HONTIVEROS, NOVA LYN

ORTALIZA, ANGELAPANDAN, APRIL

SADERNAS, MARJORIETAN, NICOLE

RUSTICO AND

ALIBECHby Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375)

BIOGRAPHYGiovanni Boccaccio was among the founder of Renaissance. In spite of

studying law and business for years, Boccaccio interested naturally lied in poetry and writing.His greatest work Decameron has claimed fame for over 600 years and has caste an influence on other writers. Besides in being a writer, Boccaccio was also a humanist and also accredited to as the founder of Humanism.

Giovanni Boccaccio was born in the year 1313 in the Italy. The exact date and place of birth was uncertain. But known that he spent his childhood in Florence. His father was a prominent merchant and his mother also belonged to an illustrious family.Giovanni attended school in Florence and was taken into business at the age of 10. In 1327 he was sent to Naples to study Business and Law but instead his attention or interested lies in writing. He eventually gave up on studying and entirely dedicated himself in Literature. During this time Giovanni started mingling with the society. He fell in love in a lady and named her Fiammetta in his writings. Boccaccio’s life long friendship with Petrarch was started in 1350. Both writers often worked closely to each other.

Boccaccio completed the Decameron in 1358 which narrates hundred of stories seven women and three men who reside in a country villa for ten days. Decameron has influenced Europe for the longest time and great writers such as Shakespeare is known to borrowed his masterpiece.

Disappointing love affairs and deteriorating health made Giovanni depressive and his writings started showing signs of bitterness especially towards women. He attempted to burn and sell his works, letters, manuscripts and library but Petrarch convinced him not to burn his belonging and offered to purchase them from him. After his death, Boccaccio’s literary belongings were presented to the monastery of Santo Spirito, in Florence. Although never married Boccaccio was a father to three children. He passed away on December 21, 1375.

characterProtagonist:• Alibech

Antagonist: • Rustico

Flat character: • Neerbale

settingGeographical location: • City of Capsa in Barbary, Cell of Rustico

Occupation: • Hermit

General environment of the characters: • Religious

POINT OF VIEW• Third Person

plot• Exposition – When Alibech, having urged

by mere childish enthusiasm and not by well ordered desire, secretly set out to serve God.

• Rising Action – When Rustico accepted her in his cell to test his spiritual strength and he found out that he over estimated his power of resistance against the beauty of Alibech.

PLOT• Climax - When Rustico taught Alibech that to

serve God, the devil needs to be put back in hell.

• Falling Action – When Rustico felt chilly and there’s an excess desire in Alibech’s hell than Rustico’s devil.

• Resolution – When Neerbale took Alibech away, against her will but to Rustico’s great relief, to marry her .

TONE, STYLE AND SYMBOL

Tone: • Ironic, Sexual Desire

Style:• Ironic

Symbol:• Male and female genitals

FORESHADOWING AND

DRAMATIC IRONY

Foreshadowing:• When Rustico and Alibech threw off their

clothes and Rustico told Alibech that to serve God, Alibech must put the devil back into hell.

Irony: • One irony in the story is that Rustico ,as

a monk, should’ve acted right and he should’ve not took advantage of Alibech’s innocence.

FLASHBACKOne day the ladies asked her how she had serve god in the desert. She replied that her service was to put the devil in hell, end that Neerbale has committed a great sin by taking her away from such service, The ladies asked “and how do you put the devil in hell”. Partly in words and partly by gestures Alibech told them.

CONFLICT

The conflict of the story is when Rustico take for granted Alibech’s innocence for his sexual desire or pleasure.

MOVEMENT AND PACE

Movement: • Normal

Pace: • Moderate

THEME

• Ignorance/Innocence