It Could Happen Here CZM Book Club: A Story from the Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
Mar 8, 2026
A medieval comedic tale of trickery and lust is read aloud. Listeners hear a clever plot to cure jealousy that involves a faked death and a disguised visitor. The story follows deception, secret trysts, a staged resurrection, and the surprising moral resolution.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Decameron Celebrates Human Wit Over Clerical Piety
- The Decameron contrasts with Dante by focusing on human pleasures and practical wit instead of strict piety.
- Margaret notes Boccaccio's anti-clerical tone and his emphasis on people enjoying life amid plague times.
Decameron Uses Quarantine Storytelling As Framing Device
- Margaret explains the Decameron's framing device: ten young people quarantined from the Black Death tell themed stories to pass time.
- Themes include clever replies, tricks in courtship, and daily monarch-chosen topics that shape each day's tales.
Abbot Schemes With Wife To Fake Husband's Death
- Margaret Kiljoy reads a Decameron tale about Ferrando, his jealous wife, and a lustful abbot who plots to fake Ferrando's death.
- The abbot persuades the wife to consent by offering jewels and promises to cure Ferrando’s jealousy in exchange for sex.
