Page 180 - Petru Russo | The 100 Days of Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio

The Judge from the Marches
This novella humorously recounts the tale of a pompous judge and
the clever antics of three young men who expose his hypocrisy.
Themes of wit, justice, and comeuppance drive the story.
A judge from the Marches, known for his arrogance and
questionable morals, presides over a court session with an air of
self-importance. His reputation for exploiting his position to pursue
personal pleasures has not gone unnoticed by the townsfolk.
Three mischievous young men, fed up with the judge’s behavior,
devise a plan to humble him. As the judge sits on the bench,
delivering justice with exaggerated gravitas, the trio stealthily
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approaches. In a bold and comical act, they pull down his breeches,
exposing him to the laughter and ridicule of the gathered crowd.
The judge, humiliated and unable to maintain his dignity, becomes
the subject of public mockery. The young men’s prank serves as
a symbolic act of justice, highlighting the absurdity of the judge’s
pretensions and the community’s disdain for his hypocrisy.
This lighthearted tale underscores the power of wit and the
enduring appeal of holding those in power accountable through
humor and ingenuity.
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