The Literature Book

THE DECAMERON

(1353), GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO

Structured as a frame narrative,

The Decameron by Italian writer,

poet, and scholar Giovanni

Boccaccio (1313–75) is a collection

of 100 tales. The frame story

uniting them is that of 10 young

adults—seven women and three

men—who flee plague-ridden

Florence to an attractive villa in

nearby Fiesole. The group decides

that every day, each of them should

tell a story, resulting in 100 stories

over 10 days. Whoever is nominated

leader for the day chooses the

subject and stipulates rules for the

stories to be told. Each day ends

with one person singing a canzone

or song, while the others dance.

The result is a dazzling collection of

exquisitely written tales—ranging

from stories of tragic love and

bawdiness through to the power of

human will and tricks that women

play on men—that inspired writers

of the Renaissance and beyond.

Le Morte d’Arthur is a compilation

of stories about the legendary King

Arthur and the knights of the

Round Table. Deriving from older

French romances, the stories were

translated into English prose and

compiled by English knight, soldier,

writer, and member of Parliament

Sir Thomas Malory (d.1471). Malory

arranged the stories in chronological

order, starting with the birth of

Arthur, and chose to focus on the

brotherhood of the knights rather

than the theme of courtly love so

popular with the French.

AMADIS OF GAUL

(1508), GARCI RODRÍGUEZ

DE MONTALVO

A chivalric prose romance written

in Spanish by Montalvo (c.1450–

1504), Amadis of Gaul probably

had its origins in the early 14th

century, but its original date and

authorship is uncertain. Written

FURTHER READING

SIR GAWAIN AND THE

GREEN KNIGHT

(c.1375)

Consisting of some 2,500 lines,

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

is one of the best-known examples

of Middle English alliterative verse.

Of unknown authorship, the poem

is a chivalric romance set in the

early days of the legendary King

Arthur’s court. A beautifully written

tale of enchantment that is full of

psychological insight, the poem

describes a series of challenges

and temptations faced by the hero,

Sir Gawain, following an encounter

with the mysterious Green Knight.

THE WELL CRADLE

(c.1430), ZEAMI MOTOKIYO

The Well Cradle (Izutsu) is a classical

Noh play by Zeami Motokiyo (1363–

1443), the greatest dramatist and

theorist of the Japanese Noh theater.

The play, which takes its name

from the protective railing around a

well, is framed within an encounter

between a Buddhist monk and a

village woman, who tells the monk

a story. Highly stylized, the play is

based on a visionary Noh story of

a boy and girl who meet at a well,

fall in love, and marry.

LE MORTE D’ARTHUR

(1485), SIR THOMAS MALORY

Printed by William Caxton in 1485,

although an earlier manuscript

version from around 1470 exists,

102

A kissed mouth does not

lose its freshness, for like

the moon it always

renews itself.

The Decameron

Giovanni Boccaccio

Therein stuck a fair sword

naked by the point ... Whoso

pulleth out this sword of this

stone and anvil, is rightwise

king born of all England.

Le Morte d’Arthur

Sir Thomas Malory

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