A framed narrative presents a main narrative for the purpose of presenting a second narrative or a set of shorter stories, within that main narrative. The works of literature from the list that employ a framed narrative device are:
1) Beowulf
This epic poem, Canto VII is presented in the main narrative as a dialogue Unferth and Beowulf, in which they share their stories. Other parts of the poem are presented in the main narrative as a Bard's song, like fued between the Danes and the Frisians.
2) The Divine Comedy
In this work of literature, in the main narrative the narrator, Dante, presents the secondary narrative of an imaginary journey by a character also named Dante through the three realms of the afterlife: hell, purgatory and heaven.
3) The Decameron
In this work of literature, 100 tales are told by a group of seven young women and three young men escaping the Black Death by sheltering themselves in a secluded villa just outside Florence. In this work, the main narrative are the young men and women escaping the plague and the secondary narratives are the 100 tales told by them.
4) The Canterbury Tales
In this work of literature, 24 stories are presented as part a story-telling contest that takes place in a journey from London to Canterbury by a group of pilgrims. The contest is the main narrative and the 24 stories are the secondary narratives.