LOVE AND DESTRUCTION IN THE DECAMERON:

CIMONE AND CALANDRINO

This study explores the concepts of imagination, love and reason as portrayed in the
stories oftwo characters in Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. Through Cimone
and Calandrino, the author shows how Boccaccio intertwines imagination and the
passion of love, manipulating their fragile relationship with rational thought. A
primary purpose ofthe novella ofCimone is to point out the weaknesses that under-
lie notions of idealized, stilnovist love; and the fourth tale of Calandrino is its
humorous counterpart. Of special interest to this study is the fact that Boccaccio
dispIays the concept of love with an emphasis not only on its failure to bring one
to wisdom, but on its potenti al for danger. The essay also argues that while Boccac-
cio uses these tales to demonstrate the destructive force of erotic love, through them
he also portrays the complicated ambiguity of the imagination.

I magination, love, reason: these three elements come together in a delicate

balance to form the workings of the human mind. This study explores
these concepts and their intricate relationship as portrayed in the stories of
two key characters in Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. On the face ofit,
the tales ofCimone (5.1) and Calandrino (9.5) told by, respectively, Panfilo
and Fiammetta, have little to do with each other. Cimone expresses violence
in the context of a story of education through love. Calandrino, on the other
hand, is a character whose actions betray an extraordinary fusion of imagi-
nation and literal-mindedness. Although on the surface these two characters
seem completely dissimilar, on closer inspection their stories bear striking
resemblances at a thematic and conceptualleveL If anything, Calandrino's
tale presents itself as a comic counterpoint to that of Cimone; but a more
vital and often dark thread binds these stories together. Both are dominated
by the force of the imagination, with explosive results. The question I wish
to explore is why Boccaccio artfully and subt1y connects the tales from the
viewpoint of imagination, love and rationality. I will show how he inter-
twines imagination and the passion of love, manipulating their fragile rela-
tionship with rational thought and forging a dangerous path to madness and
destruction.
Behind Boccaccio there lies a well-known literary and philosophical
tradition connecting the imagination, love, and the movement of reason
towards knowledge. In the poetry ofDante, the passion oflove both affects
and is affected by the double-edged imagination, which is integraI to the

338
LOVE AND DESTRUCTlON IN THE DECAMERON 339

joumey towards the divine. I In contrast, the Decameron moves in a pre-

dominantly horizontal direction, tying idealized love to the erotic love of
human, earthly experience, and then bringing this passion to an exfreme.
Scholars examining Boccaccio's work have discussed the Decameron's
earth-bound subject matter and what has been called Ìts "naturalism" at
length.2 Others have celebrated its realism, while al so denying any morality
in tbe text beyond that of its art; presenting it as a text without any transcen-
dent values, and placing the work at odds with morally and spiritual1y
guided literature. 3
Yet, tbe passages ofthe Decameron that echo, linguistically or themat-
ically, tbe works of Boccaccio's predecessors often demonstrate tbe au-
thor's deliberate critique of those earIier ideas. Of special interest to this
study is the fact that throughout the Decameron, Boccaccio displays the
concept of love with an emphasis not only OD its failure to bring one to
wisdom, but on its potential for danger. The novella ofCimone in particular
embodies the rejection of the stilnovistic dream, through irony and even
wbat has been described as flagrant parody (Mazzotta, World 200). This
novella is the first story told on day five, a day on which Fiammetta4 reigns
as queen and bas chosen the tberne of "happy endings" for the day's tales.
Panfilo, who bas been seen as a spokesman for the rational faculty (Kirk-
bam 87), narrates tbis story, whose introductory summary begins witb tbe
phrase: "Cimone amando divien savio e Efigenia sua donna rapisce in
mare" 'Cimone acquires wisdom by faIling in love witb Efigenia, his lady,
whom he abducts on the high seas' (593; 314).5
This therne of "amando divien savio" was a familiar one for Boccac-
cio, and it was also a motif seen in his own earlier works. In particular, the
Ameto contains the theme ofrefinement of the rustic heart through love; and
Boccaccio's earIiest narrative, the Caccia di Diana, portrays Venus trans-
fonning animals into meno But the Decameron ~s version of the story has
notable differences, along with some interesting and uncornfortable sur-
prises for the reader.
The content of the tale and the character of Cimone begin to emerge
when the narrator reveals that the name ofCimone's father is "Aristippo."
This name is forged by the combination of two very different words. "Arist"
fonns the beginning of the name of the great philosopher Aristotle; and
"ippo" derives from the horse. Thus, Cimone's father represents a hybrid
between pbilosopher and beast. The image of the Aristotle-horse echoes
340 JULIA M. COZZARELLI

D'Andeli's earlier Lai d'Aristate. There, the great philosopher humiliates

himselfby lusting after a girI and then allowing her to ride him likea horse.
This story has been read to mean the triumph of Nature over Philosophy
(Scaglione 67) or the ethical failure of the will to rnatch the perfection of
one's knowledge (Stone 25).°
The "nobilissimo" and "ricchissimo" Aristippo has everything he could
want in life but has been bitter1y disappointed with his sono Cimone (whose
real name is Galeso) innately radiates exceptional physical beauty. How-
ever, despite his outward appearance, he is "quasi matto" and "di perduta
speranza" (594), for no amount ofpersuasion or force succeed in educating
him orteaching him manners. The translation ofGaleso's description reads:
"for alI intents and purposes an imbecile whose case was hopeless" (314),
but I would like to emphasize Boccaccio's choice of the term "matto,"
which carries implications of rnadness, lack of controI, and obsession key
to this tale. 7
Galeso presents so hopeless a case that not only do alI remedies fail to
educate him, they cause him to go in the opposite direction, leaving him
inarticulate and with "modi piti convenienti a bestia che a uomo" 'manners
more suitable to a beast than a man' (594; 315). Everyone contemptuously
calls him "Cimone," "il che nella lor lingua sonava quanto nella nostra
'bestione'" 'which in their language sounded something like 'numbskull'
in ours' (594; 315). It is not by coincidence that the nickname Cimone
sounds like "bestione" 'a great beast,' and Boccaccio clearly plays up this
comparison. His name also rnimics "scimmione" or monkey. 8 In short,
Cimone exemplifies a crude distortion of a human being. Significantly, the
label "scimmione" can also be applied to victims ofthe tricks, or bejJè, that
we see elsewhere in the Decameran.
This juxtaposition ofbeast and human in Cimone as well as his father
calIs to mind traditional views of animality and the pursuit of knowIedge.
In the Platonic system, the thinker needs to control his desires properIy in
order to reach knowledge - the bestiaI si de of one' s naturemust be reined
in. In the Aristotelian system, humans alone possess aH three faculties ofthe
souI (the vegetati ve / nutritive; the sensitive / imaginative; and the rationai
/ intellective); animals possess only the first two. Hurnans are therefore able
to reach unseen truths through their reason, whereas animais cannot.
An examination ofCimone's faculties reveals once again that he epito-
mizes an animaI rather than a mano Communication, a certain sign of the
LOVE AND DESTRUCTION IN THE DECAMERON 341

human beiug and of reason itself, is a skill Cimone does not possess; and
this also indicates the underlying madness of this character. Beast-like,
inarticulate, and apparently incapable ofleaming, he is finally sent away to
live in the country by his despondent father. 9 The move pleases Cimone
greatly, for "i costumi e l'usanza degli uomini grossi gli eran piu a grado
che le cittadine" 'the customs and the manners of unpolished countryfolk
suited him better than those of city people' (595; 315). This relocation is
significant - it has been understood to reflect his lack of civility and his
naturalistic role, and it also embodies his rejection of rational thinking. But
also, Cimone is entering a sort of utopia - a pIace that invites comparison
with the setting ofthe narrators themselves who make up the cornice ofthe
Decameron. The storytellers tleeing the chaos and destruction ofthe city for
the tranquillity and pleasure of the country are attemptingto create their
own utopia, where they wiU dwell without trespassing "il segno della ragio-
ne" 'the bounds ofreason' (35; 15).10 Mazzotta explains that "ragione" in
this context signifies "restraint" (World 42), a control we will see Cimone
defy when he later retums to the city.
Up until this point, Boccaccio has successfully portrayed his protago-
nist as an uncultured, unimaginative and uncivilized brute. But Cimone's
stubbom resi sta nce to education and culture changes dramatically when,
traveling through the countryside in springtime, he com es across Efigenia,
a beautiful, nearly naked girI asleep with her servants. This tuming point of
the novella takes pIace in a beautifui meadow containing a fountain and
surrounded by trees; the perfect setting for a romantic vision of beauty. 11
This idyllic scene, paired with the description in the chapter heading, leads
us to expect that this will be the moment when through love Cimone will
become wise. And, at least on the face of it, we are not disappointed.
The process of Cimone' s metamorphosis is described in a paragraph
that contains a microcosm of the ideas of Boccaccio' s predecessors on the
ennobiement of the soul through love. And here at last, the imagination stirs
in Cimone, ignited by and also igniting the vision of beauty he sees before
him: he is so taken with Efigenia that he becomes transfixed, and can only
stare at her. The tlow and style of the language evoke courtly and stilnovist
poetry - he "senti destarsi un pensiero il quale nella [... ] mente gli ragiona-
va" 'felt a thought awaken which within his [... ] mind told him' that she was
the most beautiful thing ever seen (596; 315). He then admires and praises
the parts of her body, "lodando i capelli, li quali d'oro estimava, la fronte,
342 JULIA M. COZZARELLI

il naso e la bocca, la gola e le braccia e sommamente il petto, poco ancora

rilevato" 'praising her hair, which he thought made of gold, her face, her
nose, her mouth, her neck, her arms, and especially her breasts, yet still
undeveloped' (596; 315) .
.Cimone, beast-like, does not typity an imaginative creature; his eyes
do not even note the beauty of nature surrounding him. But as he gazes on
Efigenia, his imagination stirs. The imagination plays a very powerful role
in traditional ideas of divine inspiration, as well as Platonic ideas of ascen-
sion through contemplation and lo ve of beauty. The imagination works in
tandem with the other senses to awaken the souI and guide it upwards. It is
also crucial in the joumey towards knowledge, even in its most basic sense
as a strict1y representational faculty rather than a creative one. l ::! The vision
ofbeauty and the philosopher's love ofthat beauty inspire the contempla-
tion ofthe Ideai, and enable the philosopher, with the use oftrained reason,
to rise to that world. Love also guides the soul towards the knowledge of
God in Dante.
On the surtàce, the process seems to be the same here. Cimone is
stunned by Efigenia's beauty, which he perceives through his vision - in
fact she is so perfect that "dubitava non fosse alcuna dea" 'he felt she might
be some goddess' (596; 315). Cimone then moves very quickly through the
internaI changes that take him onto the path of ascension towards knowl-
edge inspired by love. Then, after Efigenia wakes and fearing him, flees,
Cimone returns to the city, where he re-creates himself Here, in a brief
description covering four years, he goes from "bestione" to the most accom-
plished and charming man in Cyprus. Refined in his speech, skilled at mu-
sic and military arts, "valorosissimo tra' filosofanti divenne," he 'became
most skillful among those who practiced philosophy' (598; 316). The tale
explicitly relates the reason for the transition, "essendo di tutto ciò cagione
l'amore il quale a Efigenia portava" 'the cause of it all being the love which
he b ore f or Efigenia' ( 598, 316) . R eason, which C imone ha d i nitially
seemed to lack, has come to life; beginning with the "ragionare" of Cimo-
ne's first thoughts on seeing Efigenia and reaching its culmination in his
philosophical excellence. This cooperative pairing of imagination and rea-
son seem to cause Cimone to re-enter society and become the man his father
had always hoped he would be.
However, this scene deserves closer scrutiny. Despite the traditional
language of courtly and stilnovist love that litters this passage. and the
LaVE AND DESTRUCTION IN THEDECAMERON 343

connections with Platonic philosophy, Cimone's is an erotic love, more

properly called lust. Critics frequently consider this type oflove as dominat-
ing the Decameron. 13 In this tale, we note that Efigenia, the object ofCimo-
ne's desire, is asleep and her attire is transparent. Cimone feels particularly
interested in cIosely examining every part of Efigenia' s body. 14 Through the
vision of her body, Cimone's powerful desire becomes a consuming wish
to see Efigenia's open eyes. Traditionally, lovers' hearts are pierced by the
arrows that leave the beloved's eyes, but the sleeping Etìgenia's eyes are
cIosed. When at last she wakes up and Cimone sees her eyes, "seco stesso
parendogli che da quegli una soavità si movesse la quale il riempiesse di
piacere mai da lui non provato" 'he seemed to sense such a sweetness com-
ing from them that he was tìlled with a pleasure he had never before experi-
enced' (597; 316).
No matter that Efigenia does not reciprocate Cimone's attraction, and
that she in fact fears him; Cimone's desire burns so strongly that in his mind
he creates this image of sweetness issuing from her eyes. This idea firmly
binds him to her as in the great love of the poets. But Efigenia as a person
has no role; Cimone has taken ownership over her in his mind and he will
stop at nothing to possess her in the physical realm as well. 15
The reader might well expect a man who becomes not oniy skilled in
courtly manners, but also the greatest of philosophers, to follow a relatively
positive, peaceful and wise course to win his lady love. We might also
expect to see the workings ofthe new-found genius of our hero in the pro-
cesso Instead, Cimone's actions snowball downwards into destruction and
violence. When he cannot have Efigenia legitimately (she is already en-
gaged), he will kidnap her and murder whoever stands in his way. Cimone
rationalizes his violent actions by telling Efigenia "io sono il tuo Cimone,
il quale per lungo amore t'ho molto meglio meritata d'avere che Pasimunda
per promessa fede" 'I am your Cimone, whose long love for you makes me
far more deserving to have you than does a promise made to Pasimunda'
(60 l; 318). Cimone's learning and philosophizing do not enter into his
forceful pursuit of Efigenia, who has become mere prey to his predatory
behavior. Indeed, the "happy ending" of the tale is preceded by much
bloodshed and death, culminating in the bruta l massacre ofEfigenia's fian-
cé and his brother at their marriage celebration.
When Cimone was initially described as an uncouth, ill-mannered boy,
he still lived at peace with nature and also other human beings. Signifi-
344 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

cantly, there were no indications at that point that Cimone was anything but
a hannless creature, offensive though he may have been in manners and
culture. But after his moment of inspiration, and despite, or rather assisted
by, the cloak of"civilization," he becomes a raging beast unleashed on the
innocents who happen, by ilI-fate, to cross his path. There are other compar-
isons of him to beasts in the later paragraphs, especially conceming his
immense strength and ferocity. Many read Cimone as a character that re-
mains essentially unchanged - just as he desires to keep his bestiaI nick-
name rather than to retum to his given name, he stays a beast throughout the
novella (Scaglione Rl; Stone 24). I would go further, however. Cimone not
only retains his brutish connotations throughout the tale, but even becomes
a far more destructive force as a result of the self re-creation that was
sparked by his visual experience of beauty.ICl
The apparent schism between the two hai ves ofthe novella is so jarring
that it has led some critics to dismiss the second half or to gloss over parts
of the tale as inconsistent. This is especially apparent in writers who take
the stilnovist "conversion" of Cimone at face value. 17 But the second half
ofthe tale must not be dismissed, and its content does not pennit a simplis-
tic reading of the conversion. It demands instead the exploration of more
complicated underlying messages. Ultimately, the tale can be seen as a
demonstration ofCimone's failure to "truly" become ennobled by love, but
this failure could be blamed on several things. The most simple might be
the fact that he is, fundamentally, a beast; or that living in antiquity he lacks
Christian guidance. But the character of the story suggests stronger and
darker connotations.
The most striking aspects of this tale are its sweeping violence and
Cimone's single-minded obsession. This obsessive "love" is more akin to
madness, an implied feature ofCimone's personality even before his meta-
morphosis. This fixation, coupled with Cimone's excessive brutality, seems
designed to inspire a strong reaction in the reader. Indeed, the impact of the
violence is reinforced by the language tying the story to the Decameron' s
frame.
The tale begins with an exhortation by Panfilo (also a lover) addressed
specifically to the listening ladies. He claims he chose this story, one ofhis
favorites, to demonstrate not only "il felice fine per lo quale a ragionare
incominciamo" 'the happy ending which is to be the goal of our stories,' but
also "quanto sian sante, quanto poderose e di quanto ben piene le forze
LOVE ANO DESTRUCTION IN THE DECAMERON 345

d'Amore, le quali molti, senza saper che si dicano, dannano e vituperano a

gran torto" 'how holy, how weighty, and how beneficent are Love's pow-
ers, which many people, who do not know what they are saying, condemn
and vituperate quite wrongly' (593-94; 314). This passage expresses a
blatant irony, for the story, presented to women, in a text written ostensibly
for the pleasure of women, has a "happy ending" only from the point of
view ofthe male protagonist and his partner-in-crime -- the ending is tragic
from the female viewpoint. Efigenia, far from being a Beatrice-like guide
to love, plays a rolesolely as helpless victim. IR She is never described as
desiring Cimone or in any way welcoming his advances. In fact, Boccaccio
stresses her desperate resistance and horrified fear throughout the tale.
Efigenia not only rejects, but curses, Cimone' s love; blaming it even for the
violent storm that forces the kidnappers' ship ashore. The final proof that
the "happy ending" ofthe novella excludes the women lies in the language
describing that ending - in a phrase that omits the women by its male
gender markers. 19
Through the story of Cimone, Boccaccio underscores not only the
human frailty of having to cede to erotic love, but al so its sheer destructive
force, and especially its effects on those surrounding· the lover. The tale
serves as a strong waming to others (and especially women) about the dan-
gerous fury of unrestrained love, a passion often seen as intimately con-
nected with the imagination. The "happy ending" marriage is formulaic; a
superficial gesture to calm the chaos of the tale and undercut the bestiality
of its protagoni st. :w Marriage serves as the justi fication for Cimone' s brutal-
ity - which inc1udes the destruction of two other malTiages - because he
seeks a socially acceptable and civilized end. Simultaneously, by hiding
beneath its veil of an orderly goal, an ironie Boccaccio can concentrate on
the passionate and cruel forces that drive his characters.
This idea ofBoccaccio condemning romantic love is not unique to the
Decameron. The characters of the Filocolo also consider the subject when
Fiammetta replies to the "questions of love." There, love is divided hierar-
chically into three types: "onesto" 'honest' (associated with God), "per
diletto" 'for pleasure,' and that based on "utilità" 'utility.' The last is equat-
ed with hate, and the second is also a dangerous love that must be avoided
by the wise (4.44).21 Cimone could exemplify the danger in pursuing the
wrong type oflove. Indeed, his unrestrained sensual passionis a1so identi-
fied with an irreverent desire for glory. Cimone thinks to himself as if ad-
346 JULlA M. COZZARELU

dressing Efigenia. "lo son per te divenuto uomo: e se io ti posso avere, io

non dubito di non divenire piu glorioso che alcuno idio" 'Because ofyou,
I became a man, and ifI can succeed in winning you, I believe I can become
more glorious than a god' (599; 317). This eagerness for greatness is in
opposition to Dante' s lover of knowledge and God, who must be humble.
But the Filoc% discussion has also been used to support the idea that
Cimone's tale condemns stilnovist love ('"amore onesto") as contrary to
human nature (Toscano 28), and in fact, the tale is often read as a critique
of the stilnovist philosopher. 22 Through each of these possibilities, the over-
arching characteristic shared by Cimone's tale and the FUoc% is earthly
love' s portrayal in a negative and destructive framework.
Filoc% a]so c onnects 1ove w ith t he 1anguage o f t he i magination
through dream and vision. 23 Love and desire result from the p-leasure experi-
enced in contemplating the beloved in dreams and prolonged viewing. 24
Cimone's initial encounter with love is visuaI; his pleasure is awakened
through his devouring eyes. But he feels unable to live without the object
ofhis desire, which indicates that his imagination is also at work while they
are apart, causing him to recall her image. Cimone seeks to possess Efige-
nia, and in that sense, the imagination is paradoxica1. Imagination sustains
Cimone's desire, but at the same time hewishes to tum away from imagina-
tion and fantasy and to cling tenaciously to the more concrete world of
touch.
After Cimone sees his vision of Efigenia and decides to possess her,
the imagination p]ays a surprisingly srnaH part in this narrative. Panfilo
emphasizes imagination 's role in the context of stilnovistic love when, as
narrator, he interjects at the moment seen as the dividing line between the
two parts of the story. He states to thc listeners that Amor is the "eccitatore
degli adormentati ingegni" (598), translated as 'awakener of dormant tal-
ents' (317). Cimone' s desire is portrayed as awakening his dormant reason,
for it leads him to become, as we are told, the greatest of philosophers. The
use of the term ingegno in Panfilo's words recalls love's connection not
onIy to intelligence, but also to ingenuity and the creative imagination. In
addition to being a philosopher, Cimone transforms himself into a musician
and singer, roles intimately associated with the poetic art and creation.
However, Cimone can only be posited as an example of imagination~s
stimulating effects if we consider this faculty at its most primitive level.
Although his actions may have been initiated by the imagination' s it:Ispira-
LoVE ANO DESTRUCTJON IN THE DECAMERON 347

tion of erotic love, after he completes the period of transformation we see

no more examples of originai thinking. Cimone uses neither his vast reason
nor his extensive creative skills to win Efigenia. Instead~ he leaves imagina-
tion behind and reIies on sheer force.
In fact, the new skillsand creative ability Cimone is supposed to pos-
sess do not even assist him in his victory at the end of the novella. Only the
fortuitous addition of another character provides the necessary ingenuity in
the quest for Efigenia. It has been rightly pointed out that Cimone repre-
sents a dubious hero, considering it is Fortune who controls his life in the
second part ofthe story (Ferreri 87).25 Cimone sits silent in prison while the
magistrate Lisimaco, presented as a naturally civilized person and also a
lover, com es up with the pIan to win the woman he hirnself desires, utilizing
Cimone as a tool. Without Lisimaco, Cimone's effort would have been
doomed to failure.
The imagination, we assume, inspired Lisimaco' s passion as it did
Cimone's; but unlike Cimone, Lisimaco employs his intelligence and
knowledge (he is referred to as "savio") to win the day for both meno
Lisimaco, evocative of Dante' s Ulysses in In./èrno XXVI, rouses Cimone
with a speech, inciting him to be especially ferocious in a surprise attack.
Lisimaco plans the event, but Cimone carries out the gruesome murders of
the innocent fiancés. Although the killings are not by Lisimaco' s hand, he
is the one who initiates the bloodshed. Without his intervention, the joyful
wedding celebrations for the women would have continued as originally
planned.
The tale of Cimone is a cautionary one, one that shows that erotic
passion, once inspired, can have devastating consequences. Traditional
beliefs (posited also by physicians) considered the lover' spassionate desire
a sickness that resulted from the imagination stimulating the senses and
overriding reason (Scaglione 61). Both Cimone and Lisimaco dernonstrate
the power of erotic desire. Lisimaco has been cited as an example oflove's
ability to destroy the powers of reason, and as Cimone's counterpart
(Toscano 31-33):~6 However, in Cimone's case, the traditional systern seerns
to be reversed: the love irnagination inspires initiates Cirnone's transforma-
tion into a philosopher, the epitome of rational controi. But a greater irony
is that although passion initiates Cimone's transformation, afterwards he
neglects both reason and ingenuity, blindly ignoring all drives beyond that
ofhis sexual desire. Cimone rnay in tàct be read as an example ofthe stunt-
348 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

ed use of imagination' s powers, for he is a man who begins and ends the
tale as one with very little imaginative ability. While Lisimaco is able to
utilize his ingenuity in order to succeed in his quest, Cimone demonstrates
the true vio lence of this passion when bome in the heati of a person who is
by nature unable to employ the full skills of his mind. Cimone's lack of
imaginative development resu1ts in passion' s free reign, for one idea alone
consistently rules him: the obsession to fulfill his lust for Efigenia.
This single-mindedness leads Scaglione to read the story ofCimone as
the manifestation of Boccaccio 's '"Iatent anarchism," for his values are so
naturalistic '"that alllaws and policies are on the verge of crumbling under
the sovereign tyranny of love, the only law" (80). But by setting the story
againstits framework through Panfilo's words and the narrative events
themselves, Boccaccio gives structure to the tale' s apparent chaos, and
through its irony leads us to ponder the significance of the imagination not
only in the text but also in its author. Boccaccio himself makes the connec-
tion between the Iiterature produced by the creative imagination and danger
from the very start ofthe Decameron, when he subtitles the work "Galeot-
to:' This deliberate evocation of a text that, in b~fèrno V, leads Paolo and
Francesca to eternaI damnation warns the readers that they must '"beware."
Paolo and Francesca were unable to separate their reading from their reality
- their imaginations instead inspired their inappropriate and disastrous
lust. This watl1ing by Boccaccio, situated so prominently in his Decameron,
also serves as a warning to the ladies of the hrigata not to take Panfilo's
words, as a storyteller praising the merits of love, at tàce value. They must
look beyond the surface ofhis words and use their own judgment.
Boccaccio's warning about the deceptive possibilities ofthe imagina-
tion bursts into vivid reliefwhen we explore the workings ofthe imagina-
tion elsewhere in the Decameron. We have examined in Cimone the imagi-
nation's connections with love, and the destnlctive potenti al ofthat passion.
An exploration ofthe later tales featuring the misadventures ofCalandrino
and his friends reveals a complementary theme. Rere we witness more
demonstrative examples of the workings and fàilures of the creative imagi-
nation. Calandrino is a painter - a person who works with images as the
practical substance of his life. 27 The fact that he is also described as sur-
rounded by other artists underscores the role played by the imagination in
these stories. Imagination dominates these novelle, through both Calandrino
and the perpetrators of the beffo. What varies, however, is the nature of the
LOVE ANO DESTRUCTlON IN THE DECAMERON 349

imagination expressed by each person, as welI as its balance with the other
faculties.
Readers know Calandrino best through the tale of his adventure with
the heliotrope, which is also the first of the four novelle in which he ap-
pears. The four stories are often seen as forming the acts of a single play,28
and they are distributed in a balanced manner. Each story also has a differ-
ent narrator. The reader understands immediately that the treatment of the
subjectmatter differs markedly from that in the tale of Cimone simply by
the style of the narration. It is direct and straightforward, lacking the deco-
rative language that overtly raised the image of the stilnovist tradition in
Cimone's tale. But the last story in the Calandrino cycle presents a fascinat-
ing counterpart to that of Cimone. Both stories share a criticai focus, one
that is not typical ofthe Decameron's tales as a whole. In them, Boccaccio
highlights the concept oftransformation through love in the mind ofa male
protagonist, while continuing to play with stil nuovo motifs. In this final
tale, which receives much less attention from readers and critics than others
in the cycle, Calandrino, like Cimone, is smitten by love.
The reader is well acquainted with the character of Calandrino by the
time that Fiammetta narrates this tale on the Ninth Day. The peculiar char-
acteristics ofCalandrino and his "friends" are sharply delineated early in the
cycle. Lauretta describes him on Day Eight as "uom semplice e di nuovi
costumi" 'a simpleton of bizarre habits' (906; 483).29 Bruno and Buffal-
macco, fellow painters with whom he spends much ofhis time, are "uomini
sollazzevoli molto ma per altro avveduti e sagaci" 'men who were pleasant
enough but also very shrewd and sharp' (906-7; 483). These two, who are
often blurred into a pair without individuai identities, are always amused by
Calandrino's simplemindedness. The reader realizes immediately who will
be the object of the b~[fè to be narrated, and also glimpses the balance of
power between the meno Calandrino, weaker in mind, wilI serve as the
entertainment for his companions.
Calandrino exhibits many character tlaws. He is greedy and egotistical
(he believes himself clever)3o and he is also gullible, a quality essential to
the nature ofhis character. Most of alt Calandrino is ruled by his imagina-
tion. But the type of imagination that consumes Calandrino's life is an
unquestioning fantasy, and he thrives in a world of deception that is almost
impermeable. Paradoxically, as a creator of images, he scoffs at painting-
and by inference the creative imagination ~ as a waste of time; but at the
350 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

same moment he takes everything that others tell him at tàce value. immedi-
ately a ccepting w ords a s t ruths. 3 J Calandrino' s l iteral-mindedness e ven
allows his companions to convince him that he is invisible in the tìrst tale.
He trusts completely in the power ofwords, and especially when they come
from the mouths of the two friends that he loves most.
On Day Nine, Fiammetta states that she has chosen to narrate the final
Calandrino story because his tales are "tutti piacevoli" (1061), always pleas-
ing the listeners. 32 At this point Fiammetta asserts the veracity of her tale,
saying that she will not use fictitious names because "il partirsi dalla verità
delle cose state nel novellare è gran diminuire di diletto negli 'ntendenti" 'to
depart from the truth of how things really happened in storytelling greatly
diminishes the pleasure ofthe listeners' (1062; 574).
FiammeUa's assertion immediately draws the reader's attention to the
very nature of the story as fiction, as well as stressing the connection of
storytelling to pleasure. This recalls Boccaccio' s reference to the text as
"Galeotto." We know, after having already read three tales involving the
same character, that we are about to hear another imaginative scene shaped
to entertain and to distract its listeners from stark realties. Although
Fiammetta indeed uses names of historical figures,33 her request that we
take what she says to be truth is, in effect, asking us to be Calandrino, and
to take words at face value. Through her voi ce, Boccaccio again reminds us
(ifwe will stop and consider it) not to allow the imaginative creation ofthe
text to inspire images so strong in ourselves that we cannot distinguish them
from reality. However, he is also reinforcing the truth that the shimmering
illusions of art can lead to great pleasure. Such is imagination 's paradox.
Wamed, theretore, to be on our guard, we enter into the last story of
Calandrino. The tale unfolds outside of Florence, a city whose inhabitants
are supposed to be known for their wit, and against which Calandrino's
apparent simplicity stands OUt. 34 Our protagonist is employed there with his
friends (Bruno, Buftàlmacco and another painter named Nello) painting
frescoes on the walls of a beautiful mansion. The fàmily is not in residence,
but at times an unmarried son, Filippo, brings women to the home. This
particular tale centers on Calandrino' s romantic interest in one of them -
never mind that he is a married mano Their initial meeting differs from that
which took pIace between Cimone and Efigenia, but there are also some
important similarities. Like Efigenia, the object of Calandrino's desire
possesses a beautiful body dressed in white. Their encounter also takes
LOVE AND DESTRUCTlON IN THE DECAMERON 351

pIace near a water source, although here it is not a fountain, but a well.
Calandrino finds the woman beautiful yet '"niuna cosa ardiva di dirle" 'be
dared say nothing to her' (1063; 575), words that echo Cimone's reaction
to Efigenia.
The contrasts between the two encounters are greater and also fascinat-
ing. The most obvious is in the style of the language, from the elegant
courtly phrasing in Cimone's tale to the blunt and often crude language
here. There are also significant differences in content. Here, the lady herself
plays a very active role. In opposition to the passive, sleeping Efigenia, she
initiates eye contact, staring at him '''piti perché Calandrino le pareva un
nuovo uomo che per altra vaghezza" "more because Calandrino seemed to
her to be an odd individuaI rather than for any flirtatious reason' (1063;
575). Calandrino returns her stare, and when she notices this, "per uccel-
larlo" 'in order to make fun of him,' she would look at him now and then
and "alcun sospiretto gittando" 'heave a sigh or two' (1063; 575). This
interaction, connected by just a few coarse words to the doctrine of courtIy
10ve (the beautiful woman, the staring, the sighs) is alI that Calandrino
needs. '"Per la qual cosa Calandrino subitamente di lei s'imbardò" 'Because
ofthis, Calandrino immediately tèll in love with her' (1063: 575). The lady
he desires is named Niccolosa, and she is a prostitute. although Calandrino
believes her to be Filippo's wife.
Cimone, the beast, re-creates himse]f in a solitary act inspired by his
passion for Efigenia. His obsession then drives him to forcefully pursue the
object ofhis desire. Calandrino, of course, has a very diftèrent reaction; he
immediately asks his friend Bruno for help. H is lack of ability to be autono-
mous is one of his greatest weaknesses, and the one that allows his friends
to exploit him for their amusement. Niccolosa initiates the beffa by actively
triggering Calandrino' s imagination, and now his other friends wilI join in
the fun, shaping and sculpting it for him as the story progresses.
Calandrino's mind immediatelybegins to create fàntasy. Naturally, his
imagination makes Niccolosa stunningly beautiful. But Calandrino also
dec1ares, '"è si forte innamorata di me, che ti parrebbe un gran fàtto" 'she is
so passionately in love with me you' d be amazed' (1064: 575). Cimone, on
the other hand, never paused to consider the tèelings of the woman he de-
sired - whether or not Efigenia loved him \Vas meaningless. Interestingly,
Boccaccio has a woman narrate the story ofCalandrino, in which the tèmale
character plays an active fole. However, Cimone's tale, in which the man
352 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

aggressively initiates the action ofthe story, is narrated by a male.:ì5 Cimo-

ne's passion was inflamed by a contemplation of passivity; Calandrino's
love springs tì'om an imagination that takes flight as a reaction to extemal
events, and yet his perception of those events is also distorted.
Discussing his belief that Niccolosa is married, Calandrino boasts to
Bruno that he does not care, for '''lo la fregherei a Cristo di cosi fatte cose,
non che a Filippo" "l'd steal her from Christ himself, let alone Filippo'
(1064; 576). Similarly, an unsympathetic Cimone stole Efigenia from her
fiancé and boasted that his power would exceed that ofthe gods (599; 317).
In his earlier stories, Calandrino emulated what he believed to be intelli-
gence and cunning; here, he masquerades as a lover in the style of Cimone.
Calandrino also recalls the courtly lover, expressed in his words "'ella m 'ha
morto!" 'she slays me!' 0064; 576).
An irony of Cimone was that, despite his transformation into a great
philosopher and musician, he chose not to use these abilities to win Efige-
nia. Instead, Cimone relied upon force. Calandrino, also a parody of courtly
love, do es the reverse -- although only in his mind. He does not linger long
on the idea of taking Niccolosa by force. Rather, he soon proclaims, his
great knowledge and musical skill will not tàil to win her. Calandrino's self-
image is so at odds with reality that he asserts '''io so meglio che altro uomo
far ciò che io voglio" "I know better than any man how to get what I want'
(1066; 577). This claim challenges the superiority ofboth Cimone's use of
force and Lisimaco's use ofintelligence in the earlier tale. Calandrino in a
sense does undergo change as did Cimone, but with an important distinc-
tion. For Calandrino, it is a transformation in words only. Whereas Calan-
drino consistently acts upon the statements ofhis friends, which he accepts
as truths, he does not do the same with his own words. Instead, Calandri-
no's transformation is hidden in his mind and his distorted self-image. This
feature ofCalandrino as unchanging allows him to be a repeat victim ofthe
beffi in each tale. His companions carefully nurture his illusions and he
never realizes that a joke has been played. Calandrino has been compared
both to a child (Forno 136; Baratto 317), and to an animai, recalling the
"scimmione" associations with Cimone. 36
For the climax ofthis beffo, Bruno enlists the help ofBuftàlmacco and
Nello in hatching a plot to prolong the fun at Calandrino's expense. They
augment their pleasure by bringing Niccolosa as well as Filippo into the
pIan, telling them "'chi era Calandrino" 'the kind ofperson Calandrino was'
LOVE ANO DESTRUCTION IN THE DECAMERON 353

(1065; 576). Not only do these characters orchestrate Calandrino's life for
the remainder of the novella, but they do so with his consent. Calandrino is
more than cooperative when Bruno says "lascia far me" 'leave it alI to me'
(1065; 576).
Calandrino's friends enjoy the spectacle of his love affair for a good
two months, unti l Calandrino begins to worry that he will not be able to
fulfill his ultimate desire with Niccolosa. Rather than become more asser-
tive towards the lady in his advanees, Calandrino remains true to fòrm and
pressures Bruno to move things tòrward. Bruno eomplies by playing an-
other trick on Calandrino' s imagination, ereating with him a magie formula
(words on parchment) and instructing him to toueh Niccolosa with the
writing. 37 Calandrino believes the act wiIl give him complete control over
Niccolosa, but of course the magic with which he hopes to master his world
has no true substance. Calandrino nevertires ofindulging his unquestioning
imagination as he seeks out the strange ingredients for t)1e formula, whose
very fom1 and purpose reminds us of his slavery to words.
At this point the story nears its end, and one that is commonly seen as
the just retribution for the tìrst story in the Calandrino cycle. 3R It acts as a
counterpart to the violent episode that concludes Calandrino 's tìrst adven-
ture, when he believed himselfinvisible due to a heliotrope's magic. That
first shocking outburst was triggered when Calandrino' s wife Tessa greeted
him and he realized he was visible. Calandrino's dream ofpower carne to
an abrupt end and he blamed his wife, for women "tànno perder la vertU a
ogni cosa" 'cause everything to lose its power' (918; 489). The ensuing
disillusionment resulted in a rage so great that Calandrino savagely beat her
nearly to death. In this final tale, Nello fetches Calandrino's wife on Bru-
no' s orders, and tells her that this is her chance to be vindicated for the
heliotrope incident. The stage is set, and Tessa arrives just at the moment
when Calandrino believes he is to finally kiss Niccolosa. Tessa, buming
with anger, beats her husband with a brutality reminiscent of the battering
she had received from him in the tìrst tale. And in both cases, Bruno and
Buffalmacco serve as;mediators, subduing the passions that have erupted,
while laughing surreptitiously at the scene. Calandrino' s clever companions
have successfully and secret1y manipulated every emotion and action ofthe
characters in the tale.
Cimone and Calandrino appear to be very different characters but they
are at base alike. Both exemplify the connections of the imagination with
354 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

lo ve, and how tbe balance between the two can lead to pleasure or to devas-
tation and danger. Boccaccio uses these tales not only to demonstrate the
destructive force of erotic love, but a1so to show the complicated ambiguity
of the imagination. Cimone's passion is connected with a simplistic and
limited tòrm of imagination, leading him to become utterly controlled by
his passion of desire. Calandrino 's imagination is much more active and
alive, but it is nol under his own controI. The movements of his imagina-
tion, and also the passions that they inspire, a re o rchestrated by those
around him. Cimone ostensibly possessed the tools that could controi his
passions (wisdom and leaming) but he did not use them, and in deciding to
pursue his desire at any cost he caused devastation to those around him. In
the end, it was only through the direction ofLisimaco that he succeeded in
his quest. Calandrino, like Icarus and Phaethon, is over-confident in his own
wisdom and abilities, and his arrogant delusions lead his quest for passion
and knowledge - for ultimately alI he wants is to be a dever man, like his
friends - to fai!. In both Cimone and Calandrino, the imagination is guid-
ed, but not by the one who possesses it.
The connection between Cimone' s lustful passion and his violence was
unquestionable as he slaughtered those around him. Although Calandrino
is presented as a cornic figure whose antics serve as entertainment for those
around him, beneath the surface there always lurks the possibility of vio-
lence and danger. The passion that this character displays most intensely is
anger, and he directs his rage against Tessa in these tal es. She, as his wife,
is the person with whom he is most intimately connected, yet also the one
person who is not involved in the elaborate heffe played upon him. Tessa
personifies the one element that threatens the stability of Calandrino's
world built on fantasy. She is not afraid to show him thc truth, and Calan-
drino, sensing this threat to his self-made utopia, resents her for it. The
beating over the heliotrope is the most savage incident in the four tales, and
the one that standsout in stark contrast to the "comic" purpose ofthe novel-
le. At that moment, in Calandrino's mind, Tessa actually do es what he has
always feared --- she destroys the stone's magie, and by inference, also the
illusions ofhis fantasy. It is when Calandrino's illusion is shattered that his
character turns dangerous and his fury is unleashed.
The characters who seem to benefit the most from the Calandrino tales
are the clever friends who manipulate him. Bruno and Buffalmacco are
skilled in the use of the imagination, for they can combine it with their
LOVE AND DESTRUCTION IN THE DECAMERON 355

intelligence and with it create art (the theater of Calandrino). In Dante's

works the term ingegno was used to signify, in effect. the creative imagina-
tion, especially in an artistic or poetic sense,39 and the term is very fitting in
this context as well. Cimone was not a shining example of such ingegno,
despite his apparent mÌraculous conversion to wisdom, but the characters
who piot the beffo in the Calandrino tales undoubtedly possess this facuIty.
Boccaccio has been recognized as a writer who celebrates the ingegno
of his characters. but Bruno and Buffalmacco (as well as the accomplices
they draw into the various stories) are not uncomplicated examples of the
merits ofthe creative imagination. Although they seem to benefit from the
beffe and are themselves unscathed, they are toying with the passions of
their victims. They are also well aware of Calandrino •s dangerous anger.
They do not hesitate - and in fact encourage. as in the case ofTessa - to
rouse these violent passions, which even cause bodily harm. This provides
further proof of their separation between ingegno and passion. Bruno and
Buffalmacco understand that what Calandrino fears most is the unveiling
of his illusions and having to face the truth of his own mental feebleness.
They also sense that this is the basis for the rage he directs towards his wife.
By perpetuating Calandrino's arrogant self-delusions and portraying them-
selves to him as the weaker-minded fools, Bruno and Buffalmacco are a1so
protecting themselves from becoming targets of his violence.
The ingegno of the c1ever characters in the Calandrino cyc1e links them
to the author of the Decameron himself. Boccaccio. too, is constructing a
world of illusion and orchestrating the images we create in our own minds
as we read. While Cimone and Calandrino as lovers experience violence,
Bruno and Buffalmacco detach their own imaginations from that passion
and so seem to remain unharmed. But they are rewarded for the exercise of
their ingenuity with pleasure, a pleasure created by the humiliation of an-
other that serves to prove the superiority of their own intellects. But even
here love plays a role. for it is Calandrino's love for his friends that allows
him to cede control over his imagination and his passions to them.
Ultimately, the two tales of Cimone and Calandrino are connected by
Boccaccio' s sovereign art, whereby he shows how vital, how unavoidable,
and yet how dangerous the inspirations of the imagination can become.
These two characters balance each other off. Cimone' s actions reveal the
inability to channel his passions to a constructive rationality. He yields to
imagination's primitive phantasms all too readily. Calandrino, on the other
356 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

hand, loses his sense of reality and quickly embraces the tigments of his
mind. Furthermore, both characters lack the more comp lex form of imagina-
tion as ingegno. Ingegno is essential to those who arrange the stories of
Cimone and Calandrino - their unscathed companion characters and the
author himself. Boccaccio, on his part, writes these two tales as iftheywere
"exemplary novellas" (to use Cervantes' title): he shows that literature is
forever t1anked by two dangers. Readers can mistake, like Calandrino,
fiction for reality; or they can, like Cimone, forget the order of rationality
and yield to the impulses of destructive passions. These possibilities make
the Decamerol1 the privileged text ofthe contradictory, rich, and unpredict-
able experiences of life.
JULlA M. COZZARELLI
Ithaca College

I At the root of this tradition is thc Platonic tlight of the soul. For an analysis of

Dante's amhivalence concerning the imaginatiun, cspecial1y as linked to the visionary

facuIty and its ahility to lead away from the physical worId. see Mazzotta, Dante's
Vision 116-34.
2 Sec Scaglione; see also Hastings for a rcading ofthe relationship between na-
ture and reason.
3 De Sanctis called the Decameroll "earthly comcdy," in contrast to the Divina
Commedia, and described Boccaccio's work as "'thc cynical malicious worId of the
flesh, left in the low rcgions of sensuality" and "gross in its feclings, but polishcd and
adorned by the imagination" (HistO/:l' 359): Auerhach echoes this concept saying
Boccaccio uses an "intermediate stylc [ ... ] which, combining the idyllic and the realis-
tic, is designated for the represcntation of sensual love" (Mimesis 217). As is well
known, Boccaccio himself cxpressed amhiguous vicws of his own tcxt, hetwecn de-
fending it and condcmning it in his later ycars. Many authors have conccntrated on the
contradictions and polarities within thc text itself (Dc Michclis: Sinicropi): or on the
ambiguity of its content (Pagnamenta).
4 Note that "Fiammetta" is also the name of Boccaccio 's professed Lady Love as

well as the protagonist ofthe Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta. Paradoxically, thc latter
has been rcad alternately as a misogynistic and evcn a fcminist tcxt (see Calabrese).
See Gomez Redondo for a discussion of the Fial1unetta and the relationship between
imagination and fiction.
~ Italian quotes from thc Dccamcrol1 are from the 19RO Branca edition; English
quotes are from the translation hy Musa and Bondanella, which is hascd on thc author-
itative cdition hy Branca done in 1975 for the Accademia della Crusca.
() The last thrcc lines of the Lai read: "Veritez est, et ge le di, I Qu'amors vaint
tout et tout vaincra I Tant com cis siecles durera" (90).
LOVE ANO DESTRUCTlON IN THE DECAMERON 357
7 Matto has many definitions, but those of greatest interest here include the fol-
10wing, ali of which apply to Cimone at some point in the tale: "'ha una visione
deformata [ ... ] della realtà"; "si comporte come se avesse perduto la ragione"; "il
contrario di savio"; "gravemente menomato nellc facoltà intellettuali; deficiente";
"posseduto, esaltato da [... ] una passione particolarmente intensa, viva o violenta";
and "ossessionato." The term had been used in ali of these contexts before Boc-
caccio's time ('''Matto'').
R Marcus traces the etymology of Cimone to the Greek "chimaros," the male
form of the she-goat "'chimaira" ("'Sweet" l O). Branca also connects the name with
"montone" as one of its possible sources (Decameron 594). For discussion of
manlbeast metamorphoses and conflict in the cornice of this and other works of
Boccaccio, see Surdich, Cornice.
9 While Boccaccio himself does not label Cimone a madman outright. hisde-
scription of the events of the tale portrays him in many of the traditionai trappings of
madness. Valcsio writes that, from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance, the
iconic aspect ofa character's madness is emphasizcd: "they discard ali the refinements
of culture and civilization, especially clothes, and revert to a state ofnature, wandering
in the wilderncss; they rarely talk, and when they do, there are no specific linguistie
elements in their spceches which indicate an abnormal state of mind" ("'Language"
200).
IO See Kirkham for a discussion ofthis phrase in the Decamerol/.
Il See Cottino-Jones' Order for a reading on the meaning of the settings in this
tale, and their role in her understanding of the Decameron as an aesthetic model of a
chaotie society reorganized into a system based on individuai and soci al values.
12 For a more in-dcpth discussion on thc varied and multi-faeeted definitions of
the imagination and rclated terms, see Brann 18-2h.
13 For example, Baratto 57 and Rossi, A xxvii.
14 Battaglia Ricci compares the contemplation of Efigenia with that ofMasetto in

the convent garden -- the former inspiring a ceJebration ofbeauty and love, the latter
a number of illicit sexual pairings (174-5). In a discussion of Grisclda, Camphell con-
nects the female body with the medieval concept oftextuality, and its c10thing (or laek
thereof) with the masculine act of reading (192).
15 These types of depictions exemplify what some see as the overall victimiza-
tion and anonymity offemale characters in the Decameron (Fleming; Staples 66). For
examples of the opposite view see Hastings 52.
16 For Toscano, the worsening of Cimone's eharacter dcmonstrates the artifieial
and misleading nature ofthe love doctrine, and the conflict ofnature and society (31).
For Mareus, Cimone descends into monstrosity because he lacks the sense ofhumility
required by sIi! nuovo lovers ("Sweet" 12).
17 Spera, for example, who also sees the division between the two halves as sim-

plya deviee used to separate and then recombine "the lovers" (87), and the conflict of
the story as one between the power of love and vicissitudes of fortune (86). See also
358 JULlA M. COZZARELLI

Mulryan 392, Surdich's Boccaccio 150-51, and Branca's Boccaccio medievale

112-13.
I~ In Ovid's Metaf1101phoses the character by this namc has a small but signifi-
cant role; she is a princess offered up as sacrifice by her own father in Book 12.
19 '''Cimone con Efigenia licto si tornò in Cipri e Lisimaco similmente con Cas-

sandrea ritornò in Rodi: e ciascun lietamente con la sua visse lungamente contento
nella sua terra" (608).
20 Mazzotta has pointed out that marriage in the Decameron serves to correet the

imbalance hetween reason and the appetites in the context ofthe fall from Eden. Mar-
riage is redemptive, reestablishing thc dominant position ofreason over the lower ap-
petites (Wor/d 125-26).
21 "'Onesto" is that which "il sommo e primo creatore tenne lui alle sue creature

congiunto." Love "per diletto" is the one "al quale noi siamo suggetti [ ... ] è il nostro
iddio" (4.44). Toscano believes that thc destructive description of"amore per diletto"
is the immediate inspiration for the Cimone novella (29). That based on "utilità" is
equated to hate by thc speaker. She emphasizes the second type as dangerous and to be
avoided if possible, for who, "se sarà savio," would not flce it for their own good?
(4.44). FUoc% quotes in Italian are from Tutte le opere. and those in English are
from the Cheney translation.
22 Marcus states that Boccaccio 's critique of the slil /IUOVO also criticizes the
point in his own literary career where he followed their poetics ("Sweet" 13). Another
view is that the Decameron "rappresenta un mondo umano in preda a quella passione
[amore] che il poeta ha superata e che perciò contempla ormai con distacco" (Givens
210). Bergin states that the tale "exemplifies the fundamental ambiguity of courtly or
even romantic love" (Boccaccio 311). Stone believes that Boccaccio intended to "re-
invent the very essence and purpose ofphilosophy" (24). He rcads the tale as mocking
the glorification, by Dante and others, ofthe philosopher whom they posit as "the on]y
tru]y nonanimalistic, [ ... ] truly human, human being" (28). For Stone, Cimone embod-
ies a new idea of philosophy based.on the legislation of a desirable or pleasurable so-
cia] order. Cimone is "the first Renaissance Man" (38), one who does not deny his
animality and whose wisdom lies in renouncing thc necessity of order to be "founded
on rational knowledge of absolute truth" (37). This is a fascinating reading. However,
the sheer destructiveness ofthe novella leads me to question its eonclusion that Cimo-
ne serves simply as an example ofthe new philosopher who uses his mind to get what
he desires. The context of violenee invites further exploration.
~.~ We see this in a later question: is it better for a lover to see his beloved or to
dream about her? (4.59). The queen answcrs that it is better to drcam, for the "spiriti
sensitivi tutti allora sentono mirahile festa," whereas in sceing thc beloved, "solo il
visuale spirito scnte bene" (4.60), reminiscent ofCavaJcanti. Graziosa (who posed the
question) counters that the more one looks, the grcater the pleasure.
24 Graziosa states: "nell'animo tale piacere si conferma, e generasene amore e

quelli disii ehe da lui nascono" (4.61). A similar discussion takes piace in Filostrato
(Proemio 2-7). In this passage, the narrator con firms that dreaming of his beloved had
LOVE AND DESTRUCTlON JN THE DECAMERON 359

given his imagination the freedom to envision her as reciprocating his affection, al-
though he changed his opinion after feeling the pain of a separation from her.
25 Ferreri's interpretation then uses the conflict to illustrate a rovesciamento of
the character of Cimone. Ferreri believes this reversal, togefher with its convergenee
oftwo narrative traditions. must be read in the eontext ofthe qualities ofthe mercan-
tile FIorentine society (90). See Branca for the concept ofthe Decameron as represen-
tative of that society. In any case. Cimone is not a character worthy of admiration or
imitation despite the fact that he ultimately succeeds in his qucst -- but for a view-
point in opposition to mine, see Cottino-Joncs, Order. She sees Cimone in a much
more positive light in her reading ofthe tale in terms ofan individuai vs. society eon-
flict. She writes "our predisposition to admire Cimone, Lisimaco's presence as the
true 'heavy' of the picce. Cimone's foreign origin, and his desire to win the woman
who initiated his spiritual rebirth, alI seem to mitigate his culpability in committing
violence against an unfamiliar society which secks to deny him love" (83).
2(, Toscano believes the novella excmplifies "the irrational but quite natural form

of love equated to madness" (26). Rather than becoming wisc by falling in love, love
can awaken natural human instincts that cannot be restrained through reason. For an
interesting reading of the tale as Nature vs. Ingegno (Art), with Lisimaco 's ingegno
replacing that of Cimone. see Tronci.
27 This fact is cmphasized when we meet Calandrino for the first time - he is in
church. gazing at the paintings and bas-rcliefs. See Mazzotta's World 194-95 for eom-
ments on the meaning ofthis scene.
~i\ Pierone 154; Russo refers to Calandrino 's story as "la commedia di un mondo
intellettuale e sensuale" (278).
29 The inclusion of"nuovo" in Calandrino's description can be seen as emphasiz-

ing his novcIty and therefore his position as a target of pranks (Marcus, Allegory
82-83); as well as his "foreignness," and therefore his permanent exclusion from soci-
ety.
~o Betti correctly ealts Calandrino an "aspirante furbo," a perso n who "vuole
agire sagacemente, intelligentemente. in un mondo che appare sovrappopolato da
individui dotati di una mente molto più acuta della sua" (514-515). See Cottino-Jones
for a very different conclusion. in which she states thc hcliotrope reflects Calandrino's
"unconscious wish to make other people like himsclf, that is, incapable of seeing"
C'Magie" 20). Passaro describes Calandrino as a "natural fool" for he lacks
self-knowledge (151).
~I Mazzotta writes ofthis folly that "by mistaking what are only words for real-
ity, Calandrino ultimatcIy obliterates the value of words" (World t98).
32 Also see Forno for a reading on pleasure and the ambiguity of the beffa in the
Decamerol1.
~~ Calandrino, Bruno, Buffalmacco and Nello were indeed painters in the early
14th century. See Branca's notes in Decameron 906-07 and 1048 for more details
about them.
360 JULIA M. COZZARELLI

34 Sec Cottino-Jones, Order 13R-153: Baratto 309; Pierone 156. Mazzotta notes
that Calandrino. as an outsider in the city, is also opcn to the possibility of anything
happening in this unfamiliar world (World 194).
15 Migicl posits Fiammetta as prescnting her companions with expanded and
more complex views on thc role of womcn in thc Decamcron ("How" 306-7).
3h Russo sees Calandrino as monkey in his antics (288); Salisbury reads ambigu-
ous animal-human tigures and their relationship with the passions ("animaI") and rea-
son ("human") in thc Middle Agcs.
37 See Cottino-Jones for a reading of magie in the Decameron as the stage on
which Boccaccio celcbrates human intclligcnce: it enables a clcver person, who recog-
nizes the powcr it has over the superstitious, to manipulatc thc shape of the world
around them ("Magie" 30).
3R Sec Cottino-Jones, Order 165-66: Dci Popolo rcads this as Tessa's vindication

not only of thc previous tales, but as a reaction to the particular situation in the third
tale, where she is blamed for gctting her husband prcgnant. In this tale, it is Niccolosa
who is "di sopra." Sce Nissen for a reading ofretribution as a link between the worlds
of the "real" and "ideal." Calandrino merits punishment due simply to "who he is,"
because he violates thc text's ethical norms (71). Nisscn also vicws retribution as so
prevalent that punishment must be viewed as a centrai themc in the Decameron (32).
See also Surdich, Boccaccio 185. Migiel places the violent sccnes ofCalandrino with-
in a largcr context of domestic violencc in the text. Increasing violcnce against women
correlates with thc potential for female empowerment while also demanding the exam-
ination ofthe rcader's own perceptions within that context (Rhetoric 149).
:19 Ingegno can be used interchangeably with vis imaginativa or phantasia in the
tri-partite division ofthe internai senses (Wetherbee 46-47). Dante's use of ingegno is
defined by Mario Trovato "as a poetical faculty [ ... ] understood by Dante as the in-
stinctive ability to evaluate and choose a suitable inventive material and transform it
into artistic images" (261). Therefore, ingegno is a technical term equivalent to the
formative process ofthe creative imagination, and for Dante, specifically to the poetic
art. Hastings, placing the term under the heading of intelligence, defines ingegno in
Boccaccio as "active, operative intelligence, resourcefulness, ingenuity" (74). Unfor-
tunately, the creative aspect of ingegno often seems to be overlooked in scholarly writ-
ing, which focllses instcad on it being one ofthe variants of"intelligence."

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