Florentine Friar Character Analysis in The Decameron

In Filomena’s third tale (III, 3), the Florentine Friar is a caricature of clerical greed and cluelessness. Although he believes the Florentine Noblewoman’s complaints about the Florentine Nobleman’s sexual improprieties, he is more interested in defending his friend than protecting her. Moreover, he is easily swayed by her class and her sizable donations to the church, which has a hint of simony.

Florentine Friar Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Florentine Friar or refer to Florentine Friar. 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:

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The story I propose to relate […] should prove more agreeable to a lay audience inasmuch as the priesthood consists for the most part of extremely stupid men, inscrutable in their ways, who consider themselves in all respects more worthy and knowledgeable than other people, whereas they are decidedly inferior. They resemble pigs, in fact, for they are too feeble-minded to earn an honest living like everybody else, and so they install themselves wherever they can fill their stomachs.

Related Characters: Filomena (speaker), Florentine Noblewoman, Florentine Nobleman, Florentine Friar

Page Number and Citation: 205

Explanation and Analysis:

Florentine Friar Character Timeline in The Decameron

The timeline below shows where the character Florentine Friar appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Florentine Nobleman as a worthier lover. Noticing that he was on friendly terms with a Florentine Friar , she hatches a plan to use the holy man as a go-between to establish... (full context)

The Florentine Noblewoman approaches the Florentine Friar , who happily agrees to hear her confession since she’s clearly rich. At the end,... (full context)

The Florentine Nobleman is somewhat surprised when the Florentine Friar reproaches him for stalking the Florentine Noblewoman, but because he’s perceptive he realizes something is... (full context)

The Florentine Noblewoman takes a purse and belt to the Florentine Friar , claiming that the Florentine Nobleman sent them to her as a gift and she... (full context)