1st Day of Decameron Essay Example

his passing. Panfilo, the narrator of the first story in the entire collection, also exposes and mocks the contemporary customs of canonization by the people within the Roman Catholic Church.

The story's earliest source can be found in chapter eight of Saint Sulpicius Severus's biography of Saint Martin of Tours, which dates back to around 400 AD. Another tale (I, 2) tells of Abraham, a Jew from Paris who is friends with Giannotto di Civigni. Throughout the years, Giannotto has been urging Abraham to embrace Christianity. One day, Abraham decides to travel to Rome and informs Giannotto that he wants to meet the Church leaders – the Pope and the Curia – in order to make a decision about converting. However, Giannotto fears that Abraham will be discouraged from converting once he witnesses the immoral and corrupt practices of the Roman clergy.

However, upon Abraham's return, he undergoes a conversion, realizing that if Christianity can still thrive despite its corrupt hierarchy, it must be the true word of God. Neifile shares the second story of the book and the second anti-Catholic narrative. In this biting tale, a Jew converts because he logically concludes that only a religion supported by God could prosper despite the corruption within its leadership. The earliest recorded version of this story is found in Busone da Gubbio's "Avventuroso Ciciliano," written in Italian in 1311. Muslims, including Saladin, have also been attributed with a similar tale. citation needed.

In the third tale, Saladin, a powerful sultan, realizes that his treasury is empty. However, Melchizedek, a wealthy Jew, has enough money to fill the gap. Saladin believes Melchizedek is

too greedy to lend the money fairly. To find a reason to seize his wealth, Saladin attempts to deceive Melchizedek by asking him which religion - Judaism, Christianity, or Islam - is the true word of God. Melchizedek skillfully avoids falling into the trap by likening it to a story about a merchant with a precious ring and three virtuous sons.

The king, after promising the ring and his estate to all three sons, had two equally valuable copies made. He then gave one ring to each son, resulting in the inability to determine who would inherit the estate. Similarly, it is impossible to determine which faith holds the truth. Saladin recognizes Melchizedek's wisdom and decides to be honest with him. Ultimately, Saladin obtains a loan and repays it, while Melchizedek gains Saladin's respect and receives accolades for his intelligence. Filomena tells this story, which portrays the main character as wise and in a positive manner.

Boccaccio's treatment of Jews stands out from other medieval and Renaissance authors, as it is characterized by a respectful approach that even modern readers find comfortable. It is speculated that Boccaccio may have had interactions with Jews during his time in Naples when he was young. The earliest known source expressing this viewpoint can be traced back to a French work titled The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit by Stephen of Bourbon. However, it is likely that Boccaccio took inspiration from a more recent French poem called Li dis dou vrai aniel, which was written between 1270 and 1294. This tale gained popularity during the Renaissance and has been adapted into various versions throughout Europe.