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Quiz about The Princely Tales of the Decameron
Quiz about The Princely Tales of the Decameron

The Princely Tales of the Decameron Quiz


Ten days, ten companions, ten novels per day - this is Boccaccio's "Decameron". For the following ten questions, I have selected the ten stories told by the daily chosen queen or king - the "princely tales", if you so wish.

A multiple-choice quiz by WesleyCrusher. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
355,597
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
301
Awards
Editor's Choice
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Question 1 of 10
1. Day 1, Queen Pampinea: Master Alberto da Bologna falls in love with a fair lady despite his advanced age. When teased about it, he has a rather witty retort by comparing men with which vegetable? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Day 2, Queen Philomena: Again, what goes around comes around. Ambroguiolo takes a bet against Bernabo Lomellin, a Genoese merchant and cheats himself to victory, availing himself not only of a massive amount of Bernabo's money but also causing unintended consequences. What was the bet about? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Day 3, Queen Neifile: Count Bertrand de Roussillon is married, against his will and at the order of the king, to a woman he perceives beneath his stature, but who loves him with all her heart. How did she secure the king's blessing on this union? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Day 4, King Filostrato: Not all stories in the Decameron end well - this one has the most tragic ending in two deaths, both over love and unfaithfulness. Which particular cruelty was inflicted on the unfaithful wife of Sieur Guillaume the Roussillon? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Day 5, Queen Fiammetta: Again, an unanswered love, a meal, and tragic death are central themes of the story of the impoverished Federigo di Messer Filippo Alberighi who, in his desire to serve the one he loves, accidentally deprives himself of the ability to help her in a dire situation. What is the central, ill-fated, object of this story? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Day 6, Queen Elisa: For once, there are no grave consequences in this story. Instead, it is an anecdote of a seemingly strange and meaningless retort: "Gentlemen, you may say to me what you please in your own house" - said in a public place, so seemingly not applicable. What kind of place was it that made this retort a veiled but powerful insult? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Day 7, King Dioneo: Dioneo's special position in the companionship makes this story the most "princely" of them all, although the subject has nothing to do with royalty. On the contrary, the two men concerned were normal citizens and good friends, until one of them died and brought back news from the afterlife to the other (from damnation nonetheless), where "there is no account taken of gossips". Now this last word has a decidedly different meaning than it does today - what kind of "gossip" was not part of the sins that sent him to hell? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Day 8, Queen Lauretta: One of the longest episodes in the "Decameron" has no Earth-shattering disaster in store for any of the involved, but certainly shatters the dignity of an all too gullible man. Which embarrassing fate befell Master Simone da Villa as a result of a prank by the painters Bruno and Buffalmaco? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Day 9, Queen Emilia: We hear of Melisso and Giosefo, both traveling to the wise king Solomon for advice in matters of the heart - the first because he could not find marriage, the second because his wife was unruly and never did his bidding. The second received the advice "Get thee to the Bridge of Geese" which foreshadowed an event on their return journey, but which questionable conclusion did Giosefo draw from the happenings at the bridge? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Day 10, King Pamfilo: This final tale - the second last story in the "Decameron" is not only one of high adventure and magic, but also one of love fulfilled. Torello from Pavia has instructed his wife that, in the case he should be reported dead on his travels, she wait a year and a day before remarrying. On the last day of that period, he learns that he has been proclaimed dead, but makes it home by means of a magical spell. He proves his identity to his wife with his ring, but how does he pass the ring to her? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Day 1, Queen Pampinea: Master Alberto da Bologna falls in love with a fair lady despite his advanced age. When teased about it, he has a rather witty retort by comparing men with which vegetable?

Answer: Leek

The fair Madonna Malgherida de' Ghisoleri could certainly take her pick of lovers, so when the seventy-year-old Master Alberto showed up at her house enamored, she and her friends made fun of him. However, he has a witty reply that puts the shame back on the one who tried to shame him:

"My hope in thus old aspiring to love you, who are loved by so many young men, is founded on what I have frequently observed of ladies' ways at lunch, when they trifle with the lupin and the leek. In the leek no part is good, but the head is at any rate not so bad as the rest, and indeed not unpalatable; you, however, for the most part, following a depraved taste, hold it in your hand and munch the leaves, which are not only of no account but actually distasteful. How am I to know, madam, that in your selection of lovers, you are not equally eccentric? In which case I should be the man of your choice, and the rest would be cast aside."

Sometimes admitting one's shortcomings can be the best weapon!
2. Day 2, Queen Philomena: Again, what goes around comes around. Ambroguiolo takes a bet against Bernabo Lomellin, a Genoese merchant and cheats himself to victory, availing himself not only of a massive amount of Bernabo's money but also causing unintended consequences. What was the bet about?

Answer: The fidelity of Bernabo's wife

Stemming from a discussion in which several men - all but Bernabo - doubted the fidelity of their wives, Ambroguiolo bet a large sum of money that he could seduce Bernabo's wife. He quickly found his efforts to be fruitless and resorted to a ruse to "prove" he had successfully seduced her. Enraged, Bernabo arranged for his wife to be murdered, but she escaped disguised as a man. Years later, she met Ambroguiolo, found out the truth and arranged for the traitor to fatally become a subject of deception.

Sometimes karma just takes its time!
3. Day 3, Queen Neifile: Count Bertrand de Roussillon is married, against his will and at the order of the king, to a woman he perceives beneath his stature, but who loves him with all her heart. How did she secure the king's blessing on this union?

Answer: She cured the king of a fistula

Gillette, daughter of Bertrand's father's physician, had loved Bertrand from childhood. When the old count died, Bertrand moved to the king's service, leaving his county unattended. Years later, Gillette heard of the king's ailment and cured him for the price of the marriage she desired. Bertrand was married to her but never returned home, leaving his wife to rule in his stead (a task she did well at). Only when she resorted to a ruse was she finally able to prove to him that she truly loved him and was in fact worthy of his love.

Sometimes it takes just too long to realize what you have received!
4. Day 4, King Filostrato: Not all stories in the Decameron end well - this one has the most tragic ending in two deaths, both over love and unfaithfulness. Which particular cruelty was inflicted on the unfaithful wife of Sieur Guillaume the Roussillon?

Answer: She was tricked into eating her paramour's heart

When Guillaume de Roussillon found out that his fair wife had an affair with his best friend, fellow noble Guillaume de Cabestaing, he resorted to a drastic punishment for the lovebirds: He laid an ambush for Cambestaing and slew him with his lance, taking his heart and having it served to his wife for dinner. After she had eaten, he told her the entire truth, upon which she committed suicide by jumping from the high window. The self-appointed judge and executioner did not emerge from the affair unscathed, however - rightfully fearing the wrath of the populace, he fled his lands and thus lost not only his wife but also his county.

Sometimes mercy is the only way to prevent utter tragedy!
5. Day 5, Queen Fiammetta: Again, an unanswered love, a meal, and tragic death are central themes of the story of the impoverished Federigo di Messer Filippo Alberighi who, in his desire to serve the one he loves, accidentally deprives himself of the ability to help her in a dire situation. What is the central, ill-fated, object of this story?

Answer: A prized hunting falcon

Federigo, who began his life as a well-off noble, had his mind and heart set on the lady Monna Giovanna and did everything to woo her, to the extent that he gradually wasted his fortune and finally retreated into solitude with the only thing that remained him - the best falcon in the land. Lady Giovanna married and had a son before becoming widowed. When the boy fell ill, he longed to have the great falcon, so Giovanna, hoping to save the child, set out to request it from Federigo. Federigo received her, and before she could make her request, courtesy asked it of him to serve her breakfast. Without any other means to provide her with a meal befitting her stature, Federigo had his prized bird slaughtered, roasted and served, only to be most devastated by what came next. Giovanna's boy died soon after, but the story still ended somewhat well for the two - Giovanna had finally recognized just how much Federigo loved her and took him as her second husband.

Sometimes the best intentions have the worst results!
6. Day 6, Queen Elisa: For once, there are no grave consequences in this story. Instead, it is an anecdote of a seemingly strange and meaningless retort: "Gentlemen, you may say to me what you please in your own house" - said in a public place, so seemingly not applicable. What kind of place was it that made this retort a veiled but powerful insult?

Answer: A tombyard

Some wealthy but less than cultured Florentines wanted to get Guido de Cavalcanti, a learned and witty man, to join their company, which the young man resented - not so much because of them but because he was a thinker who preferred to be alone. They mock-assaulted him in a tombyard, taunting him (an Epicurean) "[...]when thou hast proved that God does not exist, what wilt thou have achieved?" to which he made the reply given in the question. By this he implied that the tombs were their homes - that they were no better than dead to him. That's a powerful insult indeed!

Sometimes the strongest statement one can make is the hidden one!
7. Day 7, King Dioneo: Dioneo's special position in the companionship makes this story the most "princely" of them all, although the subject has nothing to do with royalty. On the contrary, the two men concerned were normal citizens and good friends, until one of them died and brought back news from the afterlife to the other (from damnation nonetheless), where "there is no account taken of gossips". Now this last word has a decidedly different meaning than it does today - what kind of "gossip" was not part of the sins that sent him to hell?

Answer: A girlfriend he had premarital relations with

In the time of the "Decameron", "gossip" had no negative connotation but was simply a female friend (of course it is possible that our current use of the word evolved from this use, which would make it rather rude). In this case, our one friend was very successful in his dealings with a girl both of them liked, but his success and ensuing sin did contribute to his damnation in spite of hell turning the blind eye: The reason he died so young was a disease he had contracted from the lady.

Sometimes you will find that the penalty you dread most has already been meted out!
8. Day 8, Queen Lauretta: One of the longest episodes in the "Decameron" has no Earth-shattering disaster in store for any of the involved, but certainly shatters the dignity of an all too gullible man. Which embarrassing fate befell Master Simone da Villa as a result of a prank by the painters Bruno and Buffalmaco?

Answer: He was plunged into a trench filled with manure

In the opinion of Master Simone, the relatively poor painters Bruno and Buffalmaco were consistently too happy in life to be explained by their social standing, so he tried to get behind their secret. Bruno rose to the challenge by spinning a yarn about a secret society with contacts to the rich and mighty they were members of. Naturally, Simone wanted to become part of that, so the two pranksters dutifully arranged an induction, part of which was to ride a strange beast in the middle of the night as a sign of courage. That beast was no one else but a costumed Buffalmaco who used the excellent opportunity of passing by a manure trench to rid himself of his rider in a rather spectacular and smelly way.

Sometimes you just shouldn't believe those stories you are told!
9. Day 9, Queen Emilia: We hear of Melisso and Giosefo, both traveling to the wise king Solomon for advice in matters of the heart - the first because he could not find marriage, the second because his wife was unruly and never did his bidding. The second received the advice "Get thee to the Bridge of Geese" which foreshadowed an event on their return journey, but which questionable conclusion did Giosefo draw from the happenings at the bridge?

Answer: He should beat his wife into submission

On their journey, the two men arrived at a bridge where a stubborn mule blocked their progress. They watched for a while as the mule's handler beat the animal and even objected to the mishandling of the creature, but the handler persisted, and, given enough force, finally startled the animal into walking again. On their departure, they found out that that bridge was called the Bridge of Geese. Giosefo took this as a sign that he should do the same to his wife and proceeded to savagely beat her up on the next small insubordination. To Solomon's credit, this even had the desired effect.

Sometimes what was wisdom 600 years ago is no longer applicable today!
10. Day 10, King Pamfilo: This final tale - the second last story in the "Decameron" is not only one of high adventure and magic, but also one of love fulfilled. Torello from Pavia has instructed his wife that, in the case he should be reported dead on his travels, she wait a year and a day before remarrying. On the last day of that period, he learns that he has been proclaimed dead, but makes it home by means of a magical spell. He proves his identity to his wife with his ring, but how does he pass the ring to her?

Answer: Hidden in a cup of wine

Torello was a generous man who gained the favor of Sultan Saladin when he, not recognizing him, most graciously hosted him for several days. When he later fell captive during a crusade, Saladin spotted him in prison, liberated him and appointed him a lord of his own domain. Torello had arranged for a message of his good health sent to his wife, but it never arrived and due to a name confusion, he was declared dead. When he learned of this on the very last day of the agreed waiting period, he despaired, but Saladin had at his disposal a necromancer who could send Torello back to Pavia in a single night. Torello appeared at what was supposed to be the nuptial of his wife with her new husband, still dressed in Saracen manner. He took the ring she gave him upon his departure and hid it in her cup of wine. When she drank from the cup, she immediately recognized him and they were reunited in the nick of time.

Sometimes serving those in need is repaid thousandfold!
Source: Author WesleyCrusher

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