Electronic Syllabus

Academic Year 2008-09

Italian 1020: Boccaccio's Decameron
Class meetings: Tue. & Th. 1-2:20
(Salomon 203)

Prof. Massimo Riva
Room 202, 190 Hope St.
Tel. 863-3984/1561
e-mail: Massimo_Riva@brown.edu


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WEEKLY SYLLABUS

Week 1: Thursday, January 22, 2009

Week 2: January 27

January 29

Week 3: February 3

February 5

  • First Day. Novelle 6 (an honest man), 7 (Bergamino, Primasso and the Abbot of Cligní), 8 (Guiglielmo Borsiere and Ermino de' Grimaldi), 9 (a woman and the King of Cyprus), 10 (Maestro Alberto from Bologna). Wit and clever remarks. Written assignment due (blog entry): review of the first novella told by your narrator.

Week 4: February 10

February 12

Week 5: February 19 (February 17, no class: long weekend)

Week 6: February 24

February 26

  • Fourth Day (under the rule of Filostrato). Novelle 1 (Tancredi and Ghismonda), 2 (frate Alberto), 3 (three sisters and three young men), 4 (Gerbino), 5 (Lisabetta and her brothers). Love relics: Ghismonda's heart and Lisabetta's head.  Disguising gender: Lisetta's angel.

Week 7: March 3

  • Fourth Day. Novelle 6 (Andreuola and Gabriotto), 7 (Simona and Pasquino), 8 (Girolamo and Salvestra), 9 (Guiglielmo Rossiglione) and 10 (the wife of a physician and the two usurers).
  • Written assignment due (blog entry): review of the fourth novella told by your narrator.

March 5

  • Fifth Day (under the rule of Fiammetta). Novelle 1 (Cimone and Iphigenia), 2 (Gostanza and Martuccio), 3 (Pietro Boccamazza and Agnolella), 4 (Caterina's Nightingale), 5 (Guidotto's daughter and Giacomino da Pavia).

Week 8: March 10

March 12

  • Sixth Day (under the rule of Elissa). Introduzione. Novelle 1 (madonna Oretta's horse), 2 (Cisti fornaio), 3 (Monna Nonna de' Pulci), 4 (Chichibio), 5 (Messer Forese and Maestro Giotto).

Week 9: March 17

March 19

  • Seventh Day (under the rule of Dioneo). Novelle 1 (Gianni Lotteringhi), 2 (Peronella), 3 (frate Rinaldo), 4 (Tofano), 5 (a jealous husband).
  • Who rules the domestic space?

Week 9: March 24-26 Spring Break

Week 10: March 31

  • Seventh Day. Novelle 6 (Madonna Isabella), 7 (Madonna Beatrice), 8 (Monna Sismonda), 9 (Lidia), 10 (Tingoccio and Meuccio from Siena).

April 2

  • Pier Paolo Pasolini's Decameron.
  • Written assignment (blog entry): review of the seventh novella told by your narrator (including comments from class discussion). First draft proposal for final project (1-2 paragraphs on topic itself, structural breakdown, ideas for links, short bibliography -- plain text).

Week 12: April 7

  • Eighth Day (under the rule of Lauretta). Novelle 1 (Gulfardo and Gasparruolo), 2 (the Priest from Varlungo and Monna Belcolore), 3 (Calandrino, Bruno and Buffalmacco and the Elitropia), 4 (the Provost of Fiesole and the Widow), 5 (three young men and a judge). Florentine lore: the Calandrino's cycle. Magic in the Middle Ages.

April 9

  • Eighth Day. Novelle 6 (Calandrino and the pig), 7 (the Scholar and the Widow), 8 (Zeppa and Spinelloccio), 9 (Maestro Simone), 10 (a Sicilian woman and a merchant)
  • Written assignments (blog entry): review of the eighth novella told by your narrator.

Week 13: April 14

  • Ninth Day (under the rule of Emilia). Novelle 1 (Madonna Francesca), 2 (an Abbess), 3 (Calandrino and the Magic Scroll), 4 (Cecco Angiolieri and Fortarrigo), 5 (Calandrino in love).

April 16

  • Ninth Day. Novelle 6 (two young men), 7 (Talano and his wife), 8 (Ciacco and Biondello), 9 (Salamone and Goose Bridge), 10 (donno Gianni and compar Pietro).
  • Written assignment (blog entry): review of the ninth novella told by your narrator.

Week 14: April 21

  • Tenth Day. Novelle 1 (messer Ruggieri and the king of Spain), 2 (Ghino di Tacco and the Abbot of Cligní), 3 (Natan and Mitridanes), 4 (Gentile and Niccoluccio), 5 (Madonna Dianora and Messer Ansaldo),

April 23

  • Tenth Day. Novelle 6 (the old King Charles in love), 7 (Lisa and the King), 8 (Titus and Sophronia), 9 (messer Torello and the Saladin), 10 (the Marquis of Saluzzo).
  • The Author's Epilogue.
  • Written assignments (blog entry): review of the tenth novella told by your narrator.

Week 15: April 28-30 (Reading Period)

Week 16: May 7

  • Presentations and discussions of final projects in progress.

Deadline for completion of all final projects: May 15

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