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Importance Of Religion In The Decameron

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There are patterns throughout history that relate to health and religion. Conversations about death or healing due to disease revolves around religion. It is widely used as a coping mechanism for those impacted by death and disease. From worshiping a god or goddess that controls disease to conducting healing ceremonies, to even just praying to be cured of the disease, religious practices are evident when a disease is involved. Analyzing Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron gives us an idea of how life was at the time of the plague along with how religion influenced people's lives at the time of disease. In The Decameron, three men and seven women run off together in order to escape the plague that is destroying their city. These ten people find sanctuary in a secluded villa on the outskirts of Florence. Once there, they determine that they will assign one male and one female the role of king and queen for a day. As king and queen, it is their responsibility to ensure everyone says entertained and they all do not go mad. As a result of this, each of the ten people tells stories to keep each other entertained and to distract their minds from the destruction the Black Death is causing. These stories consisted of tales of love, life lessons, and even tragedies. However, a majority of the stories, if not all of them, have underlying religious values. They use these religious ties to keep them grounded in something familiar and safe in their lives while their world is crumbling

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