In Filomena’s tenth tale (X, 8), Sophronia is Gisippus’s fiancée, but she unknowingly becomes Titus Quintus Fulvius’s wife when the friends agree to trade places (since Titus is hopelessly in love with her). Like Catalina (X, 4), Dianora (X, 5) and her own sister-in-law Fulvia, Sophronia becomes an object by whose exchange the men around her can demonstrate their generosity to each other.
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Sophronia Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Sophronia appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 10: Eighth Tale
...few months after Chemes’s death, Gisippus’s family helps arrange his betrothal to lovely, impeccably noble Sophronia. Shortly before the wedding, Titus asks to meet her, and when Gisippus takes him to...
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Titus locks himself in his bedroom to meditate on Sophronia’s beauty, but the more he broods, the more he burns with passion. On the one...
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...After giving a few implausible answers, Titus finally comes clean and confesses his love for Sophronia. He tells Gisippus about his internal debate, complains that he has failed fortune’s test of...
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Gisippus understands Titus’s love: Sophronia’s beauty and his noble spirit—highly susceptible to passionate feelings—virtually guaranteed it. Additionally, Titus should be...
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...generous offer, reiterates that his duty lies with his friend. Since God didn’t give him Sophronia directly, He must have chosen Gisippus for his “superior worth.” Since God finds Titus “unworthy...
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Titus finally accepts Gisippus’s offer, in part because of his feelings for Sophronia and in part to please his friend by accepting. It must be managed carefully to...
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Titus slips from his bedroom into Gisippus’s adjoining bridal chamber on the wedding night. Taking Sophronia in his arms, he asks her if she wants to be his wife. Assuming that...
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...can’t be changed are second-guessing the gods, and this is blasphemy. The very fact that Sophronia is his wife now, he says, proves that the gods destined it. But since there...
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...one should be upset. People who think that Gisippus had no right to dispose of Sophronia forget that fortune often works in “strange and wonderful” ways. For example, does anyone care...
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...[they] are wise.” It could be worse: instead of coming clean, he could have disowned Sophronia. He also threatens that any attempts to keep his wife from him or to treat...
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Titus takes Gisippus home to Sophronia. After restoring his spirits, giving him nice clothes, and making him co-owner of all his...
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...a world directed by greed and self-interest. Only friendship could have inspired Gisippus to give Sophronia to Titus, prevented him from sleeping with her after she became his friend’s wife, and...
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