The Patient Griselda, by Giovanni Boccaccio Essays -- Literary Analysi

â€Å"The Patient Griselda†, by Giovanni Boccaccio, has hidden meanings to it. Domestic violence from Gualtieri to his chosen wife, Griselda is apparent. Gualtieri feels as though his is condoned to such abuse of his wife because of her low-born social class status, her non-nobility. He further oppresses his power over her by disallowing her to have control over the upbringing of their children. Gualtieri, a young Italian marquis, was pressured by his servants to marry. His subjects were in fear that there would not be an heir to maintain the stability of their state. Gualtieri agrees to marry, but makes it clear to his subjects that he will he will find his own wife. The marquis makes his people promise that they will not question him nor criticize his choice for a wife. â€Å"My friends, since you still persist in wanting me to take a wife; I am prepared to do it, not because I have any desires to marry, but rather in order to gratify your wishes. You will recall the promise you gave me, that no matter whom I should choose; you would rest content and honour her as your lady†, (Boccaccio 164). The beginning of the marriage was peaceful. Then Griselda gave birth to a daughter. It is at this time that Gualtieri begins to â€Å"test† Griselda. His tests are actually forms of emotional abuse. He begins by testing Griselda’s obedience by having the child taken away to be raised elsewhere by woman kinfolk. He told Griselda that their daughter was dead, that he had her killed by his subjects. He repeats this same test with the birth of their son a few years later. Griselda, with no words of protest, surrenders both her children to their deaths by their own father, her husband. Griselda was abused by Gualtieri from the beginnin... ...ers as you would have others do unto you†. If it had been Griselda putting her husband through these so called â€Å"tests†, the outcome would have been very different. There would not have been any kind of a â€Å"happy ending†. Works Cited Boccaccio, Giovanni. everything2.com. Tuesday November 2000. 4 August 2010 . Campbell, Emma. "Sexual Poetics and the Politics of Translation in the Tale of Griselda." (2006): 17. Damrosch, David and David L. Pike. The Longman Anthology of World Literature Second Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., 2009. Davis, Walter R. "Boccaccio's Decameron ." The Implications of Binary Form (2003): 20. Fulton, Helen. "The Performance of Social Class:." Domestic Violence in The Griselda Story (n.d.): 42. Jaster, Margaret Rose. ""Controlling clothes, manipulating mates: Petruchio's Griselda"." (2001): 13.