This page is referenced by:

• 1 media/Decameron.jpg 2015-12-07T10:30:38-08:00 Death and Pregnant Men: "The Arabian Nights" and "The Decameron" 5 plain 2015-12-07T12:57:08-08:00 Before getting into the textual similarities between the Decameron and the Nights, it is important to examine the structure of both pieces. Both texts are examples of frame stories, where an introduction of the story gives way to a second narrative of stories within the story. In the Nights, the Sultan Shahrayar is known to take a virgin each night, deflower her, and then kill her in the morning. Shahrazad, the Sultan’s Vizier’s daughter, is picked to be the Sultan’s next virgin and—in an attempt to prolong her life—tells the Sultan tales for 1001 nights. Meanwhile, the Decameron encapsulates the stories of ten Florentine women and men sheltered in a secluded villa, as the Black Death moves through their city. These stories, as Katherine Hirt notes, are “related to the theme of life and death because the reason for telling stories in…these works is to ward off death” (104). These are universal themes, which affect all readers, regardless of religion or race.
  
  When looking at the themes within several similar anecdotes in Decameron and Nights, it becomes clear how the Nights influenced Boccaccio’s work. One common story involves a man “becoming” pregnant, with Boccaccio’s tale of Calandrino’s friends convincing him of his gravid disposition deriving its underlying story from the Nights’ “The Qadi who had a Baby.” Both of these tales revolve around miserly men who are tricked into thinking they are pregnant in order to give up some or all of their wealth. However, there are several cultural differences, one of the most notable being religious difference. In the “Qadi” tale, there is a much more religious focus. The narrator—Shahrazad—often demonizes the Qadi for his stingy behavior, saying “Allah curse him!” The religious Qadi also used the word “Allah” generously, both to curse his predicament as well as praise both his wife and the truth when it finally comes out (Burton). No such prevalent religious theme is found in Calandrino’s tale, as God is only invoked in exasperation. When a doctor comes to diagnose Calandrino, the “pregnant” man says “Get on with it then, doctor, for the love of God” (Rigg 661). Thus, Boccaccio uses the same basic story, though crafts it to fit his own narrative. Because of the comic-value of the story, Boccaccio strays from the divine aspect of the original.
  
  One of the most interesting commonalities between both versions of the story is the theme of masculinity. Both the Qadi and Calandrino are deeply upset by their predicament, though their different reactions speak to broader cultural norms. When the Qadi “gives birth,” he accepts the child as a matter of divinity. He rationalizes the event by saying, “Even a man, if he is fated to do so, may bear a child in due season!” and “May the blessing of Allah be upon him” (Burton). However, the social anxiety ultimately causes him to leave town, which causes the village to plunder his house.
  
  This theme of masculinity’s pitfalls carries over to the Decameron, when Calandrino finds out he is pregnant. Calandrino immediately blames his wife, as she insisted “on lying on top” (Rigg 661). His rhetoric takes a violent turn, as he says, “I should get up from this bed and break every bone in her body” (Rigg 662) Calandrino’s violent, hypermasculine response to the pregnancy seems to be indicative of his own gender insecurity. Due to this, he gives away a large portion of his new wealth to abort the fetus.
  
  These different narratives may just be artistic choices, but they also are indicative of broader cultural norms. Boccaccio has adapted the original story to fit his audience’s taste, while keeping a theme that is common among men: the fear of becoming feminine. In this way, the story of the Qadi is crafted to fit an audience’s specific tastes, while also having a universal theme. This universality is what allows the story to resonate with its audience, whether in Syria or Sicily.