Originally published 1365 | ||
Similar Works by Giovanni Boccaccio, Classical Studies books | ||
Il Corbaccio, or "The Crow", is an Italian literary work by Giovanni Boccaccio, traditionally dated c. 1355. Boccaccio is most famous as the author of The Decameron (completed c. 1351-2), another work of ambiguous interpretation regarding the dolce stil novo and the antifeminist counter argument. Regarding Il Corbaccio, whether the novel's theme of misogyny is a detailed study of the attitude or a direct misogynistic expression of the author has long been a subject of debate.
Scholars who consider the text to be autobiographical base their interpretation on connecting aspects of the text to events in the author's life. The opposing view accepts the author's own reference to the work as a "trattato", or a philosophical treatment. As stated by scholar Anthony K. Cassell, "the formal elements of the treatise are part of a wide artistic tradition and contest autobiographical intention and interpretation." The work is regarded by some scholars as late medieval in character, others as early renaissance.