Dear friends and colleagues,
I am looking for occurrences of the ‘wager’ and the ‘suspicious husband’ themes in pre-1700 European literature, for a course in preparation.
The ‘wager theme’ concerns a man who publicly declares his confidence in his wife’s fidelity, and wagers that she cannot be seduced by a supposed follower. It usually includes a bet between the husband and another man, then
a trial of the affections of the wife. An example of this theme is Dec. II, 9:
Barnabò da Genova.
The basic story of the ‘suspicious husband’ has the husband disguising himself and testing his wife’s virtue by attempting to seduce her as a stranger, as it happens in
Fur. XXXXII-XXXXIII, in the episode of the Mantuan knight recounted to Rinaldo.
I will be grateful for every and any lead and will share the list with anyone who requests it.
Many thanks in advance,
Giuseppe Gazzola
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