The Decameron

The Decameron

by

Giovanni Boccaccio

Amerigo Abate Character Analysis

In Lauretta’s fifth tale (V, 7), Amerigo Abate is a wealthy Sicilian gentleman and father of Violante. Although he’s impressed enough with the good breeding of his allegedly Turkish slave Teodoro to grant him freedom and sponsor his baptism, he’s less pleased when Teodoro gets Violante pregnant. His immoderate wrath, based on class consciousness and an understanding that his honor depends on his daughter’s chastity, makes him cruel. Not only does he prosecute Teodoro, but he orders Violante to commit suicide. However, when Teodoro’s noble identity is revealed, he repents and welcomes him into the family. His immoderate rage and thirst for vengeance aligns him with Tancredi (IV, 1), but since his tale occurs on the day of happy lovers, it has a very different ending.

Amerigo Abate Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Amerigo Abate or refer to Amerigo Abate. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Love and Sex Theme Icon
).
Day 5: Seventh Tale Quotes

When certain galleys arrived from the Levant belonging to Genoese pirates, who had captured a great many children along the Armenian coast, he purchased a number of them, believing them to be Turkish. For the most part, they appeared to be of rustic, shepherd stock, but there was one, Teodoro by name, who seemed gently bred and better looking than any of the others […] as he grew older, being prompted by his innate good breeding rather than by the accident of his menial status, he acquired so much poise and so agreeable a manner that Messer Amerigo granted him his freedom […] had him baptized and re-named Pietro, and placed him in charge of his business affairs, taking him deeply into his confidence.

Related Characters: Lauretta (speaker), Amerigo Abate, Teodoro (Pietro)
Page Number: 412
Explanation and Analysis:
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Amerigo Abate Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Amerigo Abate or refer to Amerigo Abate. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Love and Sex Theme Icon
).
Day 5: Seventh Tale Quotes

When certain galleys arrived from the Levant belonging to Genoese pirates, who had captured a great many children along the Armenian coast, he purchased a number of them, believing them to be Turkish. For the most part, they appeared to be of rustic, shepherd stock, but there was one, Teodoro by name, who seemed gently bred and better looking than any of the others […] as he grew older, being prompted by his innate good breeding rather than by the accident of his menial status, he acquired so much poise and so agreeable a manner that Messer Amerigo granted him his freedom […] had him baptized and re-named Pietro, and placed him in charge of his business affairs, taking him deeply into his confidence.

Related Characters: Lauretta (speaker), Amerigo Abate, Teodoro (Pietro)
Page Number: 412
Explanation and Analysis: