In this study I attempt to provide a critical-exegetic reading of Giovanni Boccaccio's Filocolo: critical, because my point of departure is a problem---the insistent, puzzling repetition, on the part of the various characters, of the same story, the story of Florio and Biancifiore; exegetic, because my purpose is to arrive at a global interpretation of the work. / It is my contention that, first, every version of the story appears to be dictated by the purpose of informing the 'ignorant'---namely those unaware of how events truly unfolded---in order to complete a narrative that, from beginning to end "interamente si contenga;" second, that this repetition ensures the unity of the work as a whole. Moreover, the gradual process leading to full information runs parallel, I believe, to the gradual process of Florio's coming of age, from his fallacious "imagining" to his acquisition of "real knowledge." With my interpretation I wish to shed light on one aspect of Boccaccio's poetics, that is, the way he opposes his full, well-founded and consistent account to the "fabulosi parlari degli ignoranti." / On a quite different level, the repetition of the same story can be linked to Boccaccio's penchant for experimenting with the art of storytelling. / I have followed throughout the text of the Filocolo leaving aside, however, Book I, which concerns the parents of the two lovers and is essentially just a premise to the story. The division of my dissertation in four chapters reflects the two distinct phases that, in my opinion, characterize the narration: the 'outward journey' (Chapters I--III) and the 'return journey' (Chapter IV). In Chapter II I deal with the much discussed episode of the Questioni d'amore, that takes place in Naples during a pause in the outward journey. In the Appendix I analyze the phenomenology of death, both actual and 'verbal,' which allows me to explore further the character and personality of Florio and Biancifiore.

No description available.