Giovanni Boccaccio’s “The Decameron” is set at a time period in which in society women were generally held at lower social standings than those of men. In The Decameron although women were demonstrated to have no significant social status, it is seeming that women did have an upperhand in some aspects. Throughout the 100 stories when it did come down to Boccaccio comparing men and women he did seem to favor the women as better in the terms of evil and good. Taking a closer look into female/male relationships in the stories Boccaccio has shown the idea that women are much more stronger, cunning and lustful than men. 

While men are portrayed to be “strong” the women have to tolerate a lot more adversity than men, which follows back to women having a lack of alternatives. Women must bear the hardships because they have no sense of power to eliminate them. For example, the tenth day, tenth story in The Decameron the story of Griselda is told in which she puts up with such horrors and abuse of power acted upon by Gualtieri, her supposed husband.  Gualtieri uses his role and power to temper with Griselda’s emotions through various “tests”, which was fine at first but he got carried away and put her through a lot of emotional distress but her reaction was rather the same through it all. She was sad and heartbroken but had no choice but to put up with it because she vowed to do anything to keep him happy. In the Decameron web it states, “My lord, do with me as thou mayst deem best for thine own honour and comfort, for well I wot that I am of less account than they, and unworthy of this honourable estate to which of thy courtesy thou hast advanced me. ” [ 029 ] By which answer Gualtieri was well pleased, witting that she was in no degree puffed up with pride by his, or any other’s, honourable entreatment of her. [ 030 ] A while afterwards, having in general terms given his wife to understand that the vassals could not endure her daughter, he sent her a message by a servant. So the servant came, and: “ Madam, ” quoth he with a most dolorous mien, “ so I value my life, I must needs do my lord’s bidding. He has bidden me take your daughter and . . . ” [ 031 ] He said no more, but the lady by what she heard, and read in his face, and remembered of her husband’s words, understood that he was bidden to put the child to death. Whereupon she presently took the child from the cradle, and having kissed and blessed her, albeit she was very sore at heart, she changed not countenance, but placed it in the servant’s arms,” Boccaccio’s descriptive language use detailing the cruel acts Gualtieri made towards Griselda serves to prove how women are much more able to tolerate more adversity than men and show his point of view.

Furthermore, Boccaccio had also depicted women to be superior to men because of their cunning ways. Women have ways of outsmarting men in this society, though men are viewed to be the more physically able, “smart” and powerful they did not possess the capabilities of women. In The Decameron Boccaccio writes about the story of a young woman, Madonna Fiordaliso who creates a great plan to outsmart  Andreuccio on the second day, fifth story. Andreuccio goes about his way with merchant friends to purchase some horses in Naples, he was unable to come to an agreement with any sellers. As a result he went around showing the gold florins within his purse, as a way of basically showing the sellers that he was actually serious about purchasing the horses. Unfortunately for  him many others were able to see his revealed purse including  Madonna Fiordaliso. Along with her was a woman who was Sicilian like her who is much older, and she claims to recognize Andreuccio and greets him. The older woman also tells  Madonna Fiordaliso that she knows a whole lot about him, as a result Fiordaliso uses the information to her advantage and creates a wicked plan. She invites him to her home and plays the trick that they are somehow siblings. After doing so he goes to quickly use the bathroom and is encountered with the trap she has set, he stays stuck while she is able to attain his purse. In The Decameron Web it states, “ It was a very hot night; so, no sooner was Andreuccio alone than he stripped himself to his doublet, and drew off his stockings and laid them on the bed’s head; and nature demanding a discharge of the surplus weight which he carried within him, he asked the lad where this might be done, and was shewn a door in a corner of the room, and told to go in there. [ 038 ] Andreuccio, nothing doubting, did so, but, by ill luck, set his foot on a plank which was detached from the joist at the further end, whereby down it went, and he with it. By God’s grace he took no hurt by the fall, though it was from some height, beyond sousing himself from head to foot in the ordure which filled the whole place, which, [ 039 ] that you may the better understand what has been said, and that which is to follow, I will describe to you.” 

There have also been times in which men have both outsmarted and used power against women in The decameron but they have only done so through their own depravity and not because their intellicity superior. An example of so is presented in the Decameron fifth day, third story in which the story of Pietro di Vinciolo and his wife is told.  Pietro finds his wife’s lover in their chicken coop and decides the suitable punishment for them would be for the man to have sex with them both. Pietro was only able to obtain what he desires not through superior cunning or intellect but through his fortune in catching his wife’s lover.

Boccaccio’s The Decameron, touches on a variety of topics and themes, providing a significant amount of  perspectives on the differing characteristics of men and women. The stories propose that women are significantly superior in many aspects. In the stories, the various narrators compare both male and female attempts with characteristics to provide a reference of which to compare the genders.

Sources:

Tenth Day – tenth story (February 15, 2010)

https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/texts/DecShowText.php?myID=nov1010&lang=eng

Second day- fifth story (february 15, 2010)

https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/texts/DecShowText.php?myID=nov0205&lang=eng

Fifth day- third story  (february 15, 2010)

https://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/texts/DecShowText.php?myID=nov0503&lang=eng