The Decameron Day 2

Within the assigned readings, I chose the Fifth Day, Eighth Story and the Third Day, First Story. On the Fifth Day, Eighth Story, it told a tale about a woman who created on her husband (her GAY husband) with the help of a troublesome elder lady. When the husband finds out about this affair, he has a surprising reaction. In most of the other stories, men were not looked upon different if they cheated but women were seen as whores. This being said, I was seeking the reaction of the husband going mad on the wife. However, the husband does not care. Instead, he tells the wife to invite over the man she cheated on her husband with. The three of them, then, have a threesome. I found this very weird but interesting. In most other stories we have read, the wife would have been killed, literally, if she cheated. In this one, the wife gets away with it and gets permission to have a threesome? Not only would this not have happened in the other stories, but this would not really happen in real life relationships as well. On the Third Day, First Story, it told a tale about a seedy man who pretends to be deaf and pretends he cannot talk as well. He uses this story to lure young pretty nuns to him in order for sexual advances. The nuns, however, appear to be more sexual than he is. He gets angry with this (as well as slightly embarrassed) because he cannot keep up them with physically and mentally during sex. I found this story even stranger than the first because not only is a man being applauded for pretending to be vastly ill to get sex, he is having sex with NUNS. Nuns aren't supposed to have sex with anyone, yet, they are all having sex with the very same man repeatedly. 

Both of these stories have to do with lust, even though it is in a strange way. Both stories tell of situations where inappropriate sexual advances are overlooked and are almost rewarded with sex again. It almost seems as if sex isn't this act of love anymore, even though this is how it is portrayed in some of the stories we have read about. In one story, a man lies about a disease and has sex with nuns....and the other is about a wife cheating on her husband and then her husband initiating a threesome with the guy who had sex with his wife! As I saw in Hilary's blog, it make me question what people will do these days in order to have their sexual wants to be taken care of. The wife risked her marriage to have sex with a random man and the nuns are risking their connection and devotion to Jesus and God in order to have sex with a lying scumbag. In both of these stories, surprisingly, the women are the ones who commit these heinous acts. All the men want are love. However, they don't care when they find out what the women did in order to have sex. 

The Decameron- Day One

Day One of The Decameron is about Ser Ciappelletto and his horrid behavior and actions he thrusts upon others. Within this class, one of the main themes we have studied is the theme of religion. Religion was very important during these times, especially in the Mediterranean region. Within this story, Ciapelletto is horrible man who commits sin everyday. He does not respect anyone, including any religion or any God for that matter. However, karma comes into play and one day, Ser CIappelletto becomes very very sick when he is working. The strange thing that happens is that he requests a priest come to him before he maybe dies so he can confess all of the sins he has committed over the years he has been alive. The old Ser Ciappelletto would have even lied during confession, making his matters and sickness even worse. He technically did confess to the priest some things, but he never went into detail about all of the wicked things he has done in the past. I was hoping that he wouldn't be sent to heaven but he was in the end because "he became pure"...I don't know about anyone else but I feel he cheated his way into heaven. He did not even confess anything worth confessing! he might as well have not even confessed as well.

Middle Ages Travel Stories

The tale of Margery Kempe was very unique. In the olden days, women were inferior to men and had their own place in society. However, she was very strong willed. She traveled alone from her home in England to Jerusalem with help from other men. This act was definitely unheard of during that time period, which is why it is very interesting to read and reflect on. Women were seen as being employed in their own houses, by doing dishes, laundry, cooking, and basic homemaking. So not only did she technically "quit" her job, she traveled also. Her story was very inspiring to many women and should be told more. I'm surprised I haven't heard of it until the reading was assigned. However, her story started to fall apart. She talks to God, Jesus, and Mary and they made an oath to protect her wherever she went. When she went to Mountain Calvary she was the first woman to have something like that. She was just important as a man if he went. However, she started to get depressed. I don't get why tears are a gift of God but she continues on her journey and realizes how precious life is.