Teseida
Boccaccio's epic poem about Theseus and a love rivalry.
Last updated
Its notional subject is the ancient Greek hero Theseus, though much of the narrative focuses on the rivalry of Palemone and Arcita for Emilia. The poem is notable as the main source of Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Knight's Tale' and, through it, of the later play The Two Noble Kinsmen by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher.
Quick Facts
- Full title
- Teseida delle Nozze d’Emilia
- Author
- Giovanni Boccaccio
- Date composed
- c.1340–41
- Length
- almost 10,000 lines divided into twelve books
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
Book I: Theseus (Teseo) leads an expedition to Scythia to suppress a rebellion of women who have elected Hippolyta (Ipolita) as their queen. He attacks her fortress, and she surrenders on the condition that she becomes his queen; Theseus is also attracted to her sister Emilia. Book II: Returning to Athens with Hippolyta, Theseus encounters Theban widows whose husbands were denied burial by Creon. He reroutes his army to Thebes, defeats Creon, and his soldiers find the cousins Palemone and Arcita nearly dead on the battlefield.
Theseus orders them imprisoned for life in Athens. Book III: From their shared prison cell, both men see Emilia and fall in love.
At the intercession of Theseus's friend Peritoo, Arcita is released on condition he leave Athens forever. Book IV: Palemone remains in prison able to see Emilia but not reach her; Arcita, unable to see her, becomes gaunt from love. After years, he disguises himself as Penteo and returns to Athens, securing a position in Theseus's court.
More in Cultural Depictions of Theseus
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Teseida (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced