Boccaccio and love: ideas and suggestions for writing an essay on the concept of love in the Decameron, the most famous work by the Tuscan writer.
Love is one of the main themes in Giovanni Boccaccio ‘s Decameron . Already in the preface of the work, the author states that he wants to dedicate the book to all those who are afflicted by the pains of love, especially women, who suffer the pains of love and ” keep their amorous flames hidden “.
In Boccaccio ‘s Decameron tales, the theme of love is represented in different aspects and forms: from the most carnal to the most refined passions, happy and unhappy love are recounted.
In the fifth tale of the fourth day, Lisabetta da Messina , a more solemn form of love is present, which leads the young Lisabetta to commit crazy acts. The feeling for her beloved Lorenzo, in fact, persists even after his death: Lisabetta, after cutting off Lorenzo’s head, hides it in a basil pot and day after day, takes care of the plant and cries desperately over it until she dies. In this tale, therefore, a more psychological love is represented, satisfied by the simple fact of thinking about the loved one, and is so strong that it leads to committing acts of madness.
The theme of carnal love is then addressed in a much broader way, as in the tale of the nightingale ( Day V , tale V), which narrates the passion between two young people. The natural instinct of love also comes to life between the personalities of religious figures, corrupting their faith and the promise of chastity: this is the case, for example, in the tale of Masetto da Lamporecchio (Day III, Tale I), which narrates the story of a young man who, pretending to be deaf and dumb, enters a convent, reawakening passion among the nuns.
Love for Boccaccio and Petrarca
The love narrated by Giovanni Boccaccio is therefore extremely different from that narrated by Francesco Petrarca : the former sings of a carnal love made of concrete passions; the latter instead narrates a more sublime love , an introspection through one’s own feelings.
Theme on love in the Decameron: conclusion
Love governs a large part of human life and Boccaccio, in the narration of his stories, knows no social or religious prejudices: love is a natural feeling and is alive in all men, regardless of the moral rules that they impose on themselves.
