By describing the plague as a possible punishment sent by God, Boccaccio depicted an extended belief about the Black Death pandemic that infested Europe between 1346 and 1353. Having said that should be noted that Boccaccio was not actually religious, and this treatment may have been simply conventional, since he doesn´t insist on that theme, and the characters don´t seem interested in repenting or seeking forgiveness from God for their sins.
