It has been more than 600 years since Giovanni Boccaccio, one of the founders of European Renaissance literature, wrote his famous collection of novellas The Decameron. The book received instant success; however, critics claimed that it undermined the moral and religious ground and was too vulgar. In fact, this work only defies the bigotry of the fourteenth-century society, and it is one of the greatest examples of satirical comedy.
The Decameron starts with Panfilo telling the story about the dishonest notary Ser Cepparello, also known as Ciapelletto, who embodies all the ugly traits of human nature: “He was belike the worst man that ever was born” (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 31). Ciapelletto even lies confessing to a priest shortly before his death. The monk is so moved by the confession that he absolves all of Cepparello’s sins and tells churchgoers what a wonderful man the deceased was: “He told them many other things of his loyalty and purity of heart” (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 40). The story ends with Cepparello becoming Saint Ciappelletto and pilgrims praising him. Here, Giovanni Boccaccio pokes fun at parsons as well as ordinary people. The former were often naive enough to take at its face value everything said while confessing, and the latter were too preoccupied lying to a priest. Many people committed this sin because they wanted to seem good to priests. They have neither high moral ground nor faith, only their self-exaltation. The author also brings out the issue that anyone who claims to live a good life could become a saint without any proves.
Continuing the topic of religious satire in The Decameron, two other novellas, which describe the church and clerics in the worst light, though with humor natural to Boccaccio, are to be mentioned.
The first story tells about Berto della Massa, “a man of wicked and corrupt life” (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 297), who had to leave Imolese: “There was none in the town who would credit him, even when he said sooth” (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 298) and moved to Venice in order to join Minor Friar. It was a forced decision; however, it bore fruit:
In short, scarce was any ware of him when from a thief, a pimp, a forger, a manslayer, he suddenly became a great preacher, without having for all that forsworn the vices aforesaid, whenas he might secretly put them in practice. (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 299)
Later, as the story develops, Berto seduces the merchant’s wife Madam Lisetta da Ca Quirino. He tricks her into believing that Angel Gabriel loves her and will visit her chamber in the body of Berto. At the end of the story, Berto’s equivocation is exposed, and it serves him right. This novel once again ridicules the careless churchman, but this time in a different way. Here, the man of the cloth is not gullible. On the contrary, he is hypocritical and concupiscent. He preaches abstinence, while having the extramarital affair.
Another story related to religious satire narrates the adventures of brother Cipolla: “The jolliest rascal in the world … no scholar, he was so fine a talker and so ready of wit that those who knew him not would not only have esteemed him a great rhetorician” (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 482). Cipolla baits people to his congregation, promising them to show the feather of the angel Gabriel on one condition: “Pay … that small due which is payable once a year” (Boccaccio, 2007, p. 484). Two of Cipolla’s friends decide to pull his leg, steal the relic, which, in truth, is only a parrot’s feather, and replace it with coal, but the monk manages to find a way out of this predicament, claiming that it was coal where Saint Lawrence was roasted. This story shows the moral decay of the servants of God, their greediness and corruption. Clerics are supposed to guide people and be role models, but they only think about fattening their wallets.
Last but not least, the story of the peasant’s daughter Griselda, who marries Marquis of Saluzzo, is discussed. Griselda does her best to make him happy: “She was so obedient to her husband and so diligent in his service that he accounted himself the happiest and best contented man in the world”. Unfortunately, soon enough, Marquis starts to mistreat his wife by tormenting her emotionally. However, the story ends with Marquis reconciling with Griselda and praising her after everything she has endured. Here, the woman serves as a symbol of the perfect Christian who turns another cheek and has humility, despite all the hardships. Boccaccio brings to light the fact that the virtue of humility in Christianity is founded on submission to all-forgiving and merciful God, but the church distorts the notion of humility. The author essentially states that one can be a perfect wife only under perfect circumstances that do not exist in the time of putridness.
To sum up, The Decameron is one of the most important satirical works of the Renaissance. They are fun and frivolous, sad and vulgar. Sometimes, all is in the same line, but they are always poignant and offer constructive criticism, which is essential to the genre of satire.
It has been more than 600 years since Giovanni Boccaccio, one of the founders of European Renaissance literature, wrote his famous collection of novellas The Decameron. The book received instant success; however, critics claimed that it undermined the moral and religious ground and was too vulgar. In fact, this work only defies the bigotry of the fourteenth-century society, and it is one of the greatest examples of satirical comedy.
The Decameron starts with Panfilo telling the story about the dishonest notary Ser Cepparello, also known as Ciapelletto, who embodies all the ugly traits of human nature: “He was belike the worst man that ever was born”. Ciapelletto even lies confessing to a priest shortly before his death. The monk is so moved by the confession that he absolves all of Cepparello’s sins and tells churchgoers what a wonderful man the deceased was: “He told them many other things of his loyalty and purity of heart”. The story ends with Cepparello becoming Saint Ciappelletto and pilgrims praising him. Here, Giovanni Boccaccio pokes fun at parsons as well as ordinary people. The former were often naive enough to take at its face value everything said while confessing, and the latter were too preoccupied lying to a priest. Many people committed this sin because they wanted to seem good to priests. They have neither high moral ground nor faith, only their self-exaltation. The author also brings out the issue that anyone who claims to live a good life could become a saint without any proves.
Continuing the topic of religious satire in The Decameron, two other novellas, which describe the church and clerics in the worst light, though with humor natural to Boccaccio, are to be mentioned.
The first story tells about Berto della Massa, “a man of wicked and corrupt life”, who had to leave Imolese: “There was none in the town who would credit him, even when he said sooth” and moved to Venice in order to join Minor Friar. It was a forced decision; however, it bore fruit:
In short, scarce was any ware of him when from a thief, a pimp, a forger, a manslayer, he suddenly became a great preacher, without having for all that forsworn the vices aforesaid, whenas he might secretly put them in practice.
Later, as the story develops, Berto seduces the merchant’s wife Madam Lisetta da Ca Quirino. He tricks her into believing that Angel Gabriel loves her and will visit her chamber in the body of Berto. At the end of the story, Berto’s equivocation is exposed, and it serves him right. This novel once again ridicules the careless churchman, but this time in a different way. Here, the man of the cloth is not gullible. On the contrary, he is hypocritical and concupiscent. He preaches abstinence, while having the extramarital affair.
Another story related to religious satire narrates the adventures of brother Cipolla: “The jolliest rascal in the world … no scholar, he was so fine a talker and so ready of wit that those who knew him not would not only have esteemed him a great rhetorician”. Cipolla baits people to his congregation, promising them to show the feather of the angel Gabriel on one condition: “Pay … that small due which is payable once a year”. Two of Cipolla’s friends decide to pull his leg, steal the relic, which, in truth, is only a parrot’s feather, and replace it with coal, but the monk manages to find a way out of this predicament, claiming that it was coal where Saint Lawrence was roasted. This story shows the moral decay of the servants of God, their greediness and corruption. Clerics are supposed to guide people and be role models, but they only think about fattening their wallets.
Last but not least, the story of the peasant’s daughter Griselda, who marries Marquis of Saluzzo, is discussed. Griselda does her best to make him happy: “She was so obedient to her husband and so diligent in his service that he accounted himself the happiest and best contented man in the world”. Unfortunately, soon enough, Marquis starts to mistreat his wife by tormenting her emotionally. However, the story ends with Marquis reconciling with Griselda and praising her after everything she has endured. Here, the woman serves as a symbol of the perfect Christian who turns another cheek and has humility, despite all the hardships. Boccaccio brings to light the fact that the virtue of humility in Christianity is founded on submission to all-forgiving and merciful God, but the church distorts the notion of humility. The author essentially states that one can be a perfect wife only under perfect circumstances that do not exist in the time of putridness.
To sum up, The Decameron is one of the most important satirical works of the Renaissance. They are fun and frivolous, sad and vulgar. Sometimes, all is in the same line, but they are always poignant and offer constructive criticism, which is essential to the genre of satire.
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