Analysis Of Boccaccio s The Decameron - 1345 Words

Throughout the various novelle of the Decameron there lies a rather conflicting role of women in relation to the society that Boccaccio s Decameron was set in. From novella to novella the theme of women s gender role fluctuates between misogynistic to feminist. It can be argued that Boccaccio was a feminist ahead of his time or that he shared the traditional views towards women of 14th century Italy. Overall, it is fair to say that Boccaccio does depict women as transcending men in many respects, some of them being positive, and some negative. I believe there is a deeper meaning behind Boccaccio view s towards women which I will elaborate on below. Giovanni Boccaccio was born in Florence (Certaldo) in 1313. He was raised predominately by his mother and according to New Advent Encyclopedia he was a â€Å"steadfast† son who greatly admired his mother and looked upon his father with some disdain.(1) From what i ve read not much is known about Boccaccio’s childhood and as a result, reports mention Boccaccio’s relationship with his father as being mediocre. Most sources comment that Boccaccio was very close to his mother. I believe there is an important connection of his relationship with his mother and the way he portrays women in the context of his writings. When taking this connection into consideration, the gender roles depicted in the Decameron can be better interpreted. Boccaccio s opinions on love and his subsequent writings were not only influenced by his personalShow MoreRelatedcritical appreciation1066 Words   |  5 Pagesof ship. The setting of Eliot s Preludes is a modern city with its people leading a mechanical life. The words also convey the same sense. And short square fingers stuffing pies, And evening newspapers, and eyes, Assured of certain certainties... Context- The context gives us the time and location of the poem. It is what prompted the poem. The context might be an event of great political significance like the French Revolution. It prompted P.B. Shelley s famous, Ode to the West WindRead MoreChristians, Jews, and the Black Plague1707 Words   |  7 Pagesdeafening thunder, lightning bolts, hailstones, and eight-legged worms that killed with their stench† (Cohn, 2002, p. 706). The medieval writer and plague survivor Boccaccio would write that â€Å"Either because of the influence of heavenly bodies or because of God’s just wrath as a punishment to mortals for our wicked deeds† (Boccaccio, 2010, p. 7). An affliction so great and mysterious as the plague could only have been caused by God’s power, while the only reason God would have for sending such aRead MoreBlack Plague And The Black Epidemic1337 Words   |  6 Pageshappens that the world gets into panic mode. All of this panic comes from the Bl ack Death. In this synthesis and analysis essay I will cover the places the Black Plague reached, the effects of the Black Plague, and the thoughts of the people that lived in that time along with their beliefs on the Black Plague. The Black Plague or Black Death first occurred in China around the 1330’s. Actually this is only a theory, because no one really knows where the disease first started. This plague mainlyRead MoreOthello, By William Shakespeare2480 Words   |  10 Pages  Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603. It is based on the story Un Capitano Moro by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565. This tightly constructed work revolves around four central characters: Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army; his beloved wife, Desdemona; his loyal lieutenant, Cassio; and his trusted but ultimately unfaithful ensign, Iago. Given its varied and enduring themes of racism, love, jealousy, betrayal, revengeRead MoreOthello : William Shakespeare s Othello2542 Words   |  11 Pageshave been about twelve years until Shakespeare wrote his comedy Othello and it was first performed at the court of James I in November of 1604. à ¢â‚¬Å"William Shakespeare s early plays were written in the conventional style of the day, with elaborate metaphors and rhetorical phrases that didn t always align naturally with the story s plot or characters. However, Shakespeare was very innovative, adapting the traditional style to his own purposes and creating a freer flow of words(William).† He was