The Gascon Gentlewoman appears in Elissa’s first tale (I, 9) as a pilgrim returning from Jerusalem. When she is raped in Cyprus—demonstrating the vulnerability of women to physical violence—her witty mockery of the ineffective King of Cypress shames him into action. She thus demonstrates the value of wit and wisdom in women’s words.
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Gascon Gentlewoman Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Gascon Gentlewoman appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 1: Ninth Tale
Elissa, hoping to give the company a good and useful moral, relates how a Gascon Gentlewoman , returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, is raped while passing through Cyprus. She wants...
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The Gascon Gentlewoman asks the King of Cyprus to give her advice about how to endure being wronged,...
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