Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron, 1620 - Book 2, p.112r.

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Date:1620

Description:A ribald tale in a Shakespeare sourcebook

Shakespeare’s wide range of reading gave him a knowledge of many Italian writers and their work that he might potentially use in his plays, or poems. Ribald tales and lusty humour such as were found in Boccaccio's Decameron might sometimes have caused courtiers, or the professional fools at court to beware of ‘going too far’ and they would be warned of their master’s wrath, and punishment, as happens in King Lear. ‘Take heed, sirrah - the whip’, says Lear to his fool’s daring comments. (1,4, line 109).

Full Title: Giovanni Boccaccio, The The Decameron..., translated by J. Florio, London, Printed by Isaac Jaggard, 1620.
Bound with: Giovanni Boccaccio, The modell of witt, mirth, eloquence and conversation, translated by J. Florio, London, Printed by I. Jaggard for M. Lowndes, 1625.


Timeline

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1570s
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1590s
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1610s
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1630s
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Donor ref:SR/OS 99.4 Italian [32,402] (32/10613)

Source: The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust - Library

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