The Decameron, part four

Day Five, Story Ten
1. This story very clearly alludes to the homosexuality/bisexuality of the characters involved. How does the author address this issue? How is this story similar or different from the other tales of lust that we have read?
In the creation of this tale, Boccaccio proves that there is no sin to be spared from his writing. Pietro, though is very obviously implied to be gay: “[His wife] found herself with a husband who was more interested in other men than in her” (433). In his usual manner, Boccaccio does not directly name the sin committed by the characters involved (never saying outright that Pietro is gay), and in doing so levels homosexual actions with the other lustful activities. This story follows the same path as the others depicting lustful or adulterous attractions: though they are at first pegged as “wicked”, the characters rejoice in their “wrongful” practices in the end, without much objection from the storyteller (and not true moral statement from Boccaccio revealed). This sort of addressing of homosexuality is a telling glimpse of how it was (if only in secret) practiced at this time, despite its great punishments if discovered. Bisexuality is even depicted (which is still a somewhat taboo topic today). This should be not surprising, though; Boccaccio has had no trouble in exhibiting practically every other sin known to man (especially the ones that people typically avoid discussing, such as incest or bestiality). Boccaccio once again proves himself as the author willing to speak of the unspeakable action, without shame or embarrassment; and instead as almost embracing of each sin that constructs humanity.

Day Six, Story Ten
1. Here we see Brother Cipolla take advantage of other peoples’ faith. What does this say about his view of religion, and about the state of religion at the time?
Brother Cipolla is obviously motivated by his greed rather than his faith in God in all of his actions; it even seems that he became a member of the congregation of Saint Anthony just for the money he could acquire. Brother Cipolla understands the leniency with which worshippers give away their money “to the cause” and takes advantage of it: “Because [Certaldo] was such good grazing ground, one of the brothers of Saint Anthony used to go there once a year to collect the alms that people were stupid enough to give him” (470). Brother Cipolla simply travels from place to place, finding ways to charge churchgoers, such as encouraging the townspeople of Certaldo to give some of their grain and crops to the “poor brothers” of Saint Anthony; in return, Saint Anthony will keep their livestock from danger (471) - an obvious ploy for money. Brother Cipolla even goes so far as to note that giving more grain and crops are giving because of their greater capacity and piety (another maneuver to ensure the townspeople will give away more.) Brother Cipolla’s greatest trickery, though, is in representing a parrot’s feather as a feather of the wing of the Angel Gabriel. Though it is not the fault of the townspeople to have never seen a parrot before, it is sadly too easy for them to believe the feather came from an angel and not simply an animal they haven’t encountered before. What is even worse is that this was a common practice of medieval times; it was often that a commonplace object was transformed into a holy object, and then charged for to see (since many Christians were ready to give away their money to view a relic, and many members of the clergy took advantage of it). Brother Cipolla flaunts this widespread gullibility in their faces when recalling all of the holy relics he has encountered, including recollections of the sweat, bones, and shoes of sacred people (476-8); they unfortunately do not notice and are quick to believe that he accidentally took the charcoal of Saint Lorenzo. This story, combined with his other less-than-flattering depictions religion, display Boccaccio’s true understanding of the corruption and deceit that constructed Christianity at the time (and this understanding is mirrored in Brother Cipolla’s actions.)