The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio: themes and literary significance

Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio is not a singular, enclosed text but rather a series of texts that unfold as a result of a 'frame' tale. The Decameron is set during the plague in Italy, and at the beginning of the story, various people have fled the city and are hiding away in the countryside. They tell tales to pass the time and to amuse themselves and these tales make up The Decameron. The conceit is very similar to that of The Canterbury Tales, although unlike Chaucer, Boccaccio was able to finish his work, and the tales are much more extensive in number and somewhat shorter.

One striking aspect of the work is the degree to which the tales exhibit feminist themes. Boccaccio addresses his reader as "dearest ladies," and most of the narrators are women. Many of the tales are of women triumphing over men, such as the story of Gillette of Narbonne (3.9). In this story, the Comte de Roussillon's life is saved by Gillette, the daughter of a great physician. Gillette is in love with the Comte's son Bertrand. Comte compels his son to marry Gillette as a result of a promise he made to her for her services. Bertrand is unhappy with the match, flees from his new wife's presence, and vows that he will never live with her until she has the ring he wears on his finger and has begotten a son by him. Gillette cleverly orchestrates a trick whereby she secretly takes the place of a servant girl whom Bertrand is enamored with, bears him twin boys, and is finally accepted as his wife, despite her low birth.

Another story which is told from a feminine perspective is that of the story of Bernabo of Genoa who brags about his wife Zinevra's chastity and wagers one thousand florins of gold to Ambrogiuolo da Piacenza that no man can have his way with her (II.9). Ambrogiuolo easily deceives Bernabo by hiding in a trunk, taking note of all of the details of Zinevra's body and chamber, and thus convinces her husband that she has, in fact, committed adultery with him. Bernabo, rather than asking his wife if the charges are true, automatically trusts Ambrogiuolo and has a servant put Zinevra to death. Fortunately, the servant takes pity on the woman and gives her some of his old clothes, allowing her to escape in disguise as a man. Zinevra disguises herself as a sailor named Sicurano and eventually happens upon Ambrogiuolo from whom she learns the whole story after he unwittingly boasts of winning the bet to his victim. Zinevra is capable and intelligent and her actions eventually result in exposing the deceit her husband suffered and she is returned to his rightful place by her side.