In Elissa’s fifth tale (V, 3), the Ancient Woman and her husband, the Ancient Man, live in the forest where Pietro and Agnolella get lost. They shelter Agnolella even though she must rely on her own wits to protect her from roving thugs. Although they don’t have much to offer, they demonstrate kindness and generosity.
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The timeline below shows where the character Ancient Woman appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 5: Third Tale
...lost. But as darkness falls, she happens upon a cottage where an Ancient Man and Ancient Woman live. They kindly offer to shelter her for the night. But while they can protect...
(full context)
...grazes Agnolella’s chest, tearing her clothes. When the thieves have gone, the Ancient Man and Ancient Woman are relieved to see her emerge from the hay, and they take her to a...
(full context)
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Duprey, Annalese. "The Decameron Characters: Ancient Woman." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 29 Jul 2022. Web. 10 May 2025.