Teodoro (Pietro) Character Analysis in The Decameron

In Lauretta’s fifth tale (V, 7), Teodoro is the son of Phineas, an Armenian nobleman. But when he’s kidnapped as a child, he’s erroneously sold to Amerigo Abate as a slave. Nevertheless, his innate nobility and good breeding earn his master’s love, and he is granted his freedom. He falls in love with Amerigo’s daughter Violante, and when he’s sentenced to execution for their affair, by a stroke of good fortune Phineas recognizes him and reveals his identity. He is one of Day V’s happy lovers, but his experience as a slave, like those of Guisfredi and The Outcast, shows how external circumstances can’t ruin inherent noble character.

Teodoro (Pietro) Quotes in The Decameron

The The Decameron quotes below are all either spoken by Teodoro (Pietro) or refer to Teodoro (Pietro). 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:

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 and Citation: 412

Explanation and Analysis:

Teodoro (Pietro) Character Timeline in The Decameron

The timeline below shows where the character Teodoro (Pietro) appears in The Decameron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...to be Turkish,” who were captured by Genoese pirates along the Armenian Coast. One, named Teodoro, stands out from the rest of the “rustic … stock” due to his good looks... (full context)

Teodoro (Pietro) and Violante (one of Amerigo Abate’s daughters) fall in love. Given his menial status,... (full context)

...at the cottage regularly until Violante becomes pregnant. When she’s unable to abort the pregnancy, Teodoro (Pietro) plans to flee, sure that she will be forgiven but that he will be... (full context)

Amerigo Abate has Teodoro (Pietro) arrested, and the local magistrate, Messer Currado, sentences him to be publicly whipped, then... (full context)

In the Armenian language, Phineas asks Teodoro about his past and Teodoro answers that his Armenian father’s name was Phineas. Phineas pushes... (full context)

On hearing that Violante will marry him if he wishes, Teodoro (Pietro) has “the sensation of passing from Hell into Heaven at a single bound.” She... (full context)