distinction between social classes and established morals and norms, were multiplied by a third factor, through which they were significantly enforced, which is the position of the woman in a man dominated society. In that regard, such distinction led to that love relationships were held in secret, and considering the origins of the lovers in both tales, it can be stated that the finale of these love stories was initially predetermined as tragic, even before being exposed by the father and the siblings in the tales.Īdditionally, it should be stated that the aforementioned social issues, i.e. At the same time, the tales obviously point out to that despite the norms and the values, the need for love as well as the sexual desires of the man and the woman were as natural as at any historical period. In that regard, these norms enforced the distinction between love and marriage, where in the case of the latter, with marriage being arranged by the parents, there was little chance for love to occur between the man and the woman. In the case of Chismunda, the lower class of her lover-Guiscardo, was merely pointed out as “a man of very humble birth” (Boccaccio, Musa and Bondanella 294), while in the case of Elisabetta, her lover – Lorenzo, was simply a worker for Elisabetta’s brothers (327).Īccordingly, it can be stated that the established norms of morals at that time was a major factor in the love stories turning tragic. In both tales, the difference between Chismunda, Elisabetta and their lovers was the main reason for the death of the former and subsequently Chismunda and Elisabetta following them. The first and the main issue can be seen through the importance paid to social classes and the difference between them. In that regard, this paper touches on those social issues in the context of tragic love, based on the first and the fifth tale of the fourth day of Decameron. Being told in the context of entertainment, Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron contains novels that touch on the subject of tragic love, which often can be intersected with social issues, characteristic of that time.

Giovanni decameron