Comparing Dante's Inferno, And Decameron

In Dante’s Inferno, Montaigne’s Essays, and Boccaccio’s Decameron, it seems that storytelling functions for entirely different purposes. Dante curiously prods for stories to add to his "notes" or remembrances of his trip to hell, making storytelling a method of entertainment in the depths of hell. Each of Montaigne’s stories are meant to leave his family and friends with an accurate memory of himself and his values, not an attempt to gain fame. The seven women and three men in Boccaccio’s work recount stories to sustain themselves by distracting their minds from the plague, a method of survival. These purposes may appear radically different but actually share a common theme. In all three works the authors seek to blur conventional distinctions
Instead of respecting Boca’s decision not to share his misfortune in its entirety, Dante physically attacks Boca by grabbing his neck and pulling his hair. This evil behavior provokes the reader into considering that maybe Dante should be in Hell and Boca should not, especially since all he does in response is squeal rather than fight. Again, the distinction between earth and hell is questionable. The behavior of individuals in these two realms illustrates the interchangeability of evil and good in both spheres, suggesting that conventional distinctions may be artificial in significance. Though earth and hell differ in physical location (clearly Dante can leave hell and return to earth), the morality of both places can be quite similar. The reason this critique is more subtle than those of Montaigne and Boccaccio is that Dante does not explicitly state his disapproval of his own behavior, he simply illustrates it and allows his reader to assess. Some may consider Dante’s aggression to be in accordance with God’s wishes, meaning that Dante’s evil tendencies correspond to God’s relative placement of his victims in Hell. Interpreting this story in light of Francesca’s, however, leads one to believe that Dante is following the pattern of linking two seemingly polar realms of existence and making his reader question the validity of such a moral