The Decameron · Chapter
The Decameron explained
The Decameron is a collection of 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men who flee plague-ridden Florence to a countryside villa, where they entertain each other with stories over ten days, exploring themes of love
What happens
The Decameron is a collection of 100 tales told by a group of seven young women and three young men who flee plague-ridden Florence to a countryside villa, where they entertain each other with stories over ten days, exploring themes of love, wit, fortune, and human folly.
Themes in this chapter
The Power of Storytelling
The entire framework of the Decameron centers on storytelling as a means of coping with crisis, preserving culture, and exploring human nature.
Social Class and Morality
Many tales critique the hypocrisy of the clergy and nobility, while celebrating the wit and virtue of commoners.
Characters to notice
- Pampinea
One of the seven women who proposes the retreat to the countryside and the storytelling framework.
- Dioneo
One of the three men in the brigata, known for his witty and often licentious tales.
- Fiammetta
A member of the brigata who often tells tales of love and passion.
- Filostrato
A member of the brigata who frequently narrates stories of tragic love.
- Lauretta
A member of the brigata who contributes tales with moral and social commentary.
Key passages
“In the year then of our Lord 1348, there happened at Florence, the fairest city in all Italy, a most terrible plague; which, whether owing to the influence of the planets, or sent from God in His just wrath by way of retribution for our iniquities, had some years before broken out in the Levant, and after passing from place to place, and making incredible havoc all the way, had now reached the West.”
In 1348, Florence was struck by a devastating plague, possibly caused by celestial forces or divine punishment for sins, which had spread from the East to the West over several years.
This opening sets the historical context of the Black Death, motivating the characters' flight to the countryside.
“I deem it best that we do as many have done before us, and as we ourselves have often done, that is, to take our pleasure in the country, and there to live as merrily and with as little thought of the plague as we may.”
Pampinea suggests that the group should follow the example of others and retreat to the countryside to enjoy life and forget the plague.
This quote captures the decision to leave Florence and the beginning of the storytelling framework.
“We will tell stories, each one of us, every day, and so pass the time pleasantly, without any tediousness.”
The group agrees to tell stories daily as a way to entertain themselves and avoid boredom during their retreat.
This establishes the central narrative device of the Decameron.