Summary Of Edgar Allan Poe's Treatment Of Women

The treatment of woman is Boccaccio’s and de Navarre’s Stories Boccaccio and de Navarre were both brilliant writers. Their works such as Decameron and Heptameron are still read by many. Both of these stories share a similar view of women during this time. This essay will discuss how women are represented in these two stories by looking at the relationships, responsibilities, and morality. In both Decameron and Heptameron, the relationship between husband and wife, is a relatively good one, “He held her honor and reputation very dear, as I am sure all husbands here hold the honor and reputation of their wives dear”(Puchner, 2248). However, the relationship between the husband and the wife was not an equal one, “He wanted her to be faithful to him, but was not so keen on having the rule applied to him”(Puchner, 2248). This same rule applied in Decameron. The husband held his wife’s honor dear, but he also put her through a series of tests to see if she would always do her best to please him.

In Decameron, the wife is not only responsible for taking care of her children, but also has to try and please her husband no matter what he puts her through. On the other hand, the husband can do whatever he wishes. This logic also applies to the husband and the wife in Heptameron. For example, the husband tries to deceive his wife and get into bed with the chambermaid, “Naturally he told him that he had designs on the chambermaid”(Puchner, 2248). However, if this had been the wife, it would be very much looked down