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  • Essay / Representation of women in The Decameron

    A Decameron can be thought of as a collection or group of a hundred stories, grouped together to form a single story, but the tales have other types of designs. The commonly known Decameron is the Boccaccio made in the 14th century and believed to be told over ten days. The stories told in the Decameron are known for telling different forms of stories, however, the tales share a common literary composition like other tales. The Decameron uniquely represents the differences between the sexes, that is, the woman is seen as the subject of the man in all perspectives. This makes it a masculine approach, so women are seen as men's tools (Mazzotta et al 2014). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The Decameron provides a narrative flame that shows philosophical perspective as the primary form of unity. The ethics expounded in the Decameronian tales predominate, thus the medieval theme is noticeable throughout the tales. Furthermore, in the tales of the Decameron, the author considers women as inferior characters, who remain at the origin of man's success. Additionally, Decameron tales use the character of a few women to show their positive value in the community. Women are seen as peacemakers, as seen in their homes (Potter et al 2014). This value reveals an image that shows how the female character acts as an inferior character who can never show her potential but forever remain in the shadow of the male. In conclusion, I intend to provide readers with insight into how women were viewed in the text. This will give readers insight into how women were viewed in this particular culture. This can help shape current society in terms of gender. I believe that in doing so, people will develop a sense of appreciation for the female character as well as so many other qualities revealed in Decameron's tales.Decameron's ThesisThe story begins on the first day with a total number of ten young Florentines, seven of whom are women and only three men called brigata. In this set we see the society that Giovanni Boccaccio presents, women generally placed in a lower social status than men. In the introduction, Boccaccio says that he was dedicated to women and therefore created this work for them. In this case, he seems to pity these ladies in love who have no way to comfort themselves because they are stuck in houses everywhere. He ended up expressing his attachment to professional suicide by writing for women and showing them great consideration. Boccaccio in The Decameron demonstrates that, although they do not have significant social status, women have the upper hand in male-female relationships. However, although the stories talk about men being better, at times it favors women as being better in terms of evil and good. In other cases, when male characters outperform females, the men obviously always seem to achieve victory in every underhanded style. Boccaccio in The Decameron depicts women as more robust when compared to men. Although this characteristic is not as inevitable throughout the stories, Boccaccio shows that women persevere through more difficulties than men. This extensive protection against problems may come from a fundamental lack of solutions: if women face some sort of ordeal, they do not have the energy to attemptto erase their problems. Likewise, women generally continue to survive despite great difficulties. Boccaccio is most concerned about this extended protection in the tale saying that “the Marquis of Sanluzzo, Gualtieri, and his wife, Griselda, were of great importance. In the story, Gualtieri's vassals urge him to choose a woman as his wife - Gualtieri chooses Griselda, a poor young woman of modest origins. To show how much she is esteemed, the writer says that Gualtieri tested the girl by shouting her name, persuading her to execute her youth, despite her isolation and marriage to another girl. Boccaccio depicts his storytellers as refined, passionate and excellent. However, when he talks about women in stories, he says they are everywhere. They include the ethical and forgiving Griselda and the reliable and cunning Marquis of Montferrat; the innocent Zinevra, dishonestly accused of disloyalty; the “daughter” of the priest and the abbot, simply a question of inaccessible sex; Madonna Fiordaliso and the Slippery Widow, waiting to inflict on their darlings; the liars and “conspirators of the Queen of France who ruin the infamy of an honest man by mistakenly accusing him of sexual disorders; the vigorous but stunned Alatiel, who passes from man to man; the Abbess who binds men to her bed” (Mazzotta). In this case, one can perceive any reason that led Boccaccio to be applauded in favor of his wife's rights and disapproved due to his dislike of women. A recurring theme among both sexes in The Decameron is their clear sexuality. A large number of Boccaccio's stories deal with sexual relations and individuals of both sexes are depicted as being endlessly sexually aroused - many stories deal with engagements and other illicit relationships. However, while both sexes are depicted as sexual animals, Boccaccio's stories highlight the striking awkwardness between the male and female need for desire. Boccaccio shows how "women are fundamentally more sexual than men", with a significant number of stories told in The Decameron revolving around women's desires. However, during the third day, “Filostrato tells the story of a young man, Masetto”, she discovers the job of nurseryman in a religious community. “Discovering this part of the obligation of the activity is to sexually fulfill the nuns of the religious community.” (Potter) In addition to showing the hypersexuality of women, Boccaccio also depicts women as being predominantly incapable of cunning. This ability, perhaps the most emphasized throughout the tales, seems to be the one in which women most surpass men. Throughout the stories, the character who tends to set plans that include a notable level of deviousness is female. Although Boccaccio's effort to express some sort of feeling about the reliability of women is unclear, in any case he passionately shows that women have an unparalleled ability to come up with cunning plans. However, another example of Boccaccio's depiction of women's delicate tendency occurs again on the seventh day. This story, described by Neifile, showcases Monna Sismonda's incomparable astuteness in many ways. To begin with, Neifile depicts the framework that Monna Sismonda designed to have vigilant sex with Ruberto, her lover. Moreover, as if this were not delicate enough in itself, after understanding that her partner has found his frame to alarm his lover and increasing her commitment with Ruberto, Monna Sismonda quickly chooses to call her servant to have her place in bed. This allows her to refrain from being beaten and, in the long run, from deceiving her brothers and sisters by.