Throughout his figurative writing in the Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio provides a

unique outlook on life and religion during the Black Death. Boccaccios stories in the

Decameron prove so compelling and atypical of the period due to their unabashed and lightly

veiled criticism of religious institutions and their followers. This criticism came from Boccaccio

at a time in history where life and religion were nearly synonymous in every-day existence.

Across several of his stories in the Decameron, Boccaccio illustrates themes of doubt in

organized religion and cynicism towards human nature. Furthermore, Boccaccio decides to end

his anthology with a piece that encompasses both of these themes with its more abstract but fully

poignant message. This final story in the Decameron upholds Boccaccios more pessimistic

themes while simultaneously holding uneasy reservations for the celestial rewards one would

receive for living a virtuous and pious life.

In multiple points throughout his stories, Boccaccio heavily suggests that organized

religion is a powerful force that thoroughly corrupts the relationship that everyday people have

with their god. Originating from humble means and living most of his life under such conditions,

Boccaccio seems to have identified with the common man more than any other social class. It

also seems that Boccaccio indeed disliked the way the clergy and people of privilege distorted

the power they gained through religion. In the First Day, First Story, Boccaccio describes a

man named Ser Ciappelletto who lived a gluttonous, unholy life, only to be sanctified after his

death. Boccaccio criticizes the processes of the Catholic Church by writing that Ser Ciappelletto

eliminated an entire lifetime of sin and even enter sainthood by simply lying to a Friar about the

way he led his life.1 The elevated social status of Ser Ciappelletto in the story makes a point that

despite the lack of sacrifices made or struggles encountered by the wealthy, a high enough level

1
Boccaccio, Giovanni. First Day, First Story. 18-28.
of social esteem can be enough to gain admittance to heaven under the current structure of the

Church.

The First Day, Second Story serves as another example of where Boccaccio criticizes

the rule of the Catholic Church, this time very explicitly. In this story, a Jew named Abraham

travels to Rome at the request of his friend for him to convert to Christianity. Upon arriving in

Rome, Abraham observed no holiness, no devotion, no good work among the clergy; instead,

lust, gluttony, fraud, envy2 After observing these characteristics, Abraham decides to convert

to Christianity, as he sees it as test from God that Christianity is surviving. It can be theorized

that this is a direct message from Boccaccio to common people who experience the corruption

and hypocrisy of organized religion every day, but who must persevere. Based on the themes of

these two aforementioned anecdotes, it is then unsurprising that, in the final story, Grisela is a

commoner who endures tragedy and senseless punishment as a test by a higher power and is then

rewarded.3 It seems that Boccaccio spoke literally to commoners in Vernacular writing, as well

as through the messages prominent in his writing that promised a justification for suffering.

Continually present in Boccaccios writings are cynical views in regards to human nature,

specifically when it comes to the nature of people of the Church or those who are close followers

of organized religion. To illustrate the irrationality and fickle nature of those who have allegedly

committed their lives to serving God, Boccaccio prefers to use to use the then-taboo subject of

sex. In the Third Day, First Story, Boccaccio describes a convent where every nun, including

the abbess, cave in to sexual curiosity and thus human nature by sleeping with a man who

pretends to be a deaf-mute servant.4 Not only does this story depict that even those who should

2
Boccaccio, Giovanni. First Day, First Story. 31.
3
Boccaccio, Giovanni. Tenth Day, Tenth Story. 133-142.
4
Boccaccio, Giovanni. Third Day, First Story. 64-68.
be most devout are people with urges, but because they represent the Church will make a ploy to

keep their self-dissonant behavior a secret. Similarly, the Third Day, Tenth Story describes a

follower of organized religion openly cast aside his piety in favor of his sexual urges when a

young woman stumbles upon his home. The man in this story could easily represent a Catholic

Priest, as the woman he lusts is a young, nave virgin to whom he tells a religious-based lie in

order to fulfill his urges.5 The deceit in this story mirrors that in the final story of the Decameron,

in that the men of power in both stories bend their values so that they align with their actions;

however, Boccaccios writing suggests that human nature is the true root of this cruelty.

The Tenth Day, Tenth Story of Boccaccios Decameron brings to light an ideology

which encompasses disapproving views of human nature and organized religion, while still

holding out hope that there is a reason and reward for worldly suffering. Gualtieri represents

cruel authority, whether it be the Catholic Church or God himself. Gualtieri enacts senseless,

cruel acts on an unassuming victim who only pledged to him her allegiance and trust. This victim

is Grisela, who represents those who blindly accept the actions of God, whether they may deviate

from corrupt intermediaries or God himself. Like those commoners with whom Boccaccio

resonates, Grisela only continues to suffer for her dedication. After many years of unquestioned

faith without any sort of compensation, Griselas long struggle finally culminates in her coming

to peace with her tormentor, and reunited with her lost loved ones.6 While more abstract than

those before it in its approach to addressing life and religion, this storys end placement serves a

purpose. The last story in the Decameron likely exemplifies Boccaccios personal philosophy,

and serves as assurance for a weary audience that all its suffering may indeed be rewarded.

5
Boccaccio, Giovanni. Third Day, Tenth Story. 69-73.
6
Boccaccio, Giovanni. Tenth Day, Tenth Story. 133-142.
 References

Boccaccio, Giovanni. "First Day, First Story." Edited by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanello.
Translated by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanella. In The Decameron, 18-28. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.

Boccaccio, Giovanni. "First Day, Second Story." Edited by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanello.
Translated by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanella. In The Decameron, 28-31. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.

Boccaccio, Giovanni. "Third Day, First Story." Edited by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanello.
Translated by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanella. In The Decameron, 64-68. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.

Boccaccio, Giovanni. "Third Day, Tenth Story." Edited by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanello.
Translated by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanella. In The Decameron, 69-73. New York, NY:
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.

Boccaccio, Giovanni. "Tenth Day, Tenth Story." Edited by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanello.
Translated by Mark Musa and Peter E. Bondanella. In The Decameron, 133-142. New York,
NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2017.