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The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia

The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia

by Philip Sidney
(5 customer reviews)

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A pastoral romance of chivalry, love, and adventure from the Elizabethan age’s most celebrated poet-courtier.

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Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia stands as one of the most ambitious and enchanting works of Elizabethan literature. Begun as a diversion for his sister Mary, Countess of Pembroke, it grew into a sprawling prose romance that weaves together tales of heroic princes, beautiful princesses, dangerous adventures, and pastoral idylls with extraordinary richness and invention.

The story follows two young princes, Pyrocles and Musidorus, who fall in love with the daughters of Duke Basilius of Arcadia. The duke, seeking to escape a troubling oracle, has retreated to a pastoral lodge with his wife and daughters, setting in motion a series of disguises, misunderstandings, battles, kidnappings, and trials of virtue. Sidney peoples his Arcadia with a memorable cast: the noble but misguided Basilius, the wise and courageous Pamela, the gentle Philoclea, the passionate Gynecia, and a host of shepherds, knights, and villains.

Beyond its thrilling narrative, the Arcadia is a meditation on love, honour, friendship, and the nature of rule. Sidney fills his pages with philosophical digressions, poetic eclogues, and rhetorical set-pieces that showcase his dazzling literary skill. The work exists in two versions — the original ‘Old Arcadia’ and an expanded, unfinished revision — and this edition presents the complete text of the 1593 composite, including the Sixth Book added by Richard Bellings in the seventeenth century.

For readers who love Spenser, Shakespeare, and the riches of the English Renaissance, Sidney’s Arcadia is an indispensable treasure. This edition has been carefully prepared from the 1907 George Routledge text edited by Ernest A. Baker, with clear chapter divisions and modern typography for comfortable reading.

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5 reviews for The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia

  1. renaissanceReader –

    Sidneys Arcadia is a masterpiece. The language is gorgeous, the story is full of twists and turns, and the characters are surprisingly modern despite being written 400 years ago. Pyrocles and Musidorus are the original bromance. If you like Shakespeare you will love this. Definately worth the time despite its length.

  2. eliLitScholar –

    A sprawling Elizabethan romance that rewards patience. Sidneys prose is musical and his set-pieces are extraordinary, especially the shipwreck opening and the trial scene. The eclogues (poetry interludes) are a nice break between the prose sections. My only gripe is the unfinished state of the revision can feel jarring. Still an essential read.

  3. bookishBeth –

    I picked this up because I loved Sidneys sonnets and was not dissapointed. The Arcadia has everything: knights in armor, shepherds singing, cross dressing princesses, wicked suitors, narrow escapes. It reads like a Renaissance soap opera in the best way possible. The language takes some getting used to but once you find the rhythm its addictive.

  4. profWinston –

    This edition serves the text well. The book structure is clearly delineated and the formatting is clean. Sidney is one of those authors everyone references but few actually read, and its a shame because the Arcadia is genuinly entertaining. The sixth book by Bellings is a curiosity but interesting as a contemporary response to Sidneys work.

  5. quillAndInk –

    Sidney writes like an angel. The opening sentence alone is worth the price of admission. Ive read this three times now and each time I find new layers. The way he weaves together pagan mythology with Christian virtue ethics while telling a ripping good yarn is remarkable. Highly recomend to students of the Renaissance.

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