“The Patient Griselda”, by Giovanni Boccaccio, has hidden meanings. Gualtieri's domestic violence towards his chosen bride, Griselda, is evident. Gualtieri feels that he tolerates such abuse towards his wife because of her social status of low birth and non-nobility. He further oppresses his power over her by forbidding her from controlling their children's upbringing. Gualtieri, a young Italian marquis, is pressured by his servants to marry. His subjects feared that there would be no heir to maintain the stability of their state. Gualtieri agrees to marry, but makes it clear to his subjects that he will find his own wife. The marquis makes his people promise that they will not question him or criticize his choice of wife. “My friends, since you persist in wanting me to take a wife; I am willing to do this, not because I have the desire to get married, but rather to satisfy your desires. You will remember the promise you made to me, that no matter who I choose; you would rest content and honor her as your lady” (Boccaccio 164). The beginning of the marriage was peaceful. Then Griselda gave birth to a daughter. It was at this time that Gualtieri began to “test” Griselda. His tests are actually forms of psychological violence. He begins by testing Griselda's obedience by having the child kidnapped to be raised elsewhere by female relatives. He told Griselda that their daughter was dead, that he had her killed by his subjects. He repeats this same test when their son is born a few years later. Griselda, without a word of protest, abandons her two children upon the death of their own father, her husband. Griselda was mistreated by Gualtieri from the beginning...... middle of paper ...... as you would others to harm you.' If Griselda had put her husband through these so-called “tests,” the outcome would have been very different. There would have been no “happy ending”. Works Cited Boccaccio, Giovanni. tout2.com. Tuesday November 2000. August 4, 2010. Campbell, Emma. “Sexual Poetics and the Politics of Translation in the Tale of Griselda.” (2006): 17. Damrosch, David and David L. Pike. The Longman Anthology of World Literature, Second Edition. Pearson Education, Inc., 2009. Davis, Walter R. “Boccaccio’s Decameron.” The Implications of Binary Form (2003): 20.Fulton, Helen. “The performance of social class:.” Domestic violence in The Griselda Story (nd): 42.Jaster, Margaret Rose. ""Controlling clothes, manipulating partners: Griselda by Petruchio"." (2001): 13.