Based on the historical, 13th-century king of Naples and Sicily, in Fiammetta’s tenth tale (X, 6), King Charles visits Neri degli Uberti to see his beautiful garden, where he becomes enamored of Neri’s daughters, Ginevra and Isotta. When his counselor Guy de Montfort counsels him against abducting either one, he demonstrates royal generosity in providing dowries for their marriages instead and in his willingness to endure the pain of love until its hold over him is broken, rather than selfishly claiming the young women for himself.
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King Charles Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character King Charles appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 10: Sixth Tale
...have been engaging in, Fiammetta abandons her initial story for a less ambiguous one. After King Charles has defeated King Manfred and his allies (including the Ghibelline political faction), one of the...
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The lovely garden attracts King Charles ’s attention when he vacations in Castellammare. He decides to visit informally because he and...
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After King Charles has eaten the fish, Ginevra and Isotta exit the pool, their wet dresses revealing their...
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After leaving Neri degli Uberti’s garden, King Charles can think of almost nothing except Ginevra and her sister. He becomes so enflamed by...
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Chastened by Guy de Montfort’s words, King Charles resolves to conquer his own desires in a soldierly manner, despite the pain and effort...
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Day 10: Seventh Tale
Everyone—except one Ghibelline lady—commends King Charles ’s generosity; to balance the political scales, Pampinea offers a tale about a king on...
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