ITAL 242 - Boccaccio’s Decameron (in Eng)

Semester Offered: Offered int he fall.
1 unit(s)

Written in the aftermath of the Black Death epidemic, Boccaccio’s Decameron is a masterpiece of Italian and European literature that has inspired artists such as Francesco Petrarca, Geoffrey Chaucer, Sandro Botticelli, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Margaret Atwood. The Decameron tells the story of ten young men and women who escape the infamous 1348 plague battering their native city of Florence by taking refuge in the countryside. Over the course of two weeks, they take turns sharing stories about the whims of fortune, the power of wits, the resolve of magnanimity, tragic love and dubious affairs. This class reads the novellas in English translation. While providing the necessary historical and cultural background to better understand Boccaccio’s world, the class also considers instances of reception of the Decameron in the present day. Reading and discussion are in English, no previous knowledge of Italian required. Alberto Gelmi.

Open to all classes. Italian majors see ITAL 342.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS