Decameron

Author: Giovanni Boccaccio (Boccaccio G.)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Decameron is Boccaccio's finest work, with its stories being well-founded. The work depicts and praises worldly life, celebrates love as a noble source of wisdom, praises the value of free love, and affirms human intelligence and talent. The work also exposes the cruelty of feudal emperors, the sins of the Christian Church, the hypocrisy of priests and nuns, and more. Boccaccio grew up in Florence, where he aspired to democracy and freedom from an early age and expressed dissatisfaction with the Church's dark rule. As he grew older, he participated in political activities multiple times, opposing feudal autocracy. The Decameron became his powerful weapon against feudalism and the Church. After the completion of The Decameron, Boccaccio faced persecution and attacks from feudal forces, often being cursed and threatened by those sent by the Church. Once, in a fit of anger, he even wanted to burn all his works, including The Decameron, but thankfully, his close friend — the famous Italian democratic poet Petrarch — earnestly persuaded him, allowing The Decameron to survive to this day.