The Decameron

By Giovanni Boccaccio

“The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio is a classic work of Italian literature that tells the story of ten young people who flee to the countryside to escape the Black Death in 14th-century Florence. The novel employs a range of literary devices, including framing devices, irony, and satire, to create a captivating and humorous portrayal of life during the Renaissance. In this article, we’ll delve into the world of “The Decameron” and explore some of the most prominent literary devices used in this timeless masterpiece.

Themes 📚

1. Love and Romance: The novel explores various aspects of love and romance, including courtly love, physical desire, and the social conventions surrounding romantic relationships.
2. Death and Mortality: The novel addresses the theme of death and mortality, particularly in the context of the Black Death that ravaged 14th-century Italy.
3. Gender and Sexuality: The novel examines the roles of men and women in society, including gender norms and expectations, as well as sexuality and sexual expression.
4. Religion and Morality: The novel explores themes of religion and morality, particularly in the context of the Catholic Church’s influence on medieval society.
5. Power and Corruption: The novel addresses the theme of power and corruption, particularly in the context of political and social hierarchies.
6. Satire and Irony: The novel employs satire and irony to critique and mock various aspects of society and culture, particularly the hypocrisy of those in positions of power.
7. Friendship and Companionship: The novel examines the importance of friendship and companionship in times of crisis, particularly in the face of the Black Death.
8. Art and Creativity: The novel celebrates the power of art and creativity, particularly through the characters’ storytelling and poetry.

Use of Literary Devices ✍🏽

1. Framing Device: The novel employs a framing device in which the characters tell stories to one another, creating a sense of community and connection between them.
2. Irony: The novel uses irony to critique and mock various aspects of society and culture, particularly the hypocrisy of those in positions of power.
3. Satire: The novel employs satire to criticize and ridicule certain social conventions and behaviors.
4. Foreshadowing: The novel uses foreshadowing to hint at future events and create tension and anticipation for the reader.
5. Symbolism: The novel uses symbols to represent deeper meanings, such as the various objects and animals that are associated with different characters and themes.
6. Imagery: The novel uses vivid imagery to create a sense of place and atmosphere, particularly in its descriptions of the natural world.
7. Allusion: The novel makes allusions to other works of literature and historical events, such as references to classical mythology and ancient history.
8. Characterization: The novel uses characterization to create memorable and complex characters, with unique motivations and personalities.
9. Narrative Voice: The novel uses different narrative voices to tell different stories, creating a sense of diversity and variety.
10. Humor: The novel employs humor to add levity and entertainment to the stories, as well as to highlight the absurdity of certain situations and characters.

Examples of Literary Devices 📋

1. Frame Narrative

Example	Explanation
The plague in Florence	The plague serves as the backdrop for the characters’ decision to escape to the villa and share stories.
The ten storytellers	The ten storytellers provide a structure for the 100 tales, with each character sharing one story per day over ten days.
The daily themes	The daily themes, decided by the king or queen of the day, frame the individual tales and provide cohesion.

2. Allegory

Example	Explanation
The plague	The plague can be seen as an allegory for the moral decay and corruption of society.
The tales of deceit and trickery	These tales often serve as allegorical critiques of the church, political figures, or societal norms.
The journey to the villa	The journey can be seen as an allegory for the search for truth and virtue in the face of adversity.

3. Irony

Example	Explanation
The hypocritical clergy	Many stories feature hypocritical clergy, highlighting the ironic contrast between their actions and their religious teachings.
Unexpected outcomes	Some tales have ironic and unexpected outcomes, such as those involving deception, where the deceiver is deceived.
Misguided perceptions	In some stories, characters’ misguided perceptions lead to ironic situations or outcomes.

4. Allusion

Example	Explanation
Biblical references	Some stories allude to biblical events or figures, adding depth and context to the tales.
Classical mythology	Boccaccio often alludes to classical mythology, demonstrating his knowledge and reinforcing the themes of the stories.
Historical events	Some tales are based on or allude to historical events, grounding the stories in the real world.

5. Satire

Example	Explanation
Critique of the church	Many stories satirize the corruption and hypocrisy within the church.
The folly of human nature	The tales often poke fun at human folly, highlighting the absurdity of certain beliefs or actions.
Social commentary	The stories provide a satirical critique of various aspects of society, such as gender roles and class dynamics.

6. Foreshadowing

Example	Explanation
The choice of story theme	The choice of the daily theme often foreshadows the content of the tales that will be told that day.
Early character introductions	Some stories introduce characters early on, foreshadowing their later roles or actions in the tale.
Subtle hints in dialogue	Dialogue in some stories contains subtle hints that foreshadow later events or outcomes.

7. Symbolism

Example	Explanation
The villa	The villa symbolizes a refuge from the chaos and corruption of the outside world.
The ten storytellers	The ten storytellers represent a microcosm of society, with characters from various social classes and backgrounds.
Objects in the stories	Objects in the stories often carry symbolic meaning, such as a gift representing love or a trick representing deceit.

FAQs 💭