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85 pages 2 hours read

Giovanni Boccaccio

The Decameron

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1353

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Essay Topics

1.

The Decameron uses the story of the Florentine youths as a framing device. In what ways do their experiences of society’s travails and the Black Death influence their choice of themes and stories?

2.

The corruption of the clergy is a key part of many of the stories. In what way is the portrayal of the clergy separate from the portrayal of religion?The corruption of the clergy is a key part of many of the stories. In what way is the portrayal of the clergy separate from the portrayal of religion?

3.

Can The Decameron be considered a proto-feminist text? How does Boccaccio depict femininity? How do female characters exercise or lose agency in these stories?

4.

Tricks are employed frequently by the characters. To what extent are successful tricks lauded by the storytellers? Why? What role does trickery play in a society seemingly obsessed with honor and virtuous conduct?

5.

Do the characters in the stories value loyalty over honor or vice versa?

6.

To what extent do the different storytellers’s styles of narration influence the prose, structure, and style of their respective stories?

7.

How is social class depicted in The Decameron? To what extent is social class immutable? How is it challenged or transgressed?

8.

Consider the personal and social dynamics within the brigata. In what ways do their interactions embody some of the themes explored in the stories?

9.

Sexuality is a constant presence in The Decameron. How is sexuality depicted, both within and outside of marriage? In what ways do the storytellers challenge contemporary ideas of sexuality?

10.

How do the stories of The Decameron illustrate the difference between wealth and social status in the 14th century?

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