The perception of women in medieval literature: A comparison of the Decameron and One Thousand and One Nights from a gender perspective

When Medieval Literature is mentioned, the first works that come to mind are Decameron and One Thousand and One Nights, two of the era's greatest masterpieces. Decameron was written by the Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio. Comprising one hundred stories told by a group of people during the Black Plague, this work provides significant insights into the social structures of the time, focusing particularly on the social status of women. Another monumental literary legacy of the medieval world is One Thousand and One Nights. These stories, compiled from various regions, revolve around the figure of Scheherazade in a frame narrative, offering critical perspectives on the social roles of women during that period. According to the research, women were regarded as inferior in both societies, and this reality is clearly reflected in literary works. The aim of this study is to examine the social perception of women in the period through two significant literary texts: Decameron and The Thousand and One Nights.