Boccaccio Test #3 Flashcards
1st DAY: Free theme
First Story: Ser Cepparello makes a false confession and, upon his death, is hailed as a saint.
- Language can be used for manipulation.
- Gullibility of the faithful.
- Critique of saint worship. (He becomes a saint).
- Difference from Dante: We do not know whether Cepparello is damned or not.
- Human language cannot convey divine truths.
- inconsistencies in the story—evident in Cepparello’s courteous conduct toward his hosts (why would he help them?)—
alert us to the fact that stories are never completely trustworthy, as they are bound to reflect the narrator’s subjective bias. - Unlike Dante (for whom language = truth, and moral values are set in stone), Boccaccio does not intend to teach us any truth. If anything, he teaches us how to be a critical audience—as opposed to a gullible one. He teaches us never to trust a story at face value—not even his own!
SECOND STORY: Abraham the Jew goes to Rome, then converts to Christianity, in spite of (or because of?) the extreme corruption he witnesses in the church.
- Theme: Impossible to know divine truths, or the mechanics of personal faith.
THIRD STORY: Saladin and the Jew Melchisedech: which one is the true faith? (tells story about Man and equally worthy sons and ring)
- Themes: Impossible to know which faith is the real one.
- A story well told can get you out of trouble.
- Advocation of religious tolerance: a Jew and a Muslim can get along because there is mutual respect for each other’s intelligence, regardless of faith.
- We are in no position to claim that we hold the moral high ground, and that our beliefs are the true ones. Contrast with Dante!)
FIFTH STORY: With a witty remark, the Marchioness of Monferrato stifles the foolish love of the king of France.
- Themes: Language can get you out of trouble (=spare you the abuse of your social superior.
- Deconstruction of courtly love (love from hearsay; love is the lover’s fantasy).
- One-side, no reciprocity.
- Gender imbalance and power imbalance
- Love can be a facade for a man’s predatory instincts.
2nd DAY: People swept about by (mis)fortune attain happiness in the end.
FIFTH STORY: Andreuccio goes to Naples, is caught up in three mishaps in one night, gets wise and manages to return home with a precious ring.
- Themes: Fortune helps those who help themselves.
- Language can be a tool for deception.
- A good story—like the one told by the Sicilian prostitute—is not necessarily truthful.
SEVENTH STORY: On her way to marry a king, Alatiel is kidnapped and possessed by eight lovers. A ninth man helps her return home and devise a false narrative that restores her “virtue” in the eyes of society.
- Themes: In the absence of language, men are at the mercy of their worst instincts (lust and violence).
- When language is restored, civilized behavior is reinstated.
- The theme of women’s desire and right to enjoyment is introduced.
TENTH STORY: An old and impotent judge’s wife is kidnapped by a pirate and, when given the choice, refuses to return to her husband.
- Theme: Boccaccio gives women agency for the first time in history.
- He also advocates women’s right to sexual/emotional fulfillment.
- Like Alatiel, the judge’s wife is a prize: only fortune allows her more agency.
