IndexIntroductionHistorical contextLiterary historical contextAnalysisConclusionIntroductionGiovanni Boccaccio's medieval masterpiece “The Decameron” is a collection of stories, told over ten days, which highlight the best and the worse than human nature. Boccaccio's tales deal with themes such as adultery, love, premarital sex, devotion, deception, and manipulation, among others. Yet this work is historically significant because of its brutal and unprecedented courage in showing what was happening behind the closed doors of medieval society. As one scholar notes in Boccaccio's epilogue, there is a "request for freedom of expression, for a conception and acceptance of literature free from didactic and moralistic constraints and directed at the amusement, pleasure and consolation of the reader" . . Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Boccaccio's stated intent in writing "The Decameron" was to entertain the women of the time who had lost and suffered so much during the Black Death that swept across the entire European continent. However, through his work Boccaccio also illustrated the sexual freedom experienced by women in this period; a benefit of social instability during and after the epidemic. Furthermore, Boccaccio showed a side of the female gender, never before seen from a man's point of view: a woman who uses her intellectual ability, wit and sexuality as a means to achieve the desired result. Therefore, in his work Boccaccio captured a decisive moment for women in the Middle Ages. “The Decameron” is a commentary and illustration of how women of the time used their intelligence and sexuality as a means to assert power and free themselves from the social norms and restrictions imposed on them by the Church and patriarchal societies that had repressed them . throughout history. Historical Context To understand why the characteristics displayed by women in the “Decameron” were so rare and never seen before, one must first understand the social barriers they faced during their daily lives. Before the era known as the Middle Ages (starting around 500 AD) there was the period known as Classical Antiquity (ranging from around the 8th century BC to around 400 AD). Although this shift over time marked many changes, a notable difference can be identified in the gendered social structure of the European community. Much of the history recorded during antiquity revolves around the cultural and economic centers of Rome and Athens. The role of women in society, compared to men, in both of these cities was often parallel. In Rome, women were considered the property of their fathers until they were married off to their husbands. Roman husbands generally highly valued the institution of marriage and their wives. This appreciation manifested itself in the influential advice women provided to their husbands. Although it was not socially acceptable to publicly advise one's husband, men were known to follow advice offered by their wives in private. Women were mostly confined to their homes. It was not known for a respectable woman to go about alone; male supervision was required in public and during travel. Socially their role was to raise children and take care of the home while their husbands worked. It was not considered socially acceptable for a woman above the lower class to work. Therefore women did not give up much power; at no time in the Roman Empire was a woman allowed to hold public office. Monetarily, even a rich, elderly widow was not allowed to do somanage your finances independently. Therefore, women in Rome were extremely constrained by the roles that society imposed on them. Women were completely subservient to their male counterparts in all areas of life. Athenian women were equally submissive. From an early age the social paradigm was strongly rooted between girls and boys. Boys were separated from girls and offered private education which consisted of reading and writing. However, girls were only taught domestic skills such as weaving and child-rearing. Girls were married off by their fathers through male-centered marriages based on the father and groom. Unlike Roman husbands, Athenians did not see their wives as respectable counterparts. Instead, they were seen as inconveniences best left and confined to the home. Wives were not allowed to leave the home unless under supervision, and only women of the lower classes were allowed to work. A respectable woman's work was considered to provide for the needs of her husband and family. With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, the period known as the Middle Ages began. The social gender hierarchy still remained intact, however, due to the Black Death the moral codes that governed women loosened. While marriage was still viewed by the Church as a religious institution in which a woman was bound to her husband, the chaos caused by the spread of the disease resulted in women becoming less morally responsible for their ways with men. As Boccaccio explains in the introduction to the "Decameron", "in this extremity of sufferings and tribulations of our city the venerable authority of the laws, human and divine, was lowered and almost completely dissolved for lack of those who should have administered and enforced them respect. , most of whom, like the rest of the citizens, were either dead or sick or so badly beaten as servants that they were unable to perform any office; so every man was free to do what was right in his own eyes." Recognition of female sexuality was now more widely accepted, unlike in classical antiquity. In fact, during the Middle Ages, public opinion leaned towards the theory that women were actually more lustful than men, with “insatiable appetites.” Historical literary context Giovanni Boccaccio wrote "The Decameron" following the Black Death and essentially dedicated the book to women. In the introduction of the fourth day he defends the reasons why he wrote this book. His main argument cites his male affinity for women and states that he wrote the book to delight in women who bring him happiness. However, Boccaccio's intentions are not as significant as the perspective provided by his genre. “The Decameron” was revolutionary for the Middle Ages because never in history had a man written a book, written for women, that glorified the diversity and freedom of women. Most literature involving women came from the female writing community. One could almost say that Boccaccio presents himself as a feminist, praising and delighting in witty, intelligent, manipulative, aggressive, and even sexually liberated women. In particular, Boccaccio highlights female sexuality during the Middle Ages with unprecedented honesty. As a result of the chaos caused by the Black Death, laws relaxed and society's focus remained confused for some time. Therefore, the repressive social norms that had previously governed women were not as applicable or enforced through judgment. Thus Boccaccio, in the "Decameron", highlighted the sexual liberation experienced by women inthat era. Other authors of the time also wrote literature with these themes in mind; however, never had Boccaccio performed with honesty or to the extent that he pushed social norms to reveal what was socially acceptable. Most medieval authors disguised their sexual references with euphemisms and double entendres. The analysis of the “Decameron” is significant in the study of the female gender in the Middle Ages for two main reasons. First, within the literary community she broke from the mold and characterized women in a more honest and diverse light. However, more importantly, it recounts cases of women who break away from the social constraints imposed on them and act independently to form their own identity. One way the independent woman is identified in the “Decameron” is through the rebellious wife. Socially, women were always submissive partners, taking care of the home and never asserting themselves as individuals. However, Boccaccio's collection features many women who break this mold. In the fourth story of the seventh day, Tofano, an extremely jealous husband locks his wife out of the house. His wife, realizing the perception this situation will get from the neighbors, quickly devises a plan to change the dynamic and seize power. She threatens her husband by saying that she will jump down the well and commit suicide; leaving him to judge a murderer. He deftly throws a stone into the well. Her husband, interpreting that his wife has just intervened, runs to save her. However, she actually runs into the house and locks her husband out; turn the tables and regain control over her jealous husband. With the power now in her hands, the wife uses this advantage to gain greater freedom from the constraints of her role as a wife. This story therefore perfectly confirms the case of a wife using her wits to gain freedom within her marriage. Additionally, there are countless stories of women asserting themselves by expressing themselves within their society. The Seventh story of the Sixth day has as its protagonist Madonna Filippa, a wife who is surprised by her husband with a lover. After being brought to court, she deftly challenges the statute under which she is charged. Not only is she acquitted of all charges, but the law she challenges is also annulled. This story is unique because it illustrates the case of a woman who asserts herself through her intelligence, not only against her husband, but also against society and the laws that govern it. The Third Story of the Sixth Day also shows a woman who uses rhetoric to defend herself. Monna Nonna is approached by two rich men who are haughty and violent towards women. After seemingly disrespecting her in public with a barbed question, she doesn't submit to their status, but rather bites. Shocked and ashamed, the two men walk away and no longer bother her. Mona Nonna, therefore, shows the woman who is not afraid to speak out after having been wronged, and in doing so avoids further embarrassment or abuse. Most notable is the sexual behavior of women in the stories. The nuns in the First Tale of the Third Day summarize the feeling surrounding all the sexually aggressive women in the collection when they say, "while a single rooster is more than enough for ten hens, ten men can hardly satisfy ten women." The women in the “Decameron” are not afraid to publicly and unconventionally confess their sexual identity, often against the structure of their marriage. Since women of the time are believed to have stronger sexual desires than men, this theme is not so surprising. The character Peronella, in the Second Tale of the Seventh Day, rightly commits adultery with thehusband in the same room. When her husband comes home early, his wife is with her lover. Luckily he doesn't come in and she manages to trick him into thinking that the other man is only there to buy a barrel that her husband made. While the husband cleans the barrel, Peronella's lover begins to have sexual relations with her, behind her husband's back, figuratively and literally. Neither is caught and the cheating wife gets away with the scandalous act. This story is representative of a wife who has her own sexual identity outside the confines of marriage and her loyalty to her husband. She behaves like an individual and by doing so undermines the power or control her husband has over her. Peronella, with her quick thinking mentality, is able to control the power in the marriage and ultimately avoid detection. The fifth tale of the seventh day has a similar theme. A jealous husband disguises himself as a priest to hear his wife's confessions and confirm her suspicions of adultery. Understanding his trick, the wife deceives her husband into believing that her lover always enters through the door. While her husband waits patiently every night by the door waiting for his lover, she sneaks into her lover through the roof and lies with him. Although this act of adultery is committed more discreetly, the underlying implications are the same. The cheating wife is undermining her husband's power by using her wits to achieve the desired result. The first tale of the ninth day features a sexually lustful woman, who challenges not a husband, but rather two lovers. Madonna Francesca, despite having two lovers, but not loving any of them, tries to get rid of both. He makes a plan and tries to convince the first one to fake a corpse in a grave, and then tries to convince the second one to enter the grave and take him out. Since both refuse, Madonna Francesca puts an end to her love affairs. This tale therefore serves as an example of a woman who does not necessarily challenge the power of her husband, but just men in general. Madonna Francesca uses her intelligence to simply place herself above these two men and in doing so exemplifies the bold and socially defiant woman that Boccaccio so faithfully attempted to illustrate in the “Decameron.” it comes from their need to rebel against the social structures that bound them. Often these restrictions came in the form of marriage, husbands, and the expectations society placed on them. Boccaccio attributes women's characteristics such as wit, intelligence, and sexuality as means through which they gain power and control within society. Therefore, in this way, women are able to buck the trend and act in much the same way that men were portrayed in literature before the “Decameron”. The women prove to be illustrious, aggressive and endowed with power; their rebellious spirit resulting from the oppressive lives they previously lived or were supposed to live. “The Decameron” ends up being a feminist critique of the Middle Ages, ironically written by a male, Giovanni Boccaccio. Not only do the stories serve as social commentary on the changing nature of women at the time, but the book also ends up being a cautionary tale for women in various ways. Many of the underlying themes and storylines provide women with examples of how to move forward with their lives and relationships. First, it encourages women to rebel against certain social institutions such as marriage, especially if they are unhappy or victims of domineering husbands. Many of the stories cited, such as that of Tofano's wife, demonstrate how women rebelled only after living under the control of jealous or controlling husbands..