Boccaccio, a 14-year-old Italian writer, is caught up in the historical conflict between blind obedience to the Church of the Middle Ages as well as the new Humanism of the Renaissance. Boccaccio prefers to look ahead, as he is open to frivolity and scathing depictions of churchmen. His epilogue addresses the topic of obscenity, anticipating that he will be confronted with moral objections to his stories. Although Boccaccio acknowledges that his stories may be perceived as moral, he eventually argues that the book’s purpose is not to offend. Boccaccio nevertheless upholds certain values, namely, a personal morality that is actionable and the value of humor and trifles.
Boccaccio’s epilogue essentially defends against the accusation that he has committed obscenity. He claims that obscenity instances are very rare and don’t make his work impure. He claims his “trifling error of speech” is similar in that he uses words that can carry amoral connotations. He also attacked those who might have a problem reading his stories, calling them “precious prudents” (005). This is important because it implies that the attackers may have more moral values than his stories. He claims that readers who are offended are people who care more about appearances than true morality. There are many examples of people who live sinningly private lives and it is easy to see that this attack may be directed at the church. His work is also compared to wine, fire and arms as well as the bible. All of these are good but can also lead to “manifold mischief” if they are used for a bad purpose. “It is so with my stories,” he says (012).
He offers some practical and superficial solutions to the problem. He notes that the stories can be skipped, as they are not connected and independent. “None should be misled. Each bears upon its brow what it hides beneath its bosom.” (page 19). It appears that Boccaccio has been mainly telling his audience to ignore obscenity and just accept it as an option.
He shifts his focus to communicate the purpose and claims that his audience is made up of women passing the time. In this moment, there is evidence that his defense of his work is shallow. He does not believe that simply skipping the offending story renders his work inoffensive. Boccaccio can see the epilogue as a formality and an opportunity to name those he believes are immoral. He claims that his work wasn’t meant to be serious nor part of scholarly research. It is interesting to note that his work is not intended for intellectual purposes and is only meant to be read by women to pass the time. Boccaccio doesn’t mind having his standards lowered, since he doesn’t consider passing time for women to be intellectually insulting or degrading. It is clear that Boccaccio is mocking his work and attempting to make it funny.
“I am of no gravity, but I affirm that I’m light. In fact, I float on top of the water.” I thought that similar stuff wouldn’t ill beseem my stories. They were written to banish the women’s dumps. But, if they make too much of it, they can easily be healed by the Lament of Jeremiah.
Boccaccio also portrays the Church’s members as being potentially immoral in this instance. His comedy and exaggerations make his defense feel superficial. The reader may not be taking his work seriously if he suggests that he doesn’t mean it. His reversal may suggest that he has some issues with morality. Although Boccaccio says that the work is frivolous, it seems like he might attach some value. We must examine these stories to see if Boccaccio had any other purpose than a trivial pastime.
First, evidence is found that Boccaccio values a basic morality. This can be seen in the stories. In a number of stories, characters are either punished or rewarded for their morality. These characters are not punished after death, but in their real lives. The Second Tale of the Fourth Day shows a brother named Alberto being humiliated after seducing an angel-like lady.
This morality is built on action can be seen in the Ninth Tale of the Fifth Day. A wealthy, beautiful man named Federigo falls for Monna Giovanna in this story. He unsuccessfully pursues her until he gives up and moves to the country. Then, he asks Monna Giovanna for a favor, his falcon, as she is ill. Federigo was unaware of the request and had nothing to offer Giovanna but his falcon. Giovanna marries Federigo because of his kindness and unwavering love for her. Federigo is a model of unwavering morality, even in his difficult circumstances. And he is ultimately rewarded. This morality isn’t a result faith or piety; it is simply ethical action. Giovanna also stated that she would rather marry a man who is poor than one who is wealthy (043). This stratification mirrors Boccaccio’s earlier statements about those “who value words over deeds” (005), which allow us to assume Boccaccio is indeed a supporter of this kind.
Boccaccio also tends to make many characters who are part of the Church look immoral because of their exploiting of their church status. As we have already mentioned, Brother Alberto uses his priesthood to seduce women. His mistress is also convinced that the Archangel Gabriel loves her and is coming through him. To aid him in sin, he directly makes use of figures from the church. The First Tale of the First Day illustrates another sinful character that abuses the church. Ser Ceperello is a sinner who lives a corrupt, sinful lifestyle. However, he confesses his last confession to be a good man and is made a saint. Boccaccio claims Ceperello would prefer to be in Hell than Paradise (090), but it seems that Ceperello has not suffered any physical consequences. Ceperello is prayed to daily by those who believe he can work miracles. Boccaccio regards the Church system as superficial. This is because he believes that mere reverence for the Church does NOT necessarily translate into actual morality. Boccaccio sees morality as not being centered on the Church. It is about the individual.
However, Boccaccio doesn’t show any morality in his stories. In fact, most stories don’t end in heavy moral retribution as punishments or rewards for bad actions. They often focus on the trivialities of life and end on a funny note. Boccaccio might not find the morality or frivolity mutually exclusive. This is evident in the case of Ceperello’s sainthood or Federigo’s marriage to Giovanna. These ironic conclusion can be viewed as amusing. Other stories show sexual impropriety that has no moral qualms. This almost leads into disaster, but the story is comically resolved by a cover-up. These stories show that Boccaccio is a entertainer.
Boccaccio’s morality is addressed in The Decameron in two ways. First, he deflects claims that his work violates morality in the epilogue. Second, he gives the impression that he values human actions more than corrupt Church morality. The main topic of the work, though, is morality. The key issue is to recognize the importance of frivolity as well as escapism. This not only matches his original description, but also matches what the stories are told within: escapism.
The ten women and men fled the city to escape the plague. The group then tells fictitious stories to escape the waiting. These stories are intended not only to entertain but also to make the story more humorous. Boccaccio writes stories that are mostly entertaining, which promotes the frivolity and importance of man. This morality, as well as the humanism-inspired stories, are perfectly in line with Humanism.
