History 2312 Book Review
Dr. Brunet
Name__________________________
Spring 2010
The Decameron by Giovanni Boccacchio
Giovanni Boccaccio lived in turbulent times, as Europe was
transitioning from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. He was
born in 1313 in Tuscany, and had a prominent career, not only as
a writer and scholar, but also as an ambassador. Boccaccio’s
career as a diplomat meant that he was worldly, sophisticated and
cultured. He was contemporaries with and a friend of the great
Petrarch. After surviving the Black Plague, he finished his great
work, The Decameron in 1358. Composed of 100 short stories told
over ten days, it blends both the Medieval and the Renaissance
worlds. Boccaccio lived to the ripe old age of 62, passing away
in 1375.
In a complete essay that includes an introduction, points of
discussion, and a conclusion, answer the following essay
question(s) fully.
What were the effects of the plague on social/cultural
conventions and morals, both for the storytellers and the people
in the stories themselves? Furthermore, what differences, if any,
do you see in the stories told by the women and the one’s told by
the men? Can you explain the reason for these differences?
Lastly, can you make any judgments about a culture from one work
of literature? Explain.
Type your essay and use this page as a cover sheet.