Chaucer and Boccaccio by Piero Boitani is a comprehensive study exploring the profound influence of Giovanni Boccaccio’s Teseida on Geoffrey Chaucer’s Knight’s Tale. Boitani delves into the complex intertextual relationship between the two authors, examining how Chaucer adapted, transformed, and expanded upon Boccaccio’s works. Through meticulous analysis, Boitani compares the Teseida and the Knight’s Tale, highlighting the ways in which Chaucer incorporated Boccaccio’s classical references, mythological motifs, and narrative structure while reinterpreting the story through a Boethian philosophical lens.

The book goes beyond simple textual comparison, offering insights into the broader literary relationship between Chaucer and Boccaccio, including their shared themes of love, fate, and human suffering. Boitani also explores Chaucer’s engagement with other Boccaccio works, such as the Filostrato and Decameron, demonstrating how Chaucer creatively reshaped Boccaccio’s narratives to reflect his own artistic vision and moral concerns.

This scholarly work is essential reading for students and scholars of medieval literature, providing a rich exploration of the cross-cultural literary exchanges that shaped the works of two of the most important figures in medieval European literature.