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Alibech
Rustico is the young desert hermit who takes in Alibech in Dioneo’s third tale (III, 10). He illustrates pride, since he thinks his lifestyle of fasting and prayer will protect him from human sexual yearnings, but quickly gives into the urging of his flesh and coerces Alibech into sex. He pays the price for this, since she likes it so much that she demands it from him until she’s nearly exhausted his energy, and he is relieved when Neerbal takes her off his hands.
Rustico Quotes in The Decameron
The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Rustico or refer to Rustico. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Day 3: Conclusion Quotes
“Now we shall discover whether the wolf can fare any better at leading the sheep than the sheep have fared in leading the wolves.”
On hearing this, Filostrato laughed and said: “Had you listened to me, the wolves would have taught the sheep by now to put the devil back in Hell, no less skillfully than Rustico taught Alibech. But you have not exactly been behaving like sheep, and therefore you must not describe us as wolves…”
“Allow me to tell you, Filostrato,” replied Neifile, “that if you men had tried to teach us anything of the sort, you might have learned some sense from us, as Masetto did from the nuns, and retrieved the use of your tongues when your bones were rattling from exhaustion.”
On perceiving that the ladies had as many scythes as he had arrows, Filostrato abandoned his jesting and turned to the business of ruling his kingdom.
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As Neifile places the crown on Filostrato’s head, marking the first point at which a male member of the brigata has been appointed sovereign, the two joke about whether the women (“sheep”) or the men (“wolves”) are the better leaders. Their metaphor draws on gendered stereotypes of men as active and powerful and women as helpless and docile. Yet Neifile doesn’t seem helpless in this moment, and she in fact wins the debate when Filostrato abandons his weapons. The tales that the two reference are explicit, and Filostrato and Neifile’s casual banter betrays no surprise or dismay over their sexual Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et repellendus. Dolores aut voluptatibus. Voluptatem qui voluptatum. Voluptatibus sed placeat. Aut tenetur autem. Fugit voluptates in. Quidem impedit sunt. Excepturi ul
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Rustico Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Rustico appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 3: Tenth Tale
...sends her on her way. She passes from one hut to another until she meets Rustico, a young hermit who wants to test his willpower and who therefore invites Alibech to...
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Unfortunately, Rustico’s faith in his ability to resist temptation was unfounded, and he is soon plotting for...
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Because she is a virgin, Alibech complains that it hurts when Rustico first puts the devil back in Hell, but the more they put the devil back,...
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...to inherit her wealth, tracks her down in the wilderness. Much to her consternation but Rustico’s relief, Neerbal brings her home and marries her. Before their marriage is consummated, the village...
(full context)
