How the black death affected the pysche of individuals, towards life and death, religion and spirtually, and morality based off of the intro from decameron

Essay by beezee822College, Undergraduate May 2006

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The Black Death Effect

A major tragedy can affect a nation in many different ways. Take for instance The Holocaust, World Wars and even September 11th. Each one affected the nation's way of living, economy and mind set. For Florence Italy, the Black Death did exactly that. The plaque had spread from the east, killing almost everyone, and thing, in its path. The people of Florence were made to deal with many different problems, good and bad, that never may have come up if it was not for the Black Death. Traditions, normality, social status, religion was all changed by the pure fear of death. Every day events surrounded the idea of surviving, death became the norm and faith in a higher being slowly faded. The psyche of city of Florence was just to live to see tomorrow.

The way of life had changed from a friendly, neighborly co-existence to a selfish, survival society.

Many fled to different cities and nations to try and escape the disease but only matters worst by helping to spread it. Upon the group of people that choose to flee the city were two other types of people, those who abandoned everything and those who went on with their lives as though nothing was happening. Those that choose to abandon everything were the type of people that refused to be around the sick. They would shun those who had been affected and go nowhere the decease that had been taken by the awful epidemic. They would create safe homes of healthy people that would not allow the sick or anyone else to come near them. Their entire way of living was consumed by fear. Fear that if they had any contact with the sick they would die next. The other group had no fear...