A lesson on tolerance: reading the Decameron in the classroom

Abstract

The story of the three rings (Decam., I 3) has a long tradition in the West, from the early Middle Ages to Lessing. The Italian version, represented by Boccaccio and two other sources, seems to show an open attitude towards religions other than Christianity. This paper aims to illustrate this aspect, starting from the Decameron and trying to avoid the risk of anachronistic interpretations. Although a man of the Middle Ages such as Boccaccio could not have doubts about which was the true religion, in this novel the writer assumes a different perspective and the hero is the Jew Melchisedèch, who gains Saladin’s respect and friendship asserting that it is impossible for humans to solve a question that only God is able to answer.