This introductory study presents Racine's Phedre as the culmination of French classical tragedy. It situates the play in its historical, literary and theatrical context, shows its relationship with other tragedies of Racine, and sketches its influence on later European literature. It analyzes the structures and language of the play, considers the major characters in action, and explores the ancient classical background and the mythological content. A chronological table of Racine's life and times and a guide to further reading are included.

This concise introduction to Gottfried von Strassburg's Tristan approaches the work both through its context and through a close reading of key passages of the text. The close textual reading builds up a distinctive interpretation of the work, in which particular attention is paid to Gottfried's reworking of literary tradition, his use of religious analogies, and his awareness of the fictive potential of literary language.

Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, written in Japan in the early eleventh century, is acknowledged to be one of Japan's greatest literary achievements, and sometimes thought of as the world's first novel. This introduction to the Genji sketches its cultural background, offers detailed analysis of the text, including language and style, and traces the history of its reception through nine centuries of cultural change. First Edition Hb (1988): 0-521-33349-0 First Edition Pb (1988): 0-521-33636-8

Vincent Sherry combines a detailed study of Ulysses with new critical arguments. He provides a useful guide to the episodic sequence of Joyce's novel and presents an inquisitive interpretation of this master work, re-addressing major issues in Ulysses criticism. Demonstrating how Joyce's modernist epic redefines Homer's Odyssey, he examines Joyce's extraordinary verbal experiments. First Edition Hb (1994): 0-521-42075-X First Edition Pb (1994): 0-521-42136-5

This handy guide to The Odyssey introduces students to a text which has been fundamental to literature for nearly 3,000 years. Providing a summary of the poem and examining its structure, Jasper Griffin clearly outlines the unity, values and techniques of the poem, as well as the reasons for its longstanding appeal. Students will discover the essential themes of loyalty and betrayal, and will be guided through the narrative of Odysseus' adventures, in addition to a helpful guide to further reading. First Edition Hb (1987): 0-521-32804-7 First Edition Pb (1987): 0-521-31043-1

This guide offers a complete account of the historical setting and significance of The Aeneid, and discusses Virgil's use of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, as well as the most celebrated episodes in the poem, including the tragedy of Dido and Aeneas' visit to the underworld. The volume examines Virgil's psychological and philosophical insights, and analyzes the poem's status as the central classical work of European culture. The guide to further reading has been updated and will prove an invaluable resource. First Edition Hb (1990): 0-521-32329-0 First Edition Pb (1990): 0-521-31157-8

Simon Goldhill focuses on the play's themes--justice, sexual politics, violence, and the role of man in ancient Greek culture--in this general introduction to Aeschylus' Oresteia, one of the most important and influential of all Greek dramas. After exploring how Aeschylus constructs a myth for the city in which he lived, a final chapter considers the influence of the Oresteia on more contemporary theater. The volume's organized structure and guide to further reading will make it an invaluable reference for students and teachers. First Edition Hb (1992): 0-521-40293-X First Edition Pb (1992):...

Robin Kirkpatrick addresses questions such as Dante's attitude towards Virgil, and demonstrates how the early work known as the Vita Nuova is a principal source of the literary achievement of the Comedy. His detailed study reveals how the great narrative poem explores the relationship that Dante believed to exist between God as creator of the universe and the human being as a creation of God. First Edition Hb (1986): 0-521-32809-8 First Edition Pb (1986): 0-521-30533-0

Michael Silk covers the poem's historical context, composition and extensive influence in this distinctive critical introduction to Homer's Iliad, the earliest epic poem, and the earliest known work of literature in ancient Greece. Silk relates its literary power to the peculiar coherence and inter-relation of such aspects of the poem as its style, character-portrayal and ideology. This revised edition considers recent scholarship and includes an updated guide to further reading. First Edition Hb (1986): 0-521-32814-4 First Edition Pb (1986): 0-521-31302-3

Placing the Canterbury Tales in the context of the crisis in English society in the fourteenth century, this guide examines the social diversity of Chaucer's pilgrims, the stylistic range of their tales and psychological richness of their interaction. It emphasizes the language of the poem, as well as the role of Chaucer in literary tradition, and devotes an entire chapter to the General Prologue widely studied in undergraduate courses. Finally, the volume includes a chronology of the period and an invaluable guide to further reading. First Edition Hb (1989): 0-521-32331-2 First Edition Pb...