Day 4 Celestina

"Alas, it is. I feel the wound now that it is cold, now that my blood has cooled which was warm yesterday, now that I see the gap in my household, the loss of my servants, the wastage of my patrimony, the disrepute into which I have fallen." -Calisto

I think that this quote pretty much sums up desire in general. Like a romance novel that will wait to the end for the lovers to consummate their passion, the anticipation provoked more fire than the act itself. He seems almost disappointed. In the beginning all Calisto could think about was Melibea. He lived for her, breathed for her, Sempronio and Parmeno often commented on how foolish he was to allow himself to be taken by one woman. Now that he got what he wanted and he asks himself: was it worth it? Was being with Melibea (which didn't last that long in the first place) really worth the loss of his honor and hers? He can clearly see now everything that this love affair has cost him. He expected to be over the moon. A part of him is satisfied and liked it so much that he intends to go back to have her again, but now he seems more patient about it. He has a very Juliet line about Phobeus coming on a steed so that night will come again, but he also follows that by saying he can't go against nature, and he has to wait until nature says that night should come so he can be with Melibea again. This is different from the beginning when he was talking about the fire in his veins and praying to God that Melibea would give him what he wanted. Even when he first went to Melibea and was almost begging her to give it up because he wanted it so badly, it seems like now that he has what he wanted and knows what its like, he can wait until the time when he can be with her again.

Day 2 Celestina

When Celestina is making her thread for Melibea, a different side of her shows. She seems so nervous and anxious. Celestina did not initially strike me as someone who second guesses herself. She was always so confident in herself, positive that she's right and even mocking those who doubt her word. (In the case of Parmeno). But her lack of confidence says that she is lacking her own abilities. She says later on to Melibea that being old isn't that great. Perhaps she lacks her abilities because of her old age. She also sees the danger in messing with the lives of noblemen. She's also blinded by her own greed. She feels that she can't back out of the situation that she's in because of the economic loss that would result.

Day 6 Decameron

9.2- I think that the nun's actions reflect not upon the religion that they represent, but the church. The practive of having nuns and priests are very unrealistic. They put people on pedestals that they don't deserve and can't possibly live up to. These nuns are wrong because they have a vow to God that they will be chaste, and instead living up to those vows to the best of their ability they make a mockery of it. The least they can do is try to find a way out of their vows (I'm not sure if that was possible during this time period). But the abbess was who disappointed me the most. They say that if you point a finger at someone else, you have four others pointing back at you and the abbess proved that saying. She was trying so hard to live up to the view that the other nuns have of her that she forgot her own faults. Sin did became relative in this story, which is not the way it is supposed to be in real life. It reminded of a line from a previous story that a sin kept to yourself is a sin that half forgiven. So long as they don't get caught, they're no doing anything wrong. Is it? Is it right that you would chastise others for having the courage to say out loud something that you won't even admit to yourself? Are you truly forgiven in the eyes of God for getting away with your sin?

10.10- I found this story positively repulsive; I hated all the characters. they have a very twisted point of view of what love is and what it means to be loved. "The one makes you cry is not worth your tears, and the one who is worth your tears will never make you cry." It seems to me that Griselda has never heard this saying. It may be my modern point of view coming into view here, but if you love someone, and give them children, and do everything in your power to make them happy and meet their needs, there is no need for a test. It is insulting to think that anyine would tolerate someone murdering their children to test your obediance. That would equal my loss of love. When you love someone you don't trea them badly, no matter what the reason is. Gualtieri is cruel, end of story. Love is not abusive, it isn't selfish, and most of all its unconditional. It cannot be measured and does not need to be tested. Griselda is a fool for tolerating all of that. But again, I think this way because I am modern woman.

Day Five Decameron

8.7-Do you think that the scholar's revenge was cruel, or do you think that Madonna Elena got what she deserved?

I'm actually torn about what I think of the scholar. Its true that she didn't die and the same thing happened to her that happened to him, but I think it went on the cruel side. She begged him to let her down. Does making someone else suffer make your own suffering less? Does that hurt truly go away? And meanwhile, what does that say about the scholar? That he can be vengeful and cruel, when she was already getting the punishment that she deserved when her lover left her. She repeatedly said throughout the night that she left the scholar out in the cold that she was doing this to prove the love that she had for her lover, but where did that get her. That was the cruel punishment that she got. That was what she deserved. The brilliant scholar showed that he could stoop down to her level getting revenge like that. This did not make me sympathize with him.

7.5-What do you think of the statement that the wife made to her jealous husband? Was she justified in taking a lover?

This statement reminds me of Shakespearean word play at its best. It is also further proof of how language can be used to manipulate a situation. She started by calling him an idiot and continued by explaining to him why he's an idiot and why she isn't, all the while knowing that she does have a lover and that he has been sneaking into her room every night. This very much reminds me of Yseut saying that no one has been between her legs except for King Mark and the leper. She does get her husband off her back, but in the end, he was justified. She was trying to prove to him that she is an honest wife, but she's tricking him. This is the Keyshia Cole song, "I should have cheated." She's not justified because she's proving him right, not wrong.

Day 2 Decameron

I think that this says that women are no different than men when it comes to lust. Even though in these days women would just have to deal with whatever came their way, and men had more of a choice, this said that women could enjoy sex just as much as men do. We also see that perhaps women like to feel safe since Alatiel slept with the men who could take of her. These were men who had something to offer, whether it be jewels and a throne or just giving her a sense of security. It gave a really negative view of men, because all the men in this story ended killing each other over this pretty face. She said absolutely nothing, and yet would claim to have fallen in love with her. Her father believed in everything that she said and sent her off to get married believing that she is still a virgin. Basically: men are fools when it comes to beautiful women. Just as in the story of the Trojan horse men will kill each other, go to war and risk the safety of a nation to satify their own pleasures. But it also make women seem fickle. Alatiel would only go through a very brief mourning period after losing a lover and it wasn't for her lover, it was for herself. She was lamenting her sad fortune and not the loss of her lover. And then she would immediately fall into the bed of whoever could give her the lifestyle that she was accustomed to.