The Decameron 1

The major theme throughout the first story of The Decameron is religion. I think this theme speaks volumes about the Mediterranean and the various cultures within it. Since the region was the birthplace of the Abrahamic religions, i think that it contains some of the worlds most religious people. In the story, a man named Ser Cepparello gives a false confession on his deathbed. Even though the man lived a very sinful life, the priest who heard his final "confession", which made him out to be a very pious man, declared him a saint. This story is really funny to me because it just goes to show how our view of someone can change after they die. It reminds me of all of the stories we are told about the founding fathers in elementary school that sound more like myth than fact (i.e. george washington and the cherry tree, honest Abe).