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''The Decameron'' (subtitle: ''Prencipe Galeotto'') is a collection of 100 Novella s by Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio , probably begun in 1350 and finished in 1353 . It is a Medieval Allegorical work best known for its bawdy tales of love, appearing in all its possibilities from the erotic to the tragic. Other topics such as wit and witticism, practical jokes and worldly initiation also form part of the mosaic. Beyond its entertainment and literary popularity it remains an important historical document of life in the 14th century. DESCRIPTION ''Decameron'' is structured in a by the end of the ten days. Each of the ten characters is charged as King or Queen of the company for one of the ten days in turn. This charge extends to choosing the theme of the stories for that day, and all but two days have topics assigned: examples of the power of fortune; examples of the power of human will; love tales that end tragically; love tales that end happily; clever replies that save the speaker; tricks that women play on men; tricks that men play on women; examples of virtue. Only Dioneo, who tells the tenth tale each day, has the right to tell a tale on any topic he wishes, due to his wit. Each day also includes a short introduction and conclusion to continue the frame of the tales by describing other daily activities besides story-telling. These frame tale interludes frequently include transcriptions of Italian folk songs. The interactions among tales in a day, or across days, as Boccaccio spins variations and reversals of previous material, forms a whole and not just a collection of stories. The basic plots of the stories including mocking the lust and greed of the clergy; tensions in Italian society between the new wealthy commercial class and noble families; the perils and adventures of traveling merchants. The title is a combination of two Greek words meaning "ten" (''deca'') and "day". Boccacio made similar Greek etymological plays of words in his other works. The subtitle is ''Prencipe Galeotto''. This derives from the opening material in which Boccaccio dedicates the work to ladies of the day who did not have the diversions of men—hunting, fishing, riding, falconry—who were forced to conceal their amorous passions and stay idle and concealed in their rooms. Thus, the book is subtitled ''Prencipe Galeotto'', that is ", who was blamed for the arousal of lust in the episode of Paolo And Francesca . ANALYSIS Throughout ''Decameron'' the mercantile ethic prevails and predominates. The commercial and urban values of quick wit, sophistication and intelligence are treasured, while the vices of stupidity and dullness are cured, or punished. While these traits and values will seem obvious to the modern reader, they were an emerging feature in Europe with the rise of urban centers and a monetized economic system beyond the traditional rural Feudal and monastery systems which placed greater value on piety and loyalty. Beyond the unity provided by the frame narrative, ''Decameron'' provides a unity in philosophical outlook. Throughout runs the common medieval theme of Lady Fortune , and how quickly one can rise and fall through the external influences of the "Wheel of Fortune". Boccaccio had been educated in the tradition of Dante's '' Divine Comedy '' which used various levels of Allegory to show the connections between the literal events of the story and the hidden Christian message. However ''Decameron'' uses Dante's model not to educate the reader, but to Satirize this method of learning. The Catholic Church , priests, and religious belief become the satirical source of comedy throughout. This was part of a wider historical trend in the aftermath of the Black Death which saw widespread discontent with the church. Many details of the ''Decameron'' are infused with a Medieval sense of Numerological and mystical significance. For example, it is widely believed that the seven young women are meant to represent the Four Cardinal Virtues (Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude) and the Three Theological Virtues (Faith, Hope, and Charity). It is further supposed that the three men represent the classical Greek tripartite division of the soul (Reason, Anger, and Lust, see Book IV of '' Republic ''). Boccaccio himself notes that the names he gives for these ten characters are in fact Pseudonym s chosen as "appropriate to the qualities of each". The Italian names of the seven women, in the same (most likely significant) order as given in the text, are: ''Pampinea, Fiammetta, Filomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neifile'', and ''Elissa''. The men, in order, are: ''Panfilo, Filostrato'', and ''Dioneo''. LITERARY SOURCES AND INFLUENCE OF THE ''DECAMERON'' The compelling way in which the tales were written and their almost exclusively Renaissance flair made the stories from the Decameron an irresistible source that many later writers borrowed from. Notable examples include:
Boccaccio, in turn, borrowed the plots of almost all of his stories. Although he only consulted French, Italian, and Latin sources, some of the tales have their ultimate origin in such far-off lands as India, Persia, Spain, and other places. Moreover, some were already centuries old. For example, part of the tale of Andreuccio of Pergia (II, 5) originated in second century Ephesus (in the Ephesian Tale ). The frame narrative structure (though not the characters or plot) originates from the Panchatantra , which was written in Sanskrit before 500 AD and came to Boccaccio through a chain of translations that includes Old Persian , Arabic , Hebrew , and Latin . Even the description of the central current event of the narrative, the Black Plague (which Boccaccio surely witnessed), is not original, but based on the ''Historia gentis Langobardorum'' of Paul The Deacon , who lived in the eighth century. Some scholars have suggested that some of the tales for which there is no prior source may still have not have been invented by Boccaccio, but may have been circulating in the local oral tradition and Boccaccio may have just happened to be the first person that we know of to record them. Boccaccio himself says that he heard some of the tales orally. In VII, 1, for example, he claims to have heard the tale from an old woman who heard it as a child. However, just because Boccaccio borrowed the storylines that make up most of the ''Decameron'' doesn't mean he mechanically reproduced them. Most of the stories take place in the fourteenth century and have been sufficiently updated for the author's time that a reader would not know that they had been written centuries earlier or in a foreign culture. Also, Boccaccio also often combined two or more unrelated tales into one (such as in II, 2 and VII, 7). Moreover, many of the characters actually existed, such as Giotto Di Bondone , Guido Cavalcanti , Saladin , and King William II Of Sicily . Scholars have even been able to verify the existence of less famous characters, such as the tricksters Giovanni del Bragoniera and Biagio Pizzini in the tale of Friar Cipolla (VI, 10). Still other fictional characters are based on real people, such as the Madonna Fiordaliso from tale II, 5, who is derived from a Madonna Flora that lived in the red light district of Naples. However, the reader must keep in mind that just because the characters in a given tale actually existed does not mean that the story is true. Boccaccio often intentionally muddled historical (II, 3) and geographical (V, 2) facts for his narrative purposes. The tales of the ''Decameron'' surpass their predecessors in complexity, quality, and entertainment value. Although very few of the stories contain long descriptions of any characters, the principle characters are usually developed through their dialogue and actions so that by the end of the story they seem real and their actions logical given their context. Another frequent technique of his was to make already existing tales more complex and clever. A clear example of this is in tale IX, 6, which was also used by Chaucer in his " The Reeve's Tale ," but more closely follows the original French source than does Boccaccio's version. In the Italian version the host's wife (in addition to the two young male visitors) occupy all three beds and she also creates an explanation of the happenings of the evening. Both elements are Boccaccio's invention and make for a more humorous and complex version than either Chaucer's version or the French source (a Fabliau by Jean de Boves). INFLUENCE ON VISUAL ART Scenes from the ''Decameron'' have been illustrated by many artists, perhaps most famously in a series by , due for release in 2006 . TALES FROM DECAMERON Some particularly notable stories from the collection: REFERENCES
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