Abstract In the world of medieval literature, Giovanni Boccaccio is renowned for his timeless contributions in the form of "Decameron," also translated as "Ten Day's Work." This literary piece by Boccaccio chronicles the short stories and narratives of ten people who sought refuge from the city that is being affected with the Black Plague. In "Decameron", two main themes are prevalent among the stories narrated by the ten young people assembled outside the city during the Black Plague. These themes are the criticism of the Catholic Church and the Christian religion and the 'idealization' of women, illustrated through Boccaccio's portrayal of women in his narratives. These two themes are discussed and analyzed in the paper, in relation to specific passages extracted from "Decameron". These passages are related in accordance to the social, political and religious landscape of European society during Boccaccio's time in order to understand fully the message implicated behind the stories Boccaccio's main characters narrate.
Outline:
I. Introduction to Giovanni Boccaccio's Life and Society
II. Socio- Historical Context of "Decameron": Main Themes
A. Criticism of the Catholic Church
B. Idealization of Women
III. Conclusion: "Decameron"as a Social Criticism of the 13th and 14th Centuries
From the Paper "Interestingly, Chappelet's character represents the dual character of the Church, an institution respected and feared by the society because of its great hold and political power in European society during the Middle Ages. While the Church is demonstrated as a holy and religious institution as personified by "Saint" Chappelet, the Church is also criticized for its harsh treatment of non-conformers and rigid rules imposed upon the society, which is a characteristic evident in Boccaccio's portrayal of Chappelet. The severe and rigid treatment of the Church to European society during the Middle Ages is best explained by Giulio Ferroni (1991), who described the religious and social landscape during the 13th and 14th centuries in Europe..."
Abstract This paper shows that Giovanni Boccaccio wrote "The Decameron" for several reasons. The paper suggests that "The Decameron" was meant to be a way to educate women that did not attend school, a way for Boccaccio himself to deal with his own "lovesickness", and to offer solace to others that also feel lovesick. But perhaps the most significant reason for writing "The Decameron" was to comment on various aspects of society that he found to be flawed or unsound. To help demonstrate his point, the author of the paper uses the stories "Ser Cepperello", "Masetto di Lamporecchio", "Friar Cipolla", and "The Abbott and Ferondo" as examples.
From the Paper "He did this in a somewhat inconspicuous way, by not actually writing a work of condemnation or disapproval. Instead, by joining together several stories of lust, greed, corruption, and infidelity, as told by ten youths during the plague, Boccaccio effectively criticizes several facets of society. The church and it's many faults is one of these facets that Boccaccio criticizes at length. "
Abstract This paper examines how the Black Death of 1348 forms the background to Boccaccio's "Decameron"; a group of ten young high-born citizens of Florence - seven women and three men - flee the city to escape the disease and take refuge in the villas outside the city walls. It looks at how "The Decameron" arises from and reflects a society afflicted by the overwhelming catastrophe of the Black Death, a catastrophe which, in the 1340s, reduced the population of the city by up to one-half and severely affected every aspect of Florentine life.
From the Paper "That satirical criticism is clear in the second novel of the first day, in which Neifile tells the story of Abraham, a Jew who, at the instance of a friend, Jehannot, who is trying to convert him to Christianity, decides to 'go to Rome, and there observe the man whom you call the vicar of God on earth, and examine his life and habits together with those of his fellow cardinals' (Boccaccio, 38). This prospect alarms Jehannot: 'if he goes to the court of Rome and sees what foul and wicked lives the clergy lead, not only will he not become a Christian, but, if he had already turned Christian, he would become a Jew again without fail' (Boccaccio, 39). This passage is interesting in taking for granted that the listeners to the story, and of course the readers, share the opinion of Jehannot and the narrator that Rome is a place of iniquity and that the clergy there live foul lives inconsistent with the supposed teachings and values of Christianity."
Abstract The paper offers a character analysis of the characters in Giovanni Boccaccio's "The Decameron" and in Dante's "Inferno." The paper examines the character of Griselda in "The Decameron" as an upholder of social values, her nobility of heart and spirit and also discusses the cruel tests her husband puts her through to "prove" her love. The paper examines Dante's Satan as a symbolic creature who epitomizes Dante's concept of the ultimate evil.
From the Paper "The concept of the patient Griselda is a common place of discussion about "The Decameron." The manifest content of the story of Griselda and her husband Gualtieri is that the nobleman decides one day that he wants to put his peasant wife to the trial of proving her love for him and then manufactures a series of cruelties designed to have her reject him. First he verbally abuses her."
Abstract This paper discusses "The Decameron" by Boccaccio. The author focuses on the use of casual sex and jeopardized morals in Boccaccio's stories as a social commentary of the day. Special attention is paid to the parody Boccaccio makes of religion and its rituals and rules.
From the Paper "As with many works of literature such as Catcher in the Rye, Grapes of Wrath, and The Odyssey, Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron is as controversial as the work is praised. Boccaccio's work is filled with characters with debatable moral compasses and uncontrollable sex drives in compromising situations which have undoubtedly offended masses while at the same time entertained them as well. Certainly those of faith who believe God rewards or punishes based on the actions of people would be horrified after reading Boccaccio's hundred tales, most of which feature no unfavorable repercussions of what the church's leaders would deem immoral. Two perfect examples of this lack of consequences for the debauched characters are stories of Masetto and Rustico from the third day. In these two stories from the third day, Boccaccio both notes the blatant hypocrisy of the holy men and women while allowing the characters to receive no punishment for impure acts because of his desire to poke fun at the church and society instead of inciting social change."
Abstract This paper examines the author Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375) who is one of the influential thinkers and a literary figure of the Middle Ages. The paper points out that his depiction of the medieval society is one of the best and most accurate among the other medieval writers. The author reveals that ?Decameron?, written around 1350 during an outbreak of the plague in Florence, is a fictional account of 10 young people who flee to a country manor and begin telling stories to keep themselves occupied and diverted from the tragedy.
From the Paper "Boccaccio's "Decameron", though a fictional account contains real historical events and tells us the social structure, politics and conditions in the 14th century Europe. Thus, the stories contain within them a realistic outlook and realistic themes. The characters of the stories are common characters and belong to the lower classes. In addition, Boccaccio shows that the characters are the product of social factors and environment and this is the integral element in its dramatic complication. These common characters tell us the life and social conditions in Europe and particularly in Florence. The protagonist of
Day 2 is Martellino; he is a jester along with his friends Stecchi and Marchese. They use to go around the courts where they entertain the audience by making disguises. These jesters were common in the Middle Ages and provided people with, entertainment. It was a common belief in the Middle Ages that good-humored joking protected a person from misfortune. The jesters also were considered lucky and one of the reasons Boccaccio presents them in the story."
This paper discusses the social criticism of the patriarchal and Christian society in the 14th century Italian civilization, as presented in Giovanni Boccaccio's ?The Decameron?.
Abstract This paper explains that ?The Decameron? (Ten Days? Work), written by Boccaccio from 1348 to 1353, illustrates the glory of the Renaissance movement and the destruction of the Black Death. The author points out that Boccaccio provides social criticism through anecdotes narrated by the characters in the novel about patriarchy, women's marginalization, and the dominance and abuses of the Church. The paper relates that Boccaccio looks at the psyche and feeling of women in the midst of a conservative patriarchal society and provides his readers with his "ideal" notion of a woman of his time by providing a characterization of women who are portrayed to not be ideal.
From the Paper "The third group is a moderate mix of the first two groups, opting to live life to the fullest, "thinking it an excellent idea to fortify the brain"for the stench of the dead bodies? seemed to fill and pollute the whole of the atmosphere.? Lastly, the last group of people in Boccacio's society fled from their homes and sought refuge in the countryside, believing that their city was cursed by God: ?? large numbers of men and women abandoned their city? they imagined that the wrath of God? would only be aroused against those who found themselves within the city walls.?"
Abstract In this paper, Machiavelli's "The Prince" and Boccaccio's "Decameron" are compared and contrasted on several different levels. Both works are considered in terms of their historical contexts. Questions of leadership and social change are also analyzed in terms of the authors' works. The paper also compares Machiavelli's philosophy to that of Christine de Pizan. Finally, the author examines both works in terms of their gender roles.
Morality and Virtue in the Society: Social and Political Perspectives from Niccolo Machiavelli and Christine de Pizan
Machiavelli and De Pizan on Gender Role Differences
From the Paper "De Pizan, on the other hand, offered a different way of looking into a political issue, especially if this issue involves an important sector in the society: women. In her discourse, "The Treasure of the City of Ladies," De Pizan contemplated how human society had developed the psyche and perception that females are inherently inferior to males. This issue was borne out of the author's observation how literary and scholarly works portray a common stereotype of women as subversive to men, depicted as uneducated and not able to create decisions for themselves. In the words of Pizan, "learned men" tend depict women through 'wicked insults" about their behavior. This drove her to investigate and know the origin of this perception and wrong portrayal of women in Western societies."
Tags: The Prince, Decameron, Italy, social, change, Enlightenment, Machiavelli, Boccaccio, De, Pizan
Abstract This paper discusses Giovanni Boccaccio's masterpiece, "The Decameron", and describes it as one of the greatest literary works that follows the tradition of the frame narrative. The paper describes the creative farces which are included in each narrative and how these give a highly aesthetic value to each story. The paper discusses some of the lessons in witticism and the art of ingenuity that can be taken from the stories.
From the Paper "Matteo Bandello, another important writer who was influenced by Boccaccio and who in his turn influenced other major writers, like Shakespeare, also wrote a collection of stories that are based on the same main principle of the art of deceiving or playing farces. His version of Romeo and Juliet can be seen as starting from the idea of deceiving or farce, although in this case the deceiving has tragic consequences. Many of the ideas in Boccaccio were thus transmitted to great works like those of Shakespeare, especially in his comedies."
Abstract The paper discusses the differences and similarities between Boccaccio's "Decameron" and Marguerite of Navarre's "Heptameron". The paper focuses on the theme of "dissimulation" in both works, that is the deliberate withholding of information in order to deceive for a specific purpose. The paper looks at two stories from both works in order to highlight this theme and concludes that both works contain a mixture of fact and fiction, but both use this mixture with the higher goal of showing human hypocrisy and that deceit and dissimulation often rebound against the errant.
From the Paper "The are large differences as well as strong similarities between Boccaccio's Decameron and the Heptameron of Marguerite of Navarre. The works are separated by about two hundred years in time, and also by the difference between the French culture of Marguerite and the Italian culture of Boccaccio. Also, Boccaccio wrote in the time before the Protestant Reformation, and his work is clearly of a strong Catholic bent, despite his constant criticism and poking of fun at clerics and church bureaucrats. Marguerite, on the other hand, wrote during the time of the Reformation and put strong Protestant leanings in her work, which caused some controversy at the time and put her into a certain amount of danger, according to the introduction in the anthology. Even so, the cynicism and critiques that both writers express toward the established churches of their day show strong similarities and suggest that clerical corruption and hypocrisy is a ripe topic of satire in nearly any century."
From the Paper " Humanism in Boccaccio's The Decameron
The early years of fourteenth century Europe were plagued by many miseries. Recurring wars in Florence and Naples provided a turbulent backdrop for famine, financial crises, and worst of all, the Black Death, a scourge for which the century is best remembered. All of these events disrupted the social fabric of Florence and, given Florence's importance, the wider Italian scene as well. Boccaccio reflected upon the various upheavals being experienced during this time period in his work and this honest exploration of the human condition is best exemplified by his greatest Florentine work, The Decameron.
The "Ameto," Boccaccio's first work in this Florentine period, contains numerous allusions to local history, including prominent Florentine families. Boccaccio followed this work with..."
Abstract This paper examines the literary theory that Geoffrey Chaucer might have read "The Decameron" by Boccaccio before writing his "Canterbury Tales." It describes that the two stories are very different in their writting styles and the amount of detail given to its characters, but the works are similar in their opinions on God and the Christian Church. The second half of the paper argues against this theory.
From the Paper "Before giving specific examples from the texts, there are some similarities and differences that need to be discussed. First, Bocaccio doesn't let the reader get to know the characters very well. The story he tells is mostly of other people telling stories about still different people. The stories that are actually about someone doing something are usually focused on the actions of the people in question, what they did, and what happened to them, and provide little background explanation of the characters themselves.
Chaucer, on the other hand, discusses in great detail his characters so that the reader can know all about them from how they look to what kind of people they really are. Their desires and thoughts are made public and the reader feels like he or she knows the people that Chaucer is talking about. Because of this, the story is easier to understand and the reasons behind the characters' actions become clearer, instead of having to sometimes guess, as is necessary with Bocaccio."
Abstract This paper analyzes the religious themes in literary works of Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", Apuleius? "The Golden Ass", and Boccaccio's "The Decameron." It investigates how the authors illustrate that religion is an important component of daily life of their times. The paper uses of early literary works form the Classic age to the Middle Ages.
From the Paper "Religion is an important component of early literature, especially literature from the Greek and Roman periods and into the Middle Ages. It is a thread that combines many works of literature, not only because of the manner in which it is addressed, but also because of what the particular author of a work is saying about the dominant religion of his or her time within the context of the story being told. Three such works are Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", Apuleius? "The Golden Ass", and Boccaccio's "The Decameron."
Abstract The representation of reality in Western civilization has shifted at various points over millennia in response to fundamental changes in society and shifts in the paradigm through which people viewed the world around them. In this context, this essay will argue that Boccaccio's "The Decameron" can be seen both participating in the secular humanist movement of the late medieval period, as well as deviating from it with his characteristic preoccupation with the world "as is" as opposed to humanist focus on the "ideal".
Abstract The paper presents the hypothesis that, contrary to the opinions of several modern historians, the writings of Giovanni Boccaccio's "The Decameron" and Visnu Sarma's "The Pancantantra" represent accurate medieval thought regarding the status and treacherous nature of women. The paper shows how there are vast similarities between the women portrayed in Boccacio's work and those portrayed in "The Panchantantra", with both presenting a decidedly male perspective. The paper relates that the Panchantantra is stronger evidence that these attitudes prevailed in society and were not merely the views of the author himself.
Outline:
Boccacio: An Exploration in Florence, Italy
Sexuality in the Panchantantra
Conclusion
From the Paper "Giovanni Bocaccio lived in the early to mid 1300s. He was embroiled in the precarious glory that embodied the city of Florence, Italy during that time. Boccacio's works provide the reader with a candid glimpse of politics, morality, and gender roles of the time. There are several differences between beliefs about sexuality in Boccacio's time and in the modern era.
"The first difference is the modern stereotype that males are more likely to experience insatiable sexual desire than women. During the Middle Ages, it was believed that women were much more susceptible to sexual desire than men. Men were considered to be more rational and closer to the spiritual realm than women. Women were considered to be carnal and materialistic, even if they were nuns."
