Women are very peculiar,
They never say what they have on their minds
or on the tips of their tongues
And what they do is always contrary to what they say.
Those who are drawn to women. By their enchanting appearances,
Are destroyed, like moths in a flame." (Panchantantra, the Story of the Donkey and the Washerman).
Throughout the Panchantra, there are similar references to women and their treachery. There are few references to women that portray them in a positive light.
Conclusion
There are vast similarities among the women portrayed in Boccacio and those portrayed in the Panchantantra. There are also clues that this is a decidedly male perspective. Boccacio gives us clues through the narrator. The Panchantantra tells us through third person references to women. It is also easy to discern a male author by the content. It is unlikely that a woman would write of women in such a manner.
The real question is whether these references reflect societal views of women, or if they are simply the opinion of the author. In order to analyze this question, one must look at the entire body of work during the time period. When one examines Boccacio, there are...
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