Ruiz Amador 1

Lucia Ruiz Amador

Beatrice A

H211B

15 March 2021

Paradox of Perfection

Medieval literature is known for its romantic stories, biblical texts, and tragedies. All

medieval literature has one thing in common though, women. Throughout this time period, the

roles of women,within medieval literature, not only have a significant presence in said literature

but reveals society’s infatuation with women. During the various texts read throughout the

quarter, it was clear that the women in the literature, specifically The Decameron had

contradictory roles. The characters were either characters with their own complexities or simple

plot devices used by the writer, Boccaccio, to establish his commentary on what he thought about

women in medieval society were through his texts. This can be seen in Day four, story one of

The Decameron where he describes Ghismonda, a woman of status and intellect as a “beautiful a

creature there ever was… she possessed rather more intelligence than a woman needs” (The

Decameron, Day Four). In the introduction, he praises women and essentially makes himself the

victim of many critics that “they could multiply so alarmingly” (The Decameron, Day Four)

because he makes literature for women. However, Day Four of The Decameron, is only one of

the many contradictions found. Thus the Paradox of Perfection is created. Which establishes that

in medieval society and literature, women are both evil temptations (for men) that are at the same

time fragile and must be taken care of like porcelain dolls yet are loyal and dutiful wives who
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can do the tasks given to them. This paradox contributes to the romanization of this era, which

will be the main focus.

It was previously established that this paradox accounts for the infatuation this era has on

women, specifically in the ownership of women. This is further cemented when one realizes that

this era has an obsession with women's virginity. The association of virginity is purity,

innocence, honor, and worth, to be able to take a woman's virginity is to claim all of this as

“yours.” Which is why when women lose their virginity out of wedlock, they are essentially

giving the ownership to someone who does not “own” them. This is where the paradox can be

seen. The woman who lost her virginity, can be seen as an evil temptation the man fell for but at

the same time, seen as a woman who needs to be taken care of and must be wed to that man. This

can be seen in The Decameron where Ghismonda’s father refuses to marry her off and when he

does, she becomes a widow. Ghismonda’s virginity is never confirmed to be lost, however as

Bloch says women are free so long as “[they are] willing to renounce sexuality that is, to remain

unmarried if she was a virgin, and not to remarry if she was a widow, or even renounce secuality

within a marriage” (Bloch). This is one of the reasons why Ghismonda is hesitant in telling her

father that she wants to remarry. Despite her being meticulous with choosing her lover, her father

is upset that she has been “taken” away from him. That is, he is upset that he no longer holds

power or is in control of his daughter. The moment she took her lover, was the moment she

became her lovers.

The concept of possession during this era is key for the paradox of perfection to work,

however it can also be applied to when there is a lack of possession or an act of abandonment.

Which Boccaccio explores in Amorosa Visione and Elegia di Madonna Fiammetta by

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“illustrat[ing] how pathos in classical stories of abandoned women move his fictive readers”

(Hagedorn, 104). Despite the fact that these poems were about the abandonment of women and

the Dacameron (at least the texts read in class) did not have those themes, there was a single

common theme that ties these different stories together, pathos and compassion. Thus the

paradox can only function if there is pathos found in the literature and in society. Taking a look at

the most known medieval literature, most of it being religious texts (or religious inspired texts),

there can be pathos found in texts that include women. In the Decameron, it is clear the pathos in

the text. Ghismonda’s story is a prime example of this, the readers will feel some sorrowfulness

or pity towards Ghismond’s end. How could her own father do that to her? How could he kill

Ghismonda’s lover and give her his heart? Why can she not just be happy with her lover?

Questions like these, that make the reader question why she could not get her “happy ending” are

key to making the paradox true because it confirms the idea that women need to be protected. A

reader may have thought, if someone would have protected Ghismonda, maybe she would not

have had to suffer through grief.

An early question before the paradox was does the role of women in medieval literature

matter? Are they complex character or plot devices? What is the position of women in literature?

The question is not open-ended forcing there to be a yes or no answer which is not the case. As

Crump perfectly words it that “their (womens) position in theory and in law is one thing, their

practical position in everyday life is another” (Crump, 401). It is even more important to note

that these ideas can exist at the same time but “never entirely coincide…. The true position of

women at any particular moment is an insidious blend of both” (Crump, 401). Further proving

that the paradox, the separate components making it, can exist separately but more often than not
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are a blend. Crump notes that characteristics about women in medieval literature was created by

two main forces being that of the Church and aristocracy (in Italy, it would be what would be

considered or who ever was at that level since politically, Italy was majority city-states) that was

immensely inconsistent or contradictory. This can be seen reflected in Boccacio’s The

Decameron, if one were to read Ghismonda’s story and Madonna Filipa’s story, one would think

it is not from the same book. But it is, even the story with the Sultan and Torres, is completely

different to the other texts. In that story, the wife is faithful and follows her husband's wishes,

mourning his “death” and immediately going back to him when he returns home. Crump gives

good explanation at the oscillation of women’s position during this time that “‘woman’... ‘is to

be preferred to man, to wit: in material, because Adam was made from clay and Eve from the

side of Adam; in place, because Adam was made outside paradise and Eve within; in conception,

because a woman conceived God, which a man could not do; in apparition, because Christ

appeared to a woman after the Resurrection, to wit the Magdalen; in exaltation, because a

woman is exalted above the choirs of angels, to wit, the Blessed Mary’” (Crump 402). A whole

lot of contradictions that pull each other from one end to the next. The idea and as Crump

explains the inevitable consequence of the “conception of woman as the supreme tempress,

‘ianua diaboli’, the most dangerous of all obstacles in the way of salvation” (Crump 402-03),

also proves the paradox. Yet at the same time there was a theory, that only “professional

misogynists….took the evil nature of women very seriously…. What they did accept was the

subjection of women” (Crump 403), which was through marriage. It is interesting to see that

despite being seen as “supreme tempress” women were still expected to adhere to their husbands

demands.
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The idea of possession once again appears as Crumps quotes Philippe de Novaire that

women have an advantage in being able to preserve their honor compared to men. That “for a

women, of she be a worthy woman of her body, all her other faults are covered and she can go

with a high head wheresoever she will; and therefore it is in no way needful to teach as many

things to girls as to boys” (Crump, 404). The idea that a woman does not need to be taught

certain because her chastity is enough is mind-boggling. But does this mean for Virgin Mary?

Lomperis says it perfectly that “the idea of a virginal maternity that paradoxically defied nature

and logic” (Lomperis, 66). What would this make of possession? If women, hypothetically, could

conceive without losing their virginity, would the romanization of this era end? This era tends to

be romanticized because of womens woes and plagues. Famous works tend to be classics

because they are tragedies, the pathos that is there, the paradox works. Would women become

more villainized to the point where they become dehumanized?

The dehumanization has been previously started by an anonymous pamphlet, that claims

that they are permitted to believe and teach in something they believe which is that “women are

not of human species…. Jesus Christ did not suffer for them and has not save them” (Kenney,

21). The reasoning behind this is that because the Holy Spirit has not called her “he has never so

designated her. Therefore she is not human” (Kenney, 22). Women can not escape

dehumanization by men, or any scrutiny by men. There is no outcome where classics are not

classics without women suffering. Which is why the romanization of this era is at the expense of

women, the paradox is a clear example of this.

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Works Cited

Bloch, R. Howard. Medieval Misogyny and the Invention of Western Romantic Love. The
University of Chicago Press, 2006.
- This book, although I just read bits and pieces, gave for most of the foundation of
the paradox in the essay. Though mostly based around poems of this era, it still
can be applied to other texts from this time period. The parallels I found are still
very much interesting to me, there is no doubt in my mind that this paradox can
be further examined through poems and the different types of love there is.

Boccaccio, Giovanni, 1313-1375. The Decameron. New York :Norton, 1983.

- Boccaccio’s work was key in being able to see the contradictory interpretations of
women and their roles. The first class discussion about his work was essentially
what made me want to study his works at length.

Crump, Charles G., and Jacob, E. F. The Legacy of the Middle Ages. Clarendon Press, 1926.
- This novel provided much of the evidence that this paradox has been around for a
while. I wish I could’ve read the entire thing for this essay unfortunately I had to
chose what could and couldn’t be added. But there are many parallels and
commentary found here that can be seen in most of the texts read during class,
which is one of the reasons why I chose it.

“Decameron Web.” Decameron Web | Literature,

www.brown.edu/Departments/Italian_Studies/dweb/literature/narratology/filippa.php.
- Using the website from class made it a lot easier to move between texts and the
commentary, it served as a good base to connect things between texts. It was
easily accessible and to use.

Hagedorn, Suzanne C. Abandoned Women Rewriting the Classics in Dante, Boccaccio, &
Chaucer. The University of Michigan Press, 2007.
- I chose this because it had critiques and commentaries on other works of
Boccaccio that I felt were relevant to this essay. Though, if there was more time, I
would’ve also liked to read this entire novel/commentary to see just how far the
paradox presents itself in known authors' works.
Kenney, Theresa M., et al. "Women Are Not Human" : an Anonymous Treatise and Responses.

Crossroad Pub., 1998.

- I mainly used it to use quotes I found but if you have time, I would suggest
reading this. It is not only can this be applied to medieval literature, I might go as
far to say any literature. There are many things this anonymous person presents
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that can be found in all literature. Though it is quite upsetting to read.

Lomperis, Linda., and Stanbury, Sarah. Feminist Approaches to the Body in Medieval Literature.

University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993.

- Again, this is another commentary/article/book that I wish I could’ve read, but it

was so large that I couldn’t. But there is plenty of commentary of medieval
literature that I feel can be relevant to many topics. It was perfect in mine and I’m
sure that anyone wanting to view women’s sexualtiy in medieval literature
through a modern feminist lense, will find intriguing and through.