Death in The Decameron is prominent and often on the minds of the Brigata members.
Beginning with their escape from the bubonic plague that was killing as many as seventy .
percent of the population in Florence, Italy. (1963) The first story on the first of the ten days the Brigata members would tell stories death shows up in the first line. Because "Ser Cepperello deceives a holy friar with false confession, then he dies." (1965) "He lived a wicked, sinful life, it is possible that at the eleventh hour he was son sincerely repentant that God had mercy upon him and received him into His kingdom." (1974) Even though he did die, he was turned into a Saint. The second instance of death occurs in the ninth story of the fourth day. Friends Guillaume de Roussillon and Guillaume de Cabestanh frequently accompanied each other to sporting events in the town. Unbeknownst to Roussillon, Cabestanh had fallen in love with his wife. Finding the two making love one day, Roussillon's love for his friend soon turned into hatred. After waiting for the perfect time to strike, he exclaimed " "Traitor you are dead!" And before the words were out of his mouth he had driven the lance through Cabestanh's heart." (1975) This was the second death that occurred. The third was observed early in the eighth story of the fifth day when Nastagio saw "dogs seize the girl firmly by the haunches and bring her to a hault" (1978) All of these and many more deaths were probably influenced by Giovanni Boccaccio's own fear of death by the plague. .
