Boccaccio’s Lucretia

Below are images from three versions of De Mulieribus Claris, introducing the chapter on Lucretia. Lucretia was a married Roman noblewoman who was raped by Tarquin after he threatened to kill her and accuse her of adultery. Because being raped would have brought her family great shame, Boccaccio’s version of Lucretia kills herself as punishment.

A Fascination with Suicide

In the above images, Lucretia is shown committing suicide with her dagger while her husband, father, and other family members look on. The inclusion of her all-male family members watching as she commits suicide creates a male-centered perspective for the narrative. This focuses the story back on the males in Lucretia’s life and reminds the reader why Lucretia chose to commit suicide: in order to protect the honor of her husband, father, and male family members.

Additionally, the three images depict Lucretia at the lowest point in her life. Both Boccaccio and Pizan recognized that Lucretia was a virtuous woman and a loyal wife, as evidenced by her refusal of Tarquin’s advances. There is a scene in both De Mulieribus Claris and Le Livre de la Cité des Dames in which Tarquin, Lucretia’s husband, and other infantrymen came across Lucretia weaving at the loom, representing the pinnacle of the virtuous wife. Rather than focusing on Lucretia’s suicide, these images could have instead depicted Lucretia’s honorable character, as Pizan made sure to do in her text. Instead, these images neglect to depict Lucretia in a positive light.

The Consequences of Rape

The above image depicts both Lucretia’s rape and her suicide. Tarquin (here labeled as Sextus) threatens Lucretia with his sword on the left, while Lucretia commits suicide in front of her family on the right. The depiction of these two scenes in the same miniature reflects the serious consequences of rape, as it shows the lengths that Lucretia was willing to go in order to absolve herself of the guilt she felt from being raped.

However, in Boccaccio’s text, the implication is that Lucretia’s rape is the standard to which all other women should hold themselves, thus painting this violent act against women as the paradigm for all other rape victims. This is an idea that Pizan denounced in Le Livre de la Cité des Dames. Acting as a compilator, she invented an imaginary law which was enacted as a direct result of Lucretia’s suicide, making rape illegal and a punishable offense. Instead of depicting Lucretia’s death as the standard for all women to follow, Pizan made it the catalyst for change, painting Lucretia as the cause of a more hopeful future for women.

In addition to Pizan’s imaginary law, Boccaccio also recognized a positive consequence that came about from Lucretia’s rape and suicide: Lucretia’s family members rose up against Tarquin and his family to overthrow the tyrannical rule that had plagued Rome, ultimately causing Rome to become a republic. Yet, even though Boccaccio recognized this positive consequence, the artist still chose to depict the violence Lucretia had to endure, thus reflecting the bias against women apparent in De Mulieribus Claris.