Table of Contents
How does Boccaccio describe the plague in Florence?
Boccaccio describes the plague, stating that, “the appearance of swellings in the groin or armpit, some of which were egg-shaped whilst others were roughly the size of the common apple,” which modern medicine has confirmed is consistent with symptoms of bubonic plague (5).
What is Boccaccio belief about the cause of the plague?
Others had similar sentiments: that the plague was caused by the wickedness of humanity, and that this wickedness was manifested by an assault on the universals that held society together. In addition, plague was a cure for social fragmentation and sin. Boccaccio himself seemed to hold this belief.
What is the ultimate message of Boccaccio’s Decameron?
In addition to the 100 stories, Boccaccio has a master theme, namely, the way of life of the refined bourgeoisie, who combined respect for conventions with an open-minded attitude to personal behaviour.
What was Boccaccio’s purpose in writing the Decameron?
Boccaccio’s own purpose in writing is to “offer some solace…to those who stand in need of it”, both to those women whom he specifically identifies and, more implicitly, to Italians suffering in the face of epidemic.
What did Boccaccio write about the plague?
Giovanni Boccaccio introduces his acclaimed collection of novellas, the Decameron, with a reference to the most terrifying existential crisis of his time: the decimating effects of the bubonic plague in the 1348 outbreak known as the Black Death.
Was Boccaccio in Florence during the Black Death?
Having no defense and no understanding of the cause of the pestilence, the men, women and children caught in its onslaught were bewildered, panicked, and finally devastated. The Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio lived through the plague as it ravaged the city of Florence in 1348.
What is the story Decameron all about?
The Decameron was written by Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian writer who lived from 1313-1375. It is the story of seven young women and three men who flee the city to go to the countryside to escape the deadly effects of the Black Plague, which was tearing through Italy at that time.
What was the purpose of The Decameron?
The purpose of the Decameron was to offer solace to the Italian people. Italy was experiencing a plague and this epidemic was resulting in death and many hardships. Boccaccio explicitly stated that his work would provide relief by giving people these stories and songs that make up the Decameron.
Why did Boccaccio regret writing The Decameron?
Boccaccio had some doubts about writing in the vernacular. There was an opinion of many literary people of the time that if someone couldn’t read Latin, they weren’t worth the trouble to write for. In Boccaccio’s later years, after a religious awakening, he wrote that he regretted writing The Decameron.
Which framing story did Boccaccio use?
Il Decameron
The Decameron
| Illustration from a ca. 1492 edition of Il Decameron published in Venice | |
|---|---|
| Author | Giovanni Boccaccio |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian (Florentine) |
| Genre | Frame story, novellas |