The Decameron

The Decameron

by

Giovanni Boccaccio

In Filostrato’s fourth tale (IV, 9), Roussillon’s Wife follows the dictates of fin’amors when she falls in love with her husband’s best friend, Guillaume de Cabestanh, because of his gallantry and nobility. When she discovers that Guillaume de Roussillon has murdered her lover and fed her his heart, she breaks from the feminine stereotypes in The Decameron and demonstrates a similar level of virile self-control to Ghismonda (IV, 1). She calmly rebukes her husband for his cruelty, then takes her life by throwing herself from a window. After her death, she’s buried with her lover in a shared tomb.
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The Decameron PDF

Roussillon’s Wife Character Timeline in The Decameron

The timeline below shows where the character Roussillon’s Wife appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Day 4: Ninth Tale
Love and Sex Theme Icon
...Guillaume de Roussillon and Guillaume de Cabestanh. Cabestanh happens to fall hopelessly in love with Roussillon’s Wife ; flattered by the attentions of such a noble man, she reciprocates and the two... (full context)
Love and Sex Theme Icon
Roussillon’s Wife , anticipating Cabestanh’s visit, is perturbed when her husband returns home alone. Roussillon gives the... (full context)
Love and Sex Theme Icon
Men and Women Theme Icon
Moderation and Excess Theme Icon
After a heavy silence, Roussillon’s Wife asks what Roussillon has given to her to eat. He confesses it was the heart... (full context)