1.1
“Nor should we believe that such special grace descends upon us and within us through any merit of our own, but rather it is sent by His own kindness and by the prayers of those who, like ourselves, were mortal and who have now become eternal and blessed with Him, for they followed His will while they were alive” (Boccaccio 25). This quote drew my attention because it talks about how saints of God where once mortal and they have become eternal and blessed by Him because they have done his will while they were alive. This quote seems to sort of contradict the main character Ser Cepparello who came to be known as Saint Ciappelltto. Cepparello was conniving, manipulative men, who con people and the courts. When Cepparello was on his death bed he lied to the friar when he was confessing his sins and when he died he was seen as a saint and was buried by the church, he was seen as so holy that people called him saint and honored him. This goes back to the quote because when he was only seen as a saint because of the lies he told and the gullibility of the people, hence his burial by the church. Cepparello was able to get past the people, but his true test and trial would be when he dies and has to deal with God. It’s untold what his fate is, but you can assume that he isn’t a “saint” unless he was forgiven for his sins by God.
1.2
“Mercy patiently endures faults of those who with their words and deeds ought to bear witness to this mercy and yet do the contrary; I shall show how it makes these things an argument of His infallible truth so that with firmer conviction we may practice what we believe” (Boccaccio 38). This quote drew my attention because it says how people practice what they believe meaning whatever people see as true or worth following or believing they will turn that into a custom or habit and people who hold the same belief will follow and do the same thing. The quote correlates with the theme of the story because when Abraham who was a Jew goes to the court of Rome he sees the wickedness of the clergy. Abraham returns to Paris wanting to convert to Christianity. The reason he wants to convert is because all the people follow the clergy and if the clergy is wicked then the people who belief and follow them are going to be wicked to therefore although what he saw he said the people should go to hell for their sins he also saw that they were only following and doing what they were taught.
1.3
“You should know, my dear companions, that just as stupidity can often remove one from a state of happiness and place him in the greatest misery, so, too, intelligence can rescue the wise man from the gravest of dangers and restore him to his secure state” (Boccaccio 43). This quote drew me in because it talks about how lack of knowledge can often put people in a state of distress, but knowledge from someone with intelligence if used right can rescue a wise man from dangers and restore his state. This relates to the theme because Melchisedech, an Jew knowledge saves him from entrapment by Saracen King named Saladin. Saladin asks Melchisedech which faith is better between Jews, Saracen, or Christianity. Melchisedech tells the story of three brothers who father was a king and held a ring which was to be passed on and was a tradition. The king was dying and had promised to leave the rings with the three sons but didn’t know who because he loved each son equally, so he had two more rings made and each son received a ring. This story goes back to the theme and the quote because Melchisedech was trying to say that each religion is just as worthy of truth as the other and who’s to say which religion is better than the other. Melchisedech used his knowledge and what he knew to get out of the trap which the king tried to set. Saladin satisfied with the answer had to be upfront with Melchisedech and ask him to borrow money, and he let him and they became friends. This shows how knowledge when used the right way can remove someone from any situation.
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