It was the first time in the world literature when the hero of the narrating becomes the contemporary society. That is why reader does not feel the great distance between the characters and themselves. The form of the work itself is not new. At the beginning of the work there is a description of the terrible disease of that time – plague. It was a sad reality of the epoch. Many people died and there was not another way out than to leave the city. Florence was empty because all the inhabitants tried to escape or just were ill. Many people understood that it was impossible to avoid plague and the only way they had was entertaining. The young people who gathered at the church at the beginning of the story decided to do so; to leave the city was their only was to escape from reality.
It should be mentioned that Boccaccio uses real geographical places, socio-political atmosphere of that time. The problematic of Decameron is very various: internationsl events (the wars), the theme of love.
The Decameron by Boccaccio touches many problems such as the problems of family relationship, the problem of decent love and betrayal, the problem of relationship between people, the problems of friendship, etc.
It should be mentioned that Decameron is full of abstract characters. The heroes have very typical features.
In general, The Decameron brought a great glory to its author. Many linguists remark that this work is valuable because of the riches of Italian language the author collected there.
The work is very interesting because of its structure. There are many beautiful descriptions of nature.
But he book brought many problems to the author also, because the clergy was angry with the facts described at the novellas. The book was declared to be immoral. For example in some novellas the representatives of clergy are shown as naïve people who believe in impossible things (The first Day, the 1st novella), in the 8th novella of the third day the abbot is very cunning and he gets everything he wants, but he does not feel responsible for this, that is why when he made the woman pregnant he solves the problem very quickly, besides nobody guesses about his fault.
Nevertheless the book is unique for its collection of characters which reflect the society of those years and the years we live in.
Summary
The first day
In Florence in 1348 there was a terrible plague. One hundred thousand people died. Family and friendly ties disintegrated, servants refused to serve their masters.
And now in the midst of misfortune, when the city was almost empty, in the church of Santa Maria seven young women from eighteen to twenty eight years met. The author names them Pampineya, Phyametta, Philomena, Emilia, Lauretta, Neyphila, Elissay and – in accordance with their mental qualities.
So, they decided to leave the city and to dedicate their time to entertainment. But also they wanted to take men with them. During this conversation, three young men enter the church – Panphilo, Philostrato and Dioneo. Pampineya immediately invites.
They arrive in the picturesque area where there is a beautiful palace. The young people decided to stay there for some time. In addition they choose the ‘master of the day’ for every day and he/she has to start telling the stories in the evening.
The First Novella of the First Day (the story by Panphilo)
The main character is messer Chepparello from Prato, notary. The rich and famous merchant Mussyatto Frantsezi, moves from Paris to Toskanue and he requires people to recover the debt from Burgundians. So he chooses Chaleleto. Suddenly, Chaleleto falls ill, and brothers, feeling that his end is close, discussing how to be. Messer Chaleleto hears the talk of brothers and promises that everything will be arranged in the best way. So the time of confession comes. So, Chaleleto tells everything but as if he has no sin. For example, he says that he told bad words about his neighbor because he hurt his wife very often, he says that he never had sins with women and so on. The priest sees that everything is sincere and considers Chaleleto to be saint and suggest to burry him in the church.
So, Chaleleto is buried at the church and many people come to see his grave and they really think that God gave them the truth through Chaleleto.
The second day
The first Novella of the Second Day (the story by Neyphila)
After the death of a German from Treviso called Arrigo was recognized as a saint. At this time to Treviso from Florence three dissemblers come: Stekki, Markeze and Martellino, and they want to look at the holy relics.
To break through the crowd, Martellino pretends maimed, whose friends leads him. Inside the cathedral he pretends to be healed – and straighten his curved arms and legs – but suddenly he is recognized by one man, which reveals all his deception. Trying to save Martellino, his friends say that he is a thief and should be punished. So, Martellino was brought to the court and his friends told all the truth there. So, hey were luck to save their friends and he was released.
The third Day
The eighth Novella of the Third Day (the story by Lauretta)
The wife of a rich peasant Ferondo is loved by an abbot. He promises to heal her husband of jealousy, and as an award he requests the permission to possess her. The woman agrees.
The Abbot gives Ferondo the sleeping powder, and he allegedly dies. He is buried in a crypt. Ferondo, who believes that he is in the purgatory daily subjected to flogging for jealousy and abbot meanwhile is entertaining with his wife. So ten months passed, and suddenly abbot finds out that his mistress is pregnant. Then he decides to release her husband. Monk announces to Ferondo that he will soon resurrect and become the father of the child. Everyone recognizes that he resurrected, that is why belief in the sanctity of abbot increases and Ferondo is cured of jealousy.
The Fourth Day
The First Novella of the Fourth Day (the story by Phyametta)
Gismonda becomes a widow and returns to the house of her father, in no hurry to marry again. Then she chose Gviskardo, a poor fellow, the servant in the house of her father. So, they agreed about the meeting.
Once the father finds out about his daughter’s secret love and he orders the servants to seize the lover of his daughter.
Then the father comes and tells his daughter that she is a great sinner because she chose a poor fellow and made love to him. Gismonda asks the same death as for her beloved, but her father does not believe her and he sends the heart of killed Gviskardo to her. Gismonda poisoned herself and was buried with Gvislardo together.
The Fifth Day
The Fifth Novella of the Fifth Day (the story by Neyphilla)
Gvidotto brings up an adoptive daughter Agnes; after the death his friend moved with a girl to Faenzu. Jannole and Mingino liked the girl. They were denied, and they decide to kidnap the girl. In the end of the story everybody was happy and Agnes and Mingolio married.
The Sixth Day
The First Novella of the Sixth Day (the story by Philomena)
Once a noble Oretta, the wife of Jerry Spina, was walking with ladies and men, invited to lunch as well as to the place where they were going to walk. One man was telling a story. But it was so boring that Oretta could not listen to it to the end and she stopped the story. They laughed.
The Seventh Day
The seventh Novella of the Seventh Day (the story by Philomena)
A young resident heard about the beauty of Beatrice, wife Egano de Galuzi from Bologna. He fells in love with her and asks his father for permission for travel. So, he becomes the servant of Egano and names himself as Anikino.
Once, when Egano goes hunting, Anikino opens Beatrice his feelings. She feels the same in turn.
So, Beatrice says her husband that Anikino has appointed a meeting in the garden while he comes to her room. They are making love and Egano in his wife’s dress is waiting in the garden to check everything. Then Anikino comes to the garden and says that he is too much devoted to his master. So, it happened so that the master believed that he has a good servant while Anikino and Beatrice were lovers.
The Eighth Day
The tenth Novella of the Eighth Day (the story by Dioneo)
The story is about Palermo, the port city. Many merchants come here to sell the goods. Women of the city know that it is a very easy way to earn money and that is why they try to scam.
So, a merchant Niccolo Ciniano comes to Palermo to sell the goods. Jancofiore finds out about this and decided to scam him. She invites his to her house and makes love to him, and then she says that her brother needs money greatly or he will be killed. Niccolo gives money to her and then understands that he was cheated because Jancofiore loses her interest to him. Later he decided to take revenge. He comes to Palermo again and brings a lot of goods (there is sea water instead of goods). He leaves his goods at customs and goes to the city. Jancofiore invites him. To win his trust again she gives him the money taken before. Niccolo says that he needs money greatly now and he asks Jancofiore to borrow money and he promises her that he will give her the goods at customs instead. So, she agrees. Niccolo leaves the city and Jancofiore comes to the customes and finds out that there is sea water instead of goods there.
The Ninth Day
The Third Novella of the Ninth Day (the story by Philostrato)
Calandrino was inherited by the sum of money and he wanted to buy some land for this money. But his friends wanted to spend this money for entertainment. That is why they decided to cheat him. So, they said that Calandrino looked bad and needed a doctor. Calandrino followed their advice and called a doctor who said that he was pregnant. Calandrino blames his wife because she always wanted to be in above position. The doctor said that it was possible to treat him and demand money for this. So, Calandrino agreed and was treated in a few days. His friends had good entertainment and his wife guessed that everything was a lie.
The Tenth Day
The Tenth Novella of the Tenth Day (the story by Dioneo)
This is a story about Gvaltery who married a poor girl. The girl, Grizelda, was very kind and obeyed in everything.
Gvaltery decided to check her love and says that his relatives are unhappy because she gave a birth to daughter but not to son. That is why one night a servant comes and says that he has an order to kill the daughter. Grizelda obeyed. And Gvaltery sends their daughter away.
Later she gave birth to the son and Gvaltery sands him away also.
Many years pass and Gvaltery says that he wants another wife. He asks his wife to clean the house for the new wife. Grizelda agrees.
So, his new wife with her brother come and Gvaltery tells a secret that they are the children of him and Grizelda. So, from that time everybody was happy.
In conclusion, it should be said that reading the stories by Boccaccio, it is possible to recognize the people who live around us. Because everything seems to be so usual and simple that every reader feels inside the story and taking part in the events. By this manner of writing Boccaccio made a great contribution to the development of the world literature. He gave the new interpretation of the old problems: the problem of love, the problem of war, the problem of church and clergy. His language is simple and understandable and at the same time it is possible to see all its riches.
References
Boccaccio Giovanni , The Decameron : Signet Classics, 2002.