Diksha Sundriyal
Survival emerges as the only agenda for the characters in Netflix’s’ ‘The Decameron.’ It begins in the middle of a raging plague in Florence, where several people of nobility receive an invitation to spend a few days away from the threat of pestilence at a lavish villa in the countryside. They pack their bags and leave as soon as they get that invitation, but it is not so easy for some. While Filomena wants to reach the villa as soon as possible, her father is sick and needs constant care to survive. But she tells her maid, Licisca, that he is dead, and together, they leave for the villa. While it seems a brutal lie from our perspective, it was a necessary lie from Filomena’s. SPOILERS AHEAD
Filomena Lied to Save Herself
By the time we meet Filomena and her father, the rest of her family is already dead. She had three sisters, and all three of them were claimed by pestilence. When her father fell sick, most of the staff died of the plague or left their employ. The only one remaining was Licisca, and Filomena knew she would never leave because she was too devoted to her father, Eduardo.
Filomena knew that the plague would come for her too, especially if she stayed in Firenze and, more importantly, in the house where her father was already dying. Even if she didn’t die of the plague, she had little to look forward to. With her father gone, she wouldn’t have anything left. He was the only one who could have married her off by giving her a dowry. But once he was dead, there would be no one to arrange her marriage or her dowry, and she would spend the rest of her life as a poor spinster. Even Licisca would leave her in such a situation.
Considering the possibility of such a future, it makes sense that Filomena jumps at the opportunity to change things for herself when the invitation to the villa arrives. For starters, it would get Filomena away from Firenze and the pestilence. And more importantly, it would put her back in society, where she would have the chance to charm a man she could marry and secure her future. It seems foolish for her to pass on such a chance, which she knows will likely not come again. So, Filomena lies to her when Licisca refuses to leave an ailing Eduardo. It is hard for her to lie about her father’s death, but she knows that this is what she must do. Otherwise, both she and Licisca are doomed.
Eduardo Succumbs to the Plague
Even before the offer to spend the next few days in Villa Santa arrived at their doorstep, Eduardo had been in a delicate condition. When we see him, he is already very weak and in the grasp of the pestilence. He has boils all over his body and is weak, even if his wit remains sharp. He thanks Licisca for sticking around and caring for him while he jokes about Filomena surviving of all people. When Licisca says that he will recover, he rebuffs her. He has accepted his fate. The plague has claimed everyone without discrimination, and with no cure in sight, it has only rare survivors. Eduardo knows he is not going to be one of them.
At that point, the only thing keeping Eduardo alive was Licisca. She cared for him, not caring about the fact that his sickness might catch on to her as well, and once she fell sick, she would be at risk of dying as well. Things would be worse for her because she wouldn’t have anyone looking after her the way she was looking after Eduardo. Still, she is devoted to him, possibly because he is the only person in the household who treats him like a human being and not just a servant to do his bidding.
Even with Licisca’s care, Eduardo’s future was grim. He would have died sooner or later, which is what Filomena told herself when she decided to lie to Licisca. By the time she tells Licisca the truth, it has already been more than ten days. Considering how quickly the sickness claims a person, it is fair to believe that by the time Licisca and Filomena make it back to Firenze, Eduardo would be long gone, if they do at all. Even if Licisca had stayed behind, her care would have prolonged his life for barely a few days. He would have died nonetheless.
Read More: The Decameron: Are Filomena and Licisca Based on Real People?
