I do not think it would be too far off the mark if someone said that Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron could be summed up in one word - sex. Sex is found in nearly every one of the seven hundred odd pages it seems, and its depiction varies from humorous to serious. If I were to try and summarize the varying representations of sex in the book I would end writing a book in itself. Hence, instead of summarizing I will instead focus my essay on the elaboration of what I feel are the three main influences on the depiction of sexual intercourse in the narrative. First, the freedom of sex in the narrative is a direct result of the ideals that accompanied the plague. Second, The Decameron is influenced by the widespread norms that existed towards lust, sex and marriage during that time. And thirdly, Boccaccio's personal beliefs must have played an important role in the construction of sex within the tales. While each of these influences are separate and distinct, it also important to note that each of them are intertwined and always manipulating each other. Therefore, it is impossible to attribute specific perspectives on sex within Boccaccio's stories to one influence, and I can only make educated generalizations.
In The Decameron, Boccaccio places us in a time when the plague was running rampant within the medieval realm. Consequently, the society was in disarray. This is evident as Boccaccio questions, "Are you not aware because of the chaos of the present age, the judges have deserted the courts, the laws of God and man are in abeyance, and everyone is given ample license to preserve his life as best he may (478)?" Of course, the notion of having "ample license for preserving life" was translated varyingly and taken to different measures by different people. To some, it meant living in hiding and fear, but to others, life was only to be found in fearlessness and in the indulgence of worldly pleasures, namely sexual intercourse.
The Canterbury tales is influenced by the Decameron in that they are both a collection of stories told by different people of different status and sex. The Canterbury tales however are more interesting due to the fact that they are told by a diverse and broader variety of people each with a differen...
The most devastating event in Medieval European history was that of the Black Death, or plague. Over the course of several years, the highly contagious disease killed up to half of Europe's population. The disease was believed to come from Asia Minor, sailors brought the disease to Europe. Tiny flea...
One Italian writer who lost many of his own family members to the plague during 1349-1351 wrote in his book The Decameron, "Some say that the plague descended upon the human race through the influence of heavenly bodies others that it was a punishment signifying God's righteous anger at our iniquitous way of life." ... The plague was not prejudice to race, religion, sex or economic background. ...
The Black Death was a massive brutal epidemic that spread across Europe from 1346 to 1353, It killed over an estimated one-third of Europe's entire population. It is known as the worst natural disaster in European history. The Black death was a combination of bubonic, pneumonic, and septicemic plagu...
Betwixen hem was maad anon the bonde that highte matrimoigne'- Chaucer, Knights Tale- Riverside Edition- Discuss how marriage is presented within Fragment A. This love halt togidres peples joined with a holy boond, and kyntteth sacrament of marryges of chaste loves: and love enditeth law...
