Historically women were considered in a lower social position than men. Women were not allowed to play any significant role in society beyond that of wife or mother. The Decameron and the Arabian Nights demonstrate this. Even though they may not have any significant social position, women have the upper hand in most aspects of the male-female relationship. A repeated reference in medieval writing to a body of arcane knowledge marked by male authors as feminine is a promising avenue of approach for the many writers who employ, rather than endorse, misogynistic topoi. The Decameron and Arabian Nights address issues of women's knowledge and power regarding male collective understanding and capabilities, as will be explored below. We say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Starting from the beginning, the status and her plight of women to frame her thoughts on ethical and social issues, explaining that her works are directed at women because they are more in need of comfort than her stories offer. For centuries men have had distractions from the world to ease their distress, so women too should have at least the diversion provided by the tales of the Decameron. Men can forget their pains in action, so women should have the benefit of language and its indirect pleasures when they can be submissive whenever they need it. In many scenarios, Boccaccio characterizes women as protagonists who do not enthusiastically accept the traditionally understood role of being passive towards men and having no voice in a male-dominated society. Since Boccaccio compares men and women, it seems that Boccaccio favors women as the superior gender in terms of both good and evil. Examining the stories in which Boccaccio examines male and female relationship dynamics, it seems that females are vigorous, more lustful. Furthermore, in cases where the male character appears to be the winner or surpass the woman, men usually achieve victory through deceptive means. Overall, it is fair to say that Boccaccio portrays women as superior to men in many ways, some affirmative and some negative. Boccaccio makes a consistent reference to the concrete feelings expressed by women that are based on their own choices and are not influenced by male influence. In a way, it shows that love can be a delightful and playful experience, but not in the sense that it is exclusively a game, nor to be taken lightly. It is worth pondering the fact that love in Boccaccio's stories often ends badly, in tragedy or in the permanent bond of marriage. The fairytale scene is not a natural environment for playboys. On the tenth day Boccaccio tells a story of contradictions, potentially some of the most brazen comments. Boccaccio probably included this story in a mismatched way to highlight its message and bring more attention to it. Griselda, a lower-class woman, mostly suffers ongoing abuse throughout her life at the hands of her husband. Boccaccio's tone within the story is sarcastic. Perhaps this story, in particular, serves to show Boccaccio's women that a firm will and devotion could have been misapplied. The intent might have been to teach women not to accept unfair treatment from their male colleagues. A story with a similar theme is 1001 Nights. Through the many stories told, we see that women are seen only as symbols of pleasureas only women can maintain control through sex, desire and beauty. Shahrazad from 1001 Nights represents feminism with her wisdom and story-telling, and the reader can see how she overcomes and changes Shahrayar. This concept of juxtaposition between the role of women in society and Shahrazad shows us the actual value that women cling to as they are equal to their counterparts. Furthermore, an interesting correlation with gender/power relations and with a class present in the Arabian Nights. Here is this common theme in stories. Shahrazad tells Sharayar that the stories can be labeled misogynistic like some stories, including men causing women's ruin. An example is the story "The Merchant and His Wife". When analyzing this story, most readers will be shocked by the meaning the story is trying to convey, which is that men should be able to subjugate their wives. Upon first reading there was some confusion as to why Shahrazad tells this specific story to alter shahrayar; strangely, I found that he tells this story to reveal an observation about him and his bad behavior. The overall message intended was to show that abuse will not force submission. Telling this story surprisingly works because she isn't killed by the king the next day. One of the main themes of 1001 Nights is the oppressor and the oppressed. Readers are faced with this tension that manifests itself through the powerful Djinn locked in bottles, the kings and their servants, the parents and their children, but above all through a woman's battle for survival in a world created for men. This is why women in stories are so cunning: because cunning and cunning are the first resource of the weak. These female characters become cunning to defeat the men who oppress them. They fought to make their own decisions and live by their beliefs about freedom, sexuality, and love. The women in these stories, in fact, find their way – again and again, we see how the powerless become dominant and the strong weaken. The reader sees a discrepancy within Shahrayar, the all-powerful king. His ruling is absolute, but his enormous love for a woman, his wife, is his vulnerability. Shahrayar discovers that she has been unfaithful, this drives him to the point of madness, his love becomes hate and his strength becomes his flaw. Shahrayar makes a bloodthirsty declaration: 'I, Shahrayar, will marry every night a virgin, kissed only by her mother. I will kill her the next morning and thus protect myself from the cunning and deception of women, for there is not a single chaste woman on this earth!' The Decree of Total Rule Shahrayar's vow to bend an entire kingdom to his mad will is, ironically, a testament to his wife's enduring emotional power over him. Slowly, he succumbs to another usurpation in the form of Shahrazad's deceptive tales. She was to be his prisoner, another of his wives, to be used sexually and killed in the morning. One would assume that he becomes her prisoner because he was addicted to her story, to her voice, to staying up with her at night. He chooses stories that reflect his difficult situation. All the characters beg for life, far away. He does this brilliantly, of course, blending in with his little stories here and there about different topics. The main line is that you cease to be a human being if you immerse yourself in brutality and murder. That adultery, like many human failings, happens for reasons most can sympathize with. You cannot be a tyrant and you must listen carefully to others. Each story is his plea for his life,.