The Decameron
This outline of Boccaccio’s Decameron was prepared by
William H. Fredlund. Page numbers in parenthesis are keyed to the
Penguin Classics edition of The Decameron, translated by
G. H. McWilliam, (2nd ed., 1995). Locations of stories: Montferrat,
Lunigiana, Genoa, Florence, Rome, Alexandria, Verona, Amalfi, Ravello,
Treviso, Paris, Naples, Sicily, Babylon, Portugal, Cyprus, Athens,
Ancona, Pisa, London, Milan, Tunisia, Egypt. Vocations of story
characters: monk, abbot, friar, desert holy man, French merchant,
steward-servant, Jewish merchant, king, queen, duke, duchess, baron,
count, countess, sultan, prior, banker, courtly lady, doctor, lawyer,
judge, poor worker, engaged bride-to-be, horse dealer, gardener,
male and female servants.
|
Prologue |
| The author suffers from love. We can relieve love in conversation with friends. Herein is contained the stories of love. |
First Day, |
| An address to the ladies for whom the book is written. A reference to the hill? Echoes of Dante? The opening will seem ponderous and serious. Describe The Black Death in Florence (5-13). The meeting of ladies in Santa Maria Novella (13) The ladies make a plan. The group of ten withdraws to the villa in the country (19). The villa in Via Boccaccio of present day Florence. They decide to tell stories each day (23). |
First Day, First Story (24) |
| Ser Cepperello of Prato, a notary. Why is this the first story of whole book? Relation to Galeotto? Appearance vs. reality. Is this a “cynical” story? Deathbed confession a lie. Fame as a saint (so are all saints a lie?). Church, prayers, sin, confessions, saints. Real faith vs. phony faith. Mendacity, honesty, credulity. Appearances and reality. Moral: is there a moral to the story? |
First Day, Second Story (37) |
| Abraham the Jew Jehannot de Chevigny of Paris Abraham evaluates Christianity. Abraham takes trip to Rome. Sees depravity of the clergy. Converts to Christianity. Says only a true faith could survive such corruption. Is this a “cynical” story? Or could Boccaccio believe its conclusion? |
First Day, Third Story (41) |
| Melchizedek the Jew Saladin, Sultan of Egypt Which faith is true asks Saladin? Jewish, Christian, Saracen(Moslem)? Story of three sons and three rings. Ultimate secret not revealed. You cant know God’s secrets. Cultivate your own garden. Moral: dont worry about other faiths. |
First Day, Fourth Story (44) |
| The monk of Lunigiana The abbot of Lunigiana The monk enjoys sport with a girl in his cell. The abbot borrows the monk’s girl. They strike a bargain. The morals of the clergy. |
First Day, Fifth Story (48) |
| The Marchioness of Montferrat The King Philip of France The king comes to Montferrat The king schemes on the marchioness. She knows it and is ready. Marchioness serves only hens. No cocks in this state. Tells the king, women here are no different than elsewhere, here they are true and loyal to their husbands. Moral: loyalty. |
First Day, Sixth Story (51) |
| The Franciscan Inquisitor in Florence The simple friar Clever story reveals hypocrisy. Will return 100 fold. 100 soup…..lots of soup. Moral: scorn intolerance. |
First Day, Seventh Story (54) |
| Bergamino Can Grande della Scala Story of Abbot of Cluny. Miserliness and generosity. Moral: generosity. |
First Day, Eighth Story(59) |
| Ermino de’ Grimaldi of Genoa Richest man in Italy. Guglielmo Borsiere, a worthy courtier. Different than the courtiers of today. Lauretta’s angry comments(60): Courtiers today. Courtiers today are “asses.” Interesting issue. Courtly love, courtly life. and courtiers as seen in 14th century (The “Frame” of Decameron vs the stories) Moral: generosity (the painting). |
First Day, Ninth Story (61) |
| King of Cyprus Gentlewoman of Gascony Woman rebukes the king for his passivity in the face of wrongs. The king accepts the rebuke and reforms. Lady here is wise and brave. Moral: Courage, moral strength. |
First Day, Tenth Story (63) |
| Master Alberto of Bologna, Doctor Lady, Malgherida de’ Ghisolieri Wonderful story. The old doctor falls in love with lovely lady. Other ladies laugh at him. Callousness of youth. Question: what are the real values of life? Youth? Beauty? Does life and experience yield wisdom? The Doctor wins! Pampinea’s angry denunciation (63) of today’s women, overly made up, too much jewelry. Moral: Its not the exterior that counts. |
First Day, Conclusion (66) |
| What are we to make of this concluding word? The song: “I take delight in my own beauty.” What is Boccaccio saying here with this song? Doesn’t it make the women singing sound egotistical? Is this a comment by Boccaccio about them? Their frivolousness, in the face of the plague? Doesn’t the song by these women negate the moral of selflessness in many of the stories? (Stories 5, 7, 8, 10) Has the author intentionally set up this contrast? The “frame” vs the story world? |
Second Day, First Story (71) |
| Martellino of Florence Martellino pretends to be paralytic and to be cured by Saint Arrigo’s body. Credulity about saints. Taking advantage. Making fun of saints. Moral: ? Who is the bad guy here? |
Second Day, Second Story (76) |
| Rinaldo d’Asti. The robbers The fair widow of Castel Guglielmo. Rinaldo on way to Verona gets robbed. He ends up cowering near wall in Castel Gug. Widow in house hears and saves him. Dresses him in her husbands fine clothes. He turns out to be fine, tall, handsome. “in the prime of manhood.” Moral:? “generosity?” |
Second Day, Third Story (82) |
| Alessandro of Florence. The abbot-princess. Alessandro journeying. Falls in with abbot. Abbott and Aless go to bed in an inn. Abbott places hands on Aless chest. Abbot takes his hand . And places it on the abbot’s Bosom, and Aless finds: “pair of sweet little rounded breasts.” A udience before Pope. Abbot reveals truth. The abbot in love. Moral: True love wins? |
Second Day, Fourth Story (91) |
| Landolfo Rufolo. Merchant loses everything. Turns to piracy. Is shipwrecked. Clings to chest(full of jewels). Is helped by lady on Corfu. Moral: this story seems particularly hard in which to find a “moral.” Luck? Fortune? |
Second Day, Fifth Story (97) |
| This story is one of my favorites. Is complex and somewhat long. Lots of characters. But fun and funny. Andreuccio of Perugia. A horse dealer. Goes to Naples. Gets fooled by clever woman. Woman pretends to be his lost sister. Hot night so Andreuccio removes clothes. Goes to use facility. Ends up in deep do do. Aromatic Andreuccio. The men and plundering the tomb. Andreuccio in the tomb (the ring). Escapes Naples, returns Perugia with ring. What’s the picture here of 14th century Naples? 14th century Italy? Moral: corruption everywhere, keep your wits. |
Second Day, Sixth Story: (111) |
| Madonna Beritola. Of ruling family in Sicily loses everything. Shipwrecked loses children. Adopts the baby deer(whats this about?). Currado Malespina finds and helps. Takes her to his territory in Lunigiana. Madonna Beritola joins household. Her son Giannotto arrives-LOVE. Revelation. Sudden change of fortune. Reversal of fortune, theme of day two. All ends happily. Moral: Who is good here; who is bad? |
Second Day, Seventh Story (125) |
| Alatiel, the daughter of the Sultan of Babylon. Sultan sends his daughter off to be married. Tragedies and horrors throw her off her route. She sleeps with almost everybody in the world. Then finally happily goes off to marry king as Virgin Alatiel. Moral: Is Boccaccio making fun of virginity? |
Second Day, Eighth Story (148) |
| Count Walter of Antwerp. W hile King of France away, Queen of France falls madly in love with him. Notice her interesting monologue about love(150). He repulses her advances (great scene). She gets mad and stages phony rape scene. Accuses him, he escapes with family to Eng. Various adventures in England. Finally Queen confesses and King of France restores Count Walter. Moral: is Count a hero for Boccaccio? He was “honorable.” |
Second day, Ninth Story (165) |
| Bernabó of Genoa. Wife Zinevra of Genoa. Trickster Ambrogiuolo. The bet: I can get your wife into bed. Bernabó arrogance; Ambrogiuolo’s trick. The order to kill wife; smart wife escapes. This story shows us a very clever, sharp, creative woman…certainly not passive. Revelation of the truth before the Sultan. Ambrogiuolo’s sweet end. Mr & Mrs go home to Genoa together. Moral: Something about women here I think, and a lot about Bernabó. |
Second Day. Tenth Story (178) |
| Messer Ricciardo, an old judge. His passion for young Bartolomea. Marries her; pirate Paganino steals her. She discovers the joys of pirate life. Decides to stay with Paganino. Moral: This story is extraordinarily sexual. The whole setup and the outcome all hinges on sexual satisfaction for the woman. An interesting look into post-Black Death mentality in Italy. Boccaccio is laughing at Ricciardo and openly states that this man shouldn’t be marrying someone he cant satisfy. There is nothing about love in this story as far as I can see. It is sex. |
Second Day |
| Interesting to see the reaction of the group to the last story. Boccaccio makes it clear that it caused some blushing. |
Third Day, Introduction. |
| Journey two miles to empty palace. Journey to kind of “paradise.” Does this contrast with “hell” down in town? What is the palace and what is Boccaccio saying? Why the journey? no reason? just fun? Notice the journey takes place on Sunday. Echoes of Garden of Eden (p. 191). And why? What’s connection? Where are the occupants? Why palace “empty?” Did the plague carry off the occupants? Is paradise “empty” now in this dark age? Are the ladies in a fairy land? Unreal? |
Third Day, First Story |
| Masetto of Lamporecchio Finds work at convent. Pretends to be mute. Nuns discover his attractions. “Handsome physique and agreeable features” Masetto expands his work beyond the garden. Begins cultivating new territory. Note the exhange between nuns about virginity (196) Moral? Can’t think of one unless it is something about hard work. |
Third Day, Second Story |
| King Agilulf of Lombardy. and his Queen. The stable groom in love with the Queen. The groom’s night of love. The King visits his surprised wife. “Again so soon?” The angry king. The midnight Vidal Sassoon. The king’s cool strategy. Moral: Once is enough? |
Third Day, Third Story |
| Filomena’s comments on priests (205) Likens them to “pigs” Gentle lady of Florence. Dull wool merchant husband. Slow-witted priest. Handsome neighbor. Lady goes to confession. Sends coded messages to her beloved. Her communication system works well. Handsome neighbor comes to call. Moral: Confession is good for the body. |
Third Day, Fourth Story |
| Friar Puccio of San Pancrazio(Flo) Wife, Monna Isabetta Handsome Dom Felice Dom Felice falls for wife of Puccio. “shapely little wife.” Convinces Friar Puccio to pray. To pray assiduously. Dom Felice teaches Isabetta other religious duties. Friar Puccio does the penance, Felice & Isabetta “go to paradise.” |
Third Day, Fifth Story |
| Messer Francesco Vergellesi of Pistoia. The beautiful and virtuous wife of Francesco Handsome Zima with the palfrey (small horse) Francesco wants the palfrey. Makes a deal with Zima. Horse in exchange for few mins with wife. The “dialogue.” Husband gets palfrey. Goes to Milan, leaves wife alone. Zima gets the wife. |
Third Day, Sixth Story |
| Ricciardo Minutolo. Catella, wife of F. Singhinolfo. Ricciardo in love (or lust) with Catella. Tricks her into meeting in baths. Tricks her to make love to him. The editor of this edition of the Decameron calls this most unpleasant of collection. I agree that it is nasty little story. No humor. Both main characters are unpleasant, humorless, selfish. Terrible picture of the Neapolitan upper class. I can’t find any moral in the story. Catella was “jealous” and driven by her love but hardly deserves what she gets. Is fascinating commentary on the Courtly Love ethic. Story has much courtly love language but nothing “Courtly” about it at all. |
Third Day, Seventh Story (237) |
| Tedaldo degli Elisei. Aldobrandino Palermini. Monna Ermellina. The brothers Elisei. This is one of the most complex and interesting stories of all. At its center is Tedaldo’s long monologue about friars of the day. see pp. 243-246. This is an extraordinary analysis of friars in mid-14th century. Contrasted with friars of 13thC.(ie Francis and Dominic and origins of preaching orders). This a significant moral editorial by Boccaccio. The story itself is beautiful, long, and complex. Tedaldo in love with Ermellina. “rejected” goes away; rumor he is dead. Husband Aldobrandino prosecuted. Dramatic heart of story is the great scene of reconciliation effected by Tedaldo. Moral: story seems particularly profound and full of Christian values with the one complicating factor that all of it hinges on an adulterous relationship that lives “happily ever after.” |
Third Day, Eighth Story (254) |
| The abbey in Tuscany. Ferondo of Tuscany. “a course and unimaginative fellow.” The saintly Abbot. The beautiful wife of Ferondo. Ferondo’s journey to Purgatory. The Abbot’s journey to the wife. What is interesting here is what B. does to the image of Purgatory. |
Third Day, Ninth Story (264) |
| Bertrand, Count of Roussillon. Gilette of Narbonne, daughter of doctor. King of France (Gilette cures the fistula). The gentle lady & daughter of Florence Gilette in love with Bertrand since childhood. Gilette cures the king. Reward: Bertrand. Bertrand not happy; goes off to Tuscany. Gilette goes off to Roussillon (border Spain). Administers County brilliantly. (notice this you feminists!) Follows Bertrand to Florence. Makes the deal with lady. Impersonation; impregnation. The ring and the twins. All live happily ever after. Here is a fascinating image of 14th C. woman. Smart, aggressive, gets what she wants! Also she is totally in love and it never dies. Is it courtly love? Don’t think so. It is practical and carnal. But eternal. |
Third Day, Tenth Story (274) |
| A holy man, Rustico, in Sahara desert. Alibech of Gafsa (Tunisia). Alibech driven by search for piety, Goes to desert of Egypt. Finds holy man, Rustico. The devil rears its ugly head. Alibech learns how to put devil in hell. Moral: ? |