam•s clear Adorneth all the third• heaven fair; 1 O Sun's lief, O Jov•'s daughter dear, beloved of the Sun Pleasance of love, O goodly debonair, Pleasure / benign (one) In gentle hearts ay ready to repair, always ready to dwell O very cause of heal and of gladness, health Y-heried be thy might and thy goodness. praised 2. In heaven and hell, in earth and salt• sea Is felt thy might, if that I well discern, As man, bird, beast, fish, herb and green• tree Thee feel in tim•s with vapour etern. 2 influence, power God loveth, and to lov• will not wern; won't forbid And in this world no liv• creäture Withouten love is worth or may endure. is worth [anything] 3. You fierc• Mars appeasen of his ire, You placate M. And as you list you maken heart•s dign; as you wish / worthy Algat•s them that you will set a-fire Always They dreaden shame, and vices they resign; You do them courteous be, fresh and benign, You make them 1 In medieval astronomy Venus, to whom this invocation is addressed, occupied the third of the seven spheres. She is also, of course, the lover of Mars and goddess of love, the spirit of love that affects all things in Nature. Taken in part from Boccaccio, the invocation is ultimately derived from Boethius, the late classical / early medieval Christian philosopher who celebrated the power of Love (though not Venus) which holds all of God's creation together.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog
    UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG — 2017-2018 — Converse College Undergraduate Catalog 2017-2018 “I certify that this catalog is true and correct in content and policy and states progress requirements for graduation.” Signature of Authorized Official Name: Krista Newkirk J.D. Title: President Converse College does not discriminate in admissions or employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, religion or disability. Converse admits only women to undergraduate programs and services in accordance with its historical mission. VISITORS Converse College welcomes visitors. Administrative offices in Wilson Hall, Carmichael Hall, Blackman Music Hall, and the Carnegie Building are open from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. (Summer hours: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm; College closes at 1:00 pm on Fridays.) Those who wish an interview with members of the staff are urged to make appointments in advance of their visit. Telephone 864.596.9000. Revised on July 2016 Table of Contents Converse College Calendar ..................................................................... 1-2 The Founder’s Ideal .................................................................................... 3 The College ............................................................................................. 4-7 Admissions .............................................................................................. 8-9 Fees and Financial Assistance .............................................................10-22 Academic Life ......................................................................................23-28
    [Show full text]
  • Transforming Lovers and Memorials in Ovid and Marie De France
    TRANSFORMING LOVERS AND MEMORIALS IN OVID AND MARIE DE FRANCE SunHee Kim Gertz Late medieval authors were fascinated by classical literature, by what for all practical purposes functioned as the literary canon for readers and writers of the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries. As made clear by earlier scholarship — which often, however, interpreted medieval reception of classi­ cal literature as badly understood — medieval writers did not simply honour or completely authorize their predecessors. Indeed, more comfortable with the idea of tradition than slavish imitators Eire, medieval poets transformed classical texts in any number of ways, often feeling at liberty to change even critical narrative elements in the process. They did so, apparently, for differ­ ent purposes, but one of the most interesting, it seems to me, was to explore what writing meant in their own literary circles. Reading and Transformation: Marie de France and Ovid Against what intuitively seems likely, such transformations of classical ma­ terial often occur in narratives that only subtly invoke literary ancestors and that (unlike, for instance, the romans antiques) do not owe an obvious debt of plot and characters to their predecessors. The twelfth-century lais of Marie de France offer particularly good examples, especially since her narra­ tor evinces an awareness of borrowing from the past. Indeed, she announces in the General Prologue that she will avoid mapping her own writing onto Latin (and hence, authoritative) narratives: comen;ai a penser D’aukune bone estoire faixe E de latin en romaunz traire; Mais ne me fust gil aires de pris [. .] Des lads pensai, k’o'iz aveie [.
    [Show full text]
  • Chaucer's Troilus and Shakespeare's Troilus
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1989 Chaucer's Troilus and Shakespeare's Troilus: A Comparison of Their eclinesD Laura Devon Flesor Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in English at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Flesor, Laura Devon, "Chaucer's Troilus and Shakespeare's Troilus: A Comparison of Their eD clines" (1989). Masters Theses. 2408. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/2408 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THESIS REPRODUCTION CERTIFICATE TO: Graduate Degree Candidates who have written formal theses. SUBJECT: Permission to reproduce theses. The University Library is receiving a number of requests from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow theses to be copied. · Please sign one of the following statements: Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion
    [Show full text]