Page 102 - SUMMARIES OF GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO’S DECAMEON : A Visionary Journey In 100 Stories And 100 Etchings By Petru Russu

Fatal Love Triangle: Tito Melema and Ginevra

In the courtly splendor of Provence, two noble knights, Guillaume de
Roussillon and Guillaume de Cabestanh, stand as paragons of chivalry
and friendship. Their bond is deep, forged through battles and shared

honor. Yet beneath the polished surface of courtly life, a forbidden
passion simmers. Cabestanh, admired for his gallantry and poetic soul,
falls hopelessly in love with Roussillon’s wife. She, flattered by his
devotion and drawn to his noble spirit, returns his affection. Their love,
though secret, is sincere and profound.

But secrets have sharp edges. Roussillon, once trusting, begins to
suspect the truth. His pride wounded and his jealousy inflamed, he

plots a terrible revenge. Under the guise of camaraderie, he invites
Cabestanh to a hunt, luring him into the woods. There, in a moment
of cold betrayal, Roussillon murders his friend, striking not only at the
heart of his wife’s affections but at the very soul of their shared honor.

The horror does not end with death. Roussillon carves out Cabestanh’s
heart and returns home, instructing his cook to prepare it into a fine
dish. That evening, he serves the meal to his unsuspecting wife, who

praises its flavor with innocent delight. When she finishes, Roussillon
reveals the truth with cruel satisfaction: she has eaten the heart of
DRAWING FROM CONTEMPORARY her beloved.
GROTESQUE BAROQUE AND
EMOTIONALLY CHARGED
The revelation shatters her. Overcome by grief, horror, and the unbearable
FIGURATION, THIS ILLUSTRATION
weight of betrayal, she retreats to her chamber. There, in a final act of
DISTILLS FATAL DESIRE INTO
AN OPERATIC FRENZY, WHERE defiance and devotion, she throws herself from a high window, choosing
BODIES BLUR AND BOUNDARIES death over a life emptied of love. Her body is found broken but serene,
RUPTURE IN A FEAST OF COLOR,
and in a gesture that defies her husband’s cruelty, she is buried beside
VENGEANCE, AND MYTHIC
TRAGEDY. Cabestanh, united in death as they could not be in life.
DECAMERON 100 101