In Emilia’s ninth tale (IX, 9), Joseph’s Wife is a willful and disobedient woman who ignores her husband Joseph. She is a misogynistic stereotype of the disobedient and argumentative wife, and the tale claims that her recalcitrance arises from her husband’s ineffectual discipline. When he beats her severely, she learns to be better behaved.
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Joseph’s Wife Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Joseph’s Wife appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 9: Ninth Tale
...for a few days on his way home, and they get an icy reception from Joseph’s Wife , who not only ignores their requests for dinner but seems to do the exact...
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The next morning, when Joseph’s Wife asks what Joseph would like for breakfast, she follows his and Melissus’s instructions exactly. Now...
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