Introduction:      Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron, tales often explore the complex relationship between love, lust, and human folly. The Ninth Day, Fifth Story, featuring Calandrino, illustrates how unchecked desire and desperation can lead to delusion and foolish behavior. Can love be accompanied by lust and delusion or is it lust and delusion pretending to be love? Our...

Introduction  The Decameron, the work of Giovanni Boccaccio, is a vast mosaic of stories dealing thematically with the many aspects of human nature, particularly its deception, love, and luck. The most remarkable features of the story of Alatiel, which is told on the second day, are the subtle irony and the frank comments relating to survival, virtue, and the self. What could pass as a hot...

Introduction The tale of "Master Alberto of Bologna Civilly Putteth a Lady to the Blush who thought who have shamed him of being enamoured of her" from "The Decameron" by Giovanni Boccaccio is a powerful story. It teaches us that age doesn’t take away a person’s intelligence or value, and that true wisdom often comes with experience. In the tale, an old man is mocked by a young...

Introduction: Giovanni Boccaccio’s 'Decameron' is filled with stories that blur the lines between morality and humor, especially through the lens of gender and social class. One such tale, from Day Six, told by Fiammetta, follows Madonna Filippa, a woman accused of adultery. Rather than deny the charges, she uses wit and logic to publicly shame her accusers and escape punishment. This...

Introduction Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron often explores the unpredictability of fortune and the resilience of the human spirit. In Day 2, Tale 6, the story of Madam Beritola follows a noblewoman whose life is overturned by political upheaval and separation from her family. Through a series of trials, she endures loss, disguise, and eventual reunion. This tale’s core theme...