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This test consists of 5 short answer questions and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What should Abelard do in order to emulate the standard she sets for him?

2. What does Abelard say he is correcting with the life of silence?

3. What should people focus on, according to Abelard in Letter 8?

4. Who received Letter 9?

5. In Letter 6, what does Heloise ask Abelard to do for her?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Evaluate the story of Abelard and Heloise as a love story. Is it compelling, tragic, uplifting, unique? Is it an allegory for all lovers or a historical document pertaining to two people alone?

Essay Topic 2

Peter the Venerable's letter to the pope is the first interjection from outside of Abelard and Heloise. What is Peter the Venerable's role in this epistolary conversation? What is his authority in this relationship? How does his appearance change the correspondence?

Essay Topic 3

What does The Letters of Abelard and Heloise tell us about being male or female? How does the text represent masculinity and femininity? What are the roles appropriate to either gender? How do Abelard and Heloise define the differences? Where do they overlap?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 263 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample