The theme of the first day is the ecclesiastical corruption within the Roman Catholic church and the necessity of turning away from one's sins. Alternatively, one can also say that the theme of the first day is the need to overcome one's moral failings.
The small group enjoys the telling of ten stories on the first day. The first story by Panfilo centers on the corrupt Ciappelletto, who is able to trick a gullible friar into believing that he has lived an exemplary life. On his deathbed, Ciappelleto's inventive tales about his devout life earns him extreme unction, a last rite given only to faithful believers. In this story, Boccaccio satirizes the limitations of a deathbed confession and the arbitrary process of canonization.
The corruption of Church leadership is also the focus of much of the second story. Abraham, a Jew, converts to Christianity after witnessing the depravity of the ecclesiastical order in Rome. Although his actions seem ironic on the surface, he gives a good reason for his decision: despite the clergy's hedonistic lifestyle, the Christian faith continues to flourish. Abraham concludes that the religion must be sustained by God himself and is thus worthy of his loyalty.
The third story is an indirect critique of Catholic doctrine. It proposes that true religion is not limited to any one faith. When Melchizedek, the Jewish money lender, is questioned by Saladin, he proclaims that, just as the loving father cannot decide which of his three sons to bequeath his priceless ring to, neither the Jew, Christian, or Saracen may lay claim to being the only true faith.
In the fourth tale, we are given yet another example of ecclesiastical corruption. As the story goes, an abbot thinks to severely punish a monk for fulfilling his carnal desires with a nubile village girl. However, the wily monk catches the abbot in the same guilty act. He then proceeds to blackmail his superior, and both continue to take turns enjoying sexual pleasure at the expense of the young girl.
In the fifth tale, we learn how the Marchioness Of Monferrato manages to repel the advances of the King of France. This story highlights the grace and character of a virtuous woman.
The sixth tale gives us yet another example of corruption within the Church. In this story, a friar who works as a religious inquisitor blackmails a wealthy man into parting with his money. He charges the man with being "overheated with wine or excess of mirth" and convinces him to pay up for the sake of his salvation. In the end, the wealthy man has the last laugh: he embarrasses the friar by his clever use of a scriptural verse and manages to free himself from the friar's avaricious grasp.
The seventh and eighth tales also address the sin of avarice or greed. In the seventh tale, Messer Cane della Scala is the Lord of Verona. One day, he decides to hire some entertainers for a performance but neglects to pay them adequately. Bergamino, one of the entertainers, decides to stay behind in the hopes of receiving some compensation for his efforts. Eventually, Bergamino gains an audience with della Scala and by a clever story, is able to get the nobleman to loosen his purse strings. In the eighth tale, Guglielmo is able to convince Messer Ermino de' Grimaldi to change his miserly ways. Both stories reinforce the necessity of forsaking one's sins and making amends for previous infractions.
In the ninth tale, a gentlewoman of Gascony manages to persuade the King of Cyprus to take action on her behalf. After being assaulted by a gang of never-do-wells, she takes her case to the king. However, she is warned that the king is so cowardly that she would never receive justice for her suffering. Undeterred, she approaches the king and censures him gently for his lack of courage. Embarrassed by her words, the king not only avenges the lady, but he also becomes a "very rigorous prosecutor of all who committed aught against the honour of his crown." This tale highlights the nature of cowardice, which some experts maintain is one component of the sin of sloth.
The tenth and last tale of the first day highlights the need to guard against presumption. Master Alberto manages to shame Malgherida for basing her judgment of him on her preconceived notions about older men. In all, the need to overcome one's moral failings, whether one is a member of the clergy or an average citizen, is the theme of the first day.
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