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The unsatisfied wife of Pietro di Vinciolo, Pietro’s Wife appears in Dioneo’s fifth tale (V, 10). She is a redheaded (lustful) young woman who begins a series of affairs with men provided by the Beldam because her husband isn’t interested in sex with her. She is an example of misogynistic stereotypes about excessive female desire, and of feminine hypocrisy when she denounces Ercolano’s wife for the same sins she herself commits. But, in gaining her husband’s acceptance for her affair (by sharing her lover), she becomes one of Day V’s satisfied lovers.
Get the entire The Decameron LitChart as a printable PDF.
Pietro’s Wife Character Timeline in The Decameron
The timeline below shows where the character Pietro’s Wife appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 5: Tenth Tale
...the right place,” and to disguise this fact, he marries a buxom young woman. Unfortunately, Pietro’s Wife is a passionate redhead whom two husbands would have a hard time pleasing, much less...
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Refusing to waste her youth, Pietro’s Wife secures the services of a Beldam with a saintly reputation, who agrees that the Good...
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Pietro’s Wife enjoys many young men behind her husband’s back. One night, when Pietro plans to eat...
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