The Decameron: Difference between revisions

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The Decameron is along with the [[Canterbury Tales]] one of the most famous collections of short stories ever.
Written by [[Giovanni Boccaccio]], '''The Decameron''' stands alongside the [[Canterbury Tales]] as one of the most famous collections of short stories ever.


The ''frame tale'' of the book concerns a group of young men and women who travel to the country to escape the [[Black Death]] in [[Florence]]. To while away the time the ten of them decide that every night each one will tell a story to help pass the time. Some nights there are to be themes chosen, such as ''tales which concern people getting out of a tricky situation with a clever comment'', and other nights there are none. After ten nights the party decides to return to Florence and thus the Decameron ends.
The ''frame tale'' of the [[book]] concerns a group of young men and women who travel to the country to escape the [[Black Death]] in [[Florence]]. To while away the time the ten of them decide that every night each one will tell a story to help pass the time. Some nights there are to be themes chosen, such as ''tales which concern people getting out of a tricky situation with a clever comment'', and other nights there are none. After ten nights the party decides to return to Florence and thus the Decameron ends.


The stories of the Decameron range from the poignant and worthy to outright bawdy. Monks are displayed as generally venal and willing to do just about anything to get a young maiden to bed with them.
The stories of the Decameron range from the poignant and worthy to outright bawdy. [[Monk]]s are displayed as generally venal and willing to do just about anything to get a young [[maiden]] to [[bed]] with them.


The Decameron was also the model for [[The Heptameron]] by [[Margueritte de Navarre]], as well as providing inspiration for countless other authors.
The Decameron was also the model for ''[http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/navarre/heptameron/heptameron.html The Heptameron]'' by [http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/gordon/lit/marguerite.html Marguerite de Navarre], as well as providing inspiration for countless other authors.


== External Links ==
== External Links ==
* The [[Project Gutenberg]] [http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03/thdcm10.txt E-text of the Decemeron]
* The [[Project Gutenberg]] [http://www.ibiblio.org/gutenberg/etext03/thdcm10.txt E-text of the Decameron]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=vKvVpIpr43EC&dq The Decameron] (translated by James Macmullan Rigg and illustrated by Louis Chalon)
* [http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/dweb.shtml Decameron Web: A growing hypermedia archive of materials dedicated to Boccaccio's masterpiece]


[[category:books|Decameron]][[category:literature]]

Latest revision as of 05:23, 10 September 2007

Written by Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron stands alongside the Canterbury Tales as one of the most famous collections of short stories ever.

The frame tale of the book concerns a group of young men and women who travel to the country to escape the Black Death in Florence. To while away the time the ten of them decide that every night each one will tell a story to help pass the time. Some nights there are to be themes chosen, such as tales which concern people getting out of a tricky situation with a clever comment, and other nights there are none. After ten nights the party decides to return to Florence and thus the Decameron ends.

The stories of the Decameron range from the poignant and worthy to outright bawdy. Monks are displayed as generally venal and willing to do just about anything to get a young maiden to bed with them.

The Decameron was also the model for The Heptameron by Marguerite de Navarre, as well as providing inspiration for countless other authors.

External Links