Question

What images or descriptions most struck you in Boccaccio’s account of the Black Death in Florence? What does Bocaccio's account tell us about human nature when it is confronted with such an epidemic?

Answer 1

Giovanni Boccaccio is visceral on his description of the Black Death, and the suffering of millions of people. He describes the wounds, the agony, and the slow death with the strength which makes you almost feel what those people are struggling with. One of his most famous descriptions is when he tells us what is the Black Death and what the disease causes on the body. His descriptions of the bumps, and what comes out from them is disgusting and anguish. Another aspect of his vision about the Black Death is the people's reaction. They should blame someone because of that. Their fear and suffering lead them to persecute the Jews, and this behavior shows us how human nature is destructive to confront what is not comprehensible.

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