Page 198 - Petru Russo | The 100 Days of Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
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Calandrino’s Bizarre Predicament
This novella brims with humor and absurdity, centering on necessary for the “medicine.” Calandrino, desperate, complies with
Calandrino, a gullible man who falls victim to his mischievous their demands, providing a feast and depleting his savings.
friends’ elaborate prank. Themes of folly, wit, and camaraderie
guide this tale. As the prank unfolds, the group continues to embellish the story,
suggesting increasingly bizarre remedies. Calandrino, clueless and
Bruno, Buffalmacco, and Nello, Calandrino’s painter friends, decide frightened, follows their instructions without question. Ultimately,
to exploit his naivety for their amusement. Noticing Calandrino’s the friends declare him “cured” without any delivery, pocketing the
pale demeanor, they convince him that he is afflicted by a peculiar rewards of their trick.
ailment. Taking the ruse further, Master Simone, a quack doctor,
declares that Calandrino is miraculously “with child.” When the truth is revealed, Calandrino, initially humiliated, cannot
help but laugh along, his good-natured spirit prevailing despite the
Panicked, Calandrino pleads for a cure. The friends promise to elaborate jest. The story leaves readers with a comedic reminder of
help but demand payment, capons and money, claiming these are the power of gullibility and the enduring bonds of friendship.
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