The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

The Decameron is a series of short stories by Giovanni Boccaccio. This collection demonstrates the power of prose and the author's skill at creating a strong narrative. There are several ways to analyze The Decameron. Here we'll consider its tone, style, and structure.

Boccaccio's Decameron

Boccaccio's Decamero is a fable about the life of ten young people trying to escape a plague and find their way back home. It was originally written in the 1300s and is a collection of different tales about the human condition. It can be seen as an Italian Canterbury Tales, and its main theme is the concept of solidarity and overcoming the odds.

The Decameron is a collection of short stories written by the 14th century Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. It is considered a masterwork of classical Italian prose. It breaks with the medieval sensibility that characterized his earlier works. The story follows 10 young people who flee plague-ridden Florence and travel to a villa in Fiesole. They live by different rules for each day and tell each other daily tales. At the end of each day, each character ends the story with a canzone. While many readers might see this as a misnomer, Boccaccio does use a variety of double meanings in his writing.

Its structure

The Decameron and its structure are a complex system of narrative frames. The main frame involves ten focalizers, or brigata, who fled from plague-ridden Florence to form a community in the countryside. These focalizers are governed by a set of codes and embody the positions of different subject positions. In this way, the Decameron sets up the process of focalization and the flow of power.

One of the most complex novellas in the Decameron is scolaro e la vedova, which moves through the narrative action three times, resulting in a repetitive pattern. In this novella, the vedova plays the role of the agent who transforms the scolaro from his initial state to his final condition.

Its tone

The Decameron's tone is quite varied, varying from flowery medieval speech to streetwise slang. One particular example of stylistic variation is in how characters talk about sex. For example, the storytellers in the Decameron's stories talk about love-making as tasting the ultimate joy of love; however, the everyday people of the Decameron refer to love-making as "lifting the wolf's tail," "putting the Devil in Hell," and "shaking her fur."

The Decameron reflects a variety of themes, but its central motifs are love, fortune, and various kinds of intelligence. Despite its popular reception, the Decameron has often caused conflicts with the Catholic church. It was included in the 1559 Inquisition's Index of Prohibited Books because of its depiction of clerical abuses and sexuality.

Its style

The Decameron's style is rich and varied, ranging from flowery medieval speech to streetwise language. One example of this stylistic variation is how characters talk about sex. In the story of the Decameron's protagonists, sexual activity is described as "tasting the bliss of love." In contrast, everyday people refer to it as "lifting the wolf's tail," "setting the Devil in Hell," or "shaking her fur."

Boccaccio's Decameron is considered his masterpiece and cemented his position as the founder of Italian prose literature. It is a masterful example of Italian classical prose, divergent from the formulaic plot models of the era and transcendental idealism.

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Its influence

The Decameron's tales are influenced by medieval folklore, and many of them feature themes of human resilience. The Decameron was a popular book during its time, and its widespread popularity made it one of the most influential works of medieval literature. Its stories were written in the vernacular of Tuscany, and they became a standard by which other prose works were judged. Though some critics regarded it as scurrilous, it nonetheless continues to have a huge impact on contemporary culture.

In addition to providing a frame narrative, the Decameron is notable for its mystical and numerological significance. For example, the seven young women in the Decameron are thought to represent the Four Cardinal Virtues and the Three Theological Virtues. Similarly, the three men in the Decameron are believed to represent the classical Greek tripartite division of the soul. The Decameron is also full of religious commentary.