University of Makati

College of Computer Science

ARTS AND HUMANITIES (GREAT BOOKS)

BOOK REPORT

CANTONES, CHERRY MAE P. II-BAPDEV

Title: The Decameron

Author: Giovanni Boccaccio
Published in English: year of 1886
Total book pages: 419 pages
Movie Link : https://yts.mx/movies/the-decameron-1971
Image Source:
https://kbimages1-a.akamaihd.net/6c3d6493-6f70-4a0c-9bcb-
f270f1d0175d/353/569/90/False/the-decameron-34.jpg

The Decameron: Author

Giovanni Boccaccio is an Italian poet and scholar

Famous Rennaisance Writers Giovanni
Boccaccio wrote about variety of topics,
from biographies of famous men and
women, mythological treataise, and the geographical
dictionary to love poetry, to adventurous tales.
 University of Makati

College of Computer Science

ARTS AND HUMANITIES (GREAT BOOKS)

Book Theme
• Love
• Sex
• Friendship
• Lies & Deceit
• Suffering
• Religion

Summary of Plot
The book is structured as a frame story containing 100 tales told by
a group of seven young women and three young men;
they shelter in a secluded villa just outside Florence in order to
escape the Black Death, which was afflicting the city.

Rising Action
Federigo does banquets for Monna and gives her gifts. He then becomes broke and has to move
to Campi. Monna's husband dies and her son becomes seriously ill.

Characters

Pampinea
Queen in First Day, Pampinea is the eldest of the seven ladies of the brigata that journey out of
the city to the countryside to escape the plague. It is her idea to leave the city, and her idea to
amuse themselves with stories. She is level-headed, temperate in her behavior and manner, and
seems the most mature of the group. She says she has often been in love.
 University of Makati

College of Computer Science

ARTS AND HUMANITIES (GREAT BOOKS)

Fiammetta
Queen in Fifth Day, Fiammetta has a generous nature and is anxious to be in love, although she
fears the pain of heartbreak. It is possible she was modeled after Boccaccio's real-life Fiammetta
whom he fell in love with when he was a young man.

Emilia
Queen in Ninth Day, Emilia is a shy, beautiful young woman who has never been in love before.
She is self-confident and enjoys singing and dancing.

Filostrato
King in Fourth Day, Filostrato suffers betrayal and disappointment in love, possibly with one of
the young women in the brigata. Because of his disappointments, he is fairly unpleasant to be
around, and chooses stories with unhappy endings as his theme.

Filomena
Queen in Second Day, Filomena is the one to advise caution when following Pampinea's idea to
leave the city, and suggests they take a guide to keep the company from becoming quarrelsome.
She is discerning and discreet.

Dioneo
King in Seventh Day, Dioneo is the wittiest and most self-confident of the three young men. His
stories almost always have sexual content and bawdy humor. He tells the final story of each day,
and only loosely subscribes to the themes of the day.

Neifile
 University of Makati

College of Computer Science

ARTS AND HUMANITIES (GREAT BOOKS)

Queen in Third Day, Neifile is 18 and inexperienced. She is in love with one of the three men in
the brigata. She suggests observing the religious days, and takes the young women of the brigata
to the Valley of the Ladies. She seems wise for her years.