The Decameron · Chapter
The Ninth Story explained
A Gascon lady, after being abused by lewd fellows in Cyprus, seeks redress from the King of Cyprus but learns he is too pusillanimous to act.
What happens
A Gascon lady, after being abused by lewd fellows in Cyprus, seeks redress from the King of Cyprus but learns he is too pusillanimous to act. Instead of demanding justice, she rebukes his cowardice, which awakens him from his sluggishness, leading him to cruelly avenge her wrong and become a rigorous defender of his crown's honor.
Themes in this chapter
Wit and Cunning
The Gascon lady uses a clever verbal rebuke rather than force to achieve justice, demonstrating the power of wit over brute strength.
Suffering and Redemption
The king's transformation from a passive sufferer of insults to an active avenger of wrongs illustrates a redemptive arc spurred by the lady's suffering.
Characters to notice
- King Agilulf
The King of Cyprus, initially mean-spirited and supine, is transformed by the Gascon lady's rebuke into a man of worth and valiance.
Key passages
“The King, who till then had been sluggish and supine, awoke as if from sleep and beginning with the wrong done to the lady, which he cruelly avenged, thenceforth became a very rigorous prosecutor of all who committed aught against the honour of his crown.”
The king, previously lazy and passive, suddenly became alert and took severe revenge for the lady's mistreatment, thereafter strictly punishing anyone who dishonored his crown.
This moment marks the king's transformation from cowardice to valor.