How we cite our quotes: (Day.Story.Page)
Quote #1
Being an intelligent and judicious woman, she sent back a message to say that she was glad to have been singled out for this uniquely great favour, and that King would be very welcome. She then began to wonder why such a great king would be calling upon her in her husband's absence. Nor was she wrong in the conclusion that she reached, namely, that he was being drawn thither by the fame of her beauty. (I.5.50)
In one of our first stories, we're treated to the beautiful and intelligent Marchioness of Montferrat, who manages to recognize the designs of the King of France and, staying faithful to her husband, manages to eloquently get her point across to the king (via a chicken dinner) without being insulting or disrespectful. He gets the hidden message and regrets being such a jerk to such an elegant and respectable lady.
Quote #2
I am ashamed to say it, since in condemning others I condemn myself, but these over-dressed, heavily made-up, excessively ornamented females either stand around like marble statues in an attitude of dumb indifference, or else, on being asked a question, they give such stupid replies that they would have been far better advised to remain silent. (I.10.63, Pampinea's tale of Master Alberto of Bologna)
Some of the ladies of the brigata have little good to say about women in general. When Pampinea proposes the exodus from Florence, the ladies of the brigata are pretty convinced that they don't have enough moral fiber, intelligence or physical strength to handle the two-week vacation on their own. Here, Pampinea can't resist putting down the younger women of her day for being petty, stupid, and narcissistic.
Quote #3
'Man, then, has the stronger will. Yet quite apart from being unable to resist any woman who makes advances to him, he desires any woman he finds attractive, and not only does he desire her, but he will do everything in his power to possess her. And this is how he carries on, not just once a month, but a thousand times a day. What chance then do you think a woman, fickle by nature, can have against all the entreaties, the blandishments, the presents, and the thousand other expedients to which any intelligent lover will resort?' (II.9.167, Filomena's story of Bernabò's constant wife, Ambrogiuolo speaking)
Filomena's rogue Ambrogiuolo is not the kind of guy you want your sister to date. He thinks that he can seduce any woman, even the virtuous ones, because women are weak and inherently inferior to the will and intellect of men. Ambrogiuolo plies his particular logic here (if men are unable to control themselves sexually, women are worse because they're inferior in every way) to demolish Bernabò's regard for his (Bernabò's) wife. We're kind of glad that Ambrogiulo winds up eaten by bugs. This isn't the only story in which women are described or depicted as being unable to resist jumping into bed with any good-looking guy in the vicinity. In this case, though, she's virtuous and faithful.