The Comparison of the Decameron and the Heptameron

The Comparison of the Decameron and the Heptameron

Giovanni Boccaccio’s presenting the Decameron while Marguerite de Navarre’s gave the Heptameron has over time became famous in their stories. They have displayed similarities in the numerous works in their narration. Readers have presented a spirit of interest and enjoying entertainment rather than their literature. Their literature has proved to be more attractive to readers. Due to this exciting literature work, Decameron and Heptameron have remained great fame while the similarity in their work faded to obscurity.

Religion

Religion is a common factor in both stories. Bacasio sees the firm class systems as a result of social construct leading humanity, which is far from the original order of gods. These to stick to human biology. On day four, in the first story, the princess takes the move to marry a lover of a lower class to defend herself. Most High single maker created these due to the consideration of the principles of nature that we are all one flesh and our soul. The single maker gives us the power and capacity of each. It considered that we are all born equal and exist equally. In The Decameron, the travelers were allowed to settle after they freed from the plague affected Florence. They share the tales. Pampinea, the Queen, elected Panfilo to start the narration. Panfilo took his narrative and talked about God. Panfilo claimed that anything human should begin with God and through the maker of all things (Boccaccio 68). He went ahead ad described the excellent stuff and grace of his god. This story displayed his character entrusting in most higher but also the grand belief. Panfilo emphasized that God knows everything, regardless of the ignorance of the intercessor. Boccaccio prepares the reader to gain attention to our behavior that can lead to wrongdoing.

Feminism

Feminism has been evident in both Heptameron and Decameron. The case of the Rape has been visible in the Heptameron of Marguerite de Navarre. Marguerite shows the capacity for females by way of overturning traditional patriarchal stories to display their oppressive nature. He focuses on placing women in power. In the conventional narrative, a husband plans to meet his maid secret and not making it known to her. He decides to exchange location with his friend to share the woman. The wife notices that her husband was meeting with the maid, though she never knows the idea to trade with the friend. It is an Outrageous thing that the wife plans to exchange the places with the maid, but in with a plan to make her husband a cuckold. The husband, in this case, still mains control. He considers the maid to be guilty and dismissed her.

On the other hand, the independent woman in “The Decameron,” they consider a wife as a defiant wife. Socially, women are submissive and attending to home choice. However, Boccaccio’s see women failing to observe submissiveness. In the Fourth tale, Tofano is so jealous and locks his wife. His wife plans with the neighbors to change the situation and goes out in power. Tofano’s wife threatens to jump out to commit suicide. This story thus perfectly shows that the wife uses wit to fight for freedom in her marriage. Furthermore, several accounts of women fight for their freedom by presenting their issues in society.

Gender role

The gender role has similar in the stories and represented as the oppression of the women. Therefore, through the oppressive male perception, Marguerite challenges traditional ideologies and shifts the power to the women in the tales. Despite this, Marguerite also fights for equality in gender in society. In the story 10 of Heptameron, the narrator struggles to intend to use a woman as a subject of traditionally man’s story. Gender disparities are also crucial to Boccaccio’s writing. There is a difference between men and women in society. The Decameron, women, have lesser social standing compared to men. Yet, Boccaccio shows that besides women holding low social status, they influence culture. Women are seen as the upper hand in several aspects of gender relationships. In Ghismonda’s relationship with her father, Tancrede portrays a bond in which the female holds power over the male. Ghismonda’s threats are considered normal, and they are out of her love for a man. Ghismonda goes ahead to a threat to commit suicide to show how Guiscardo is essential to her. Ghismonda commits suicide after her father ignores. Boccaccio displays women being socially disadvantaged in the day four-story. In the two stories, they have two different stands. Women have a lower social standing in the Heptameron, while the Decameron seeks to fight for their position in society. Andre Viola fought to preserve her dignity and perceived as innocent. She considered doing a selfless act. Ghismonda committed suicide besides reuniting with Guiscardo, shown that she had no fear of consequences. Women do such a selfless act.

Love

The Heptameron and Decameron have taken the same stand on the appreciation. Though the stories express different ideologies in their position of respect. There is a significant similarity in the use of love in the two stories. In story ten of Heptameron, the narrator fights for the women as a subject in the traditionally and fundamentally a man’s story. Romance places women as an object of the male supporter to desires. The story refers to a famous warrior’s who attempted to express the married women by showing his affection and return his love. He used to praise and also tried physical force. Floride was the woman he admired, successfully maintained her honor, besides getting a physical and emotional injury. She fought and denied her love for him to retain her virginity. Floride went on to attachments Amadour and persistently declined him.  In the Decameron, Tancrede portrays a bond in which the female holds power over the male. Ghismonda’s threats are considered normal, and they are out of her love for a man. Ghismonda goes ahead to a threat to commit suicide to show how Guiscardo is vital to her. Ghismonda commits suicide after her father ignores. Boccaccio displays women being socially disadvantaged in the day four-story. The Decameron is fighting to sexual harassment and the position of the women to decide in society. Compare to the Heptameron; their ideology stands for women’s oppression. They are seen to be weak and have no right to reject the man. The case of sexual harassment had no one stands for their position.

Morality

The cases of immorality have been evident in both stories. The Heptameron and the Decameron take a different perspective on issues of morality and immorality. Boccaccio presents, in many cases, church as immoral because of the church exploitation in their status. Brother Alberto was a priest and used his state in the church to seduce a lady.  After that, he goes further attempt to make the mistress believe that Archangel Gabriel fell for her love. The priest goes closer and holds her body. The church is seen to be misused by the leader as present negative virtual of immorality. The priest exercises cases of adultery experienced. Boccaccio knows the church as the cause to help the priest sin. The church has displayed a critical role in society. Since it is its responsibility to preserve morals to people. Love relationships presented as so complicated in Heptameron. This seen as an inescapable trap where women considered to be in position by patriarchy. Women are seen as a nanny and supposed to take instructions from their husbands without question. The way of accepting or rejecting a lover and going through heartbreaks and death is justified to be morally. The Decameron places positive ideologies, and support the rebellion of the love and the oppression of the women in the society. However, as being place in the story, this vision is in position to critics. The Heptameron shows the immorality in the church contest while the Decameron explain in them of love.

In conclusion, Heptameron and Decameron’s similarities have grown the literature. The readers find the stories exciting and some preferring to compare the themes discusses in different perspectives. The issues of love, feminism, gender disparities, and morality have displayed in diverse contents. These have made the stories attractive to the reader and making Heptameron and Decameron famous in literature.