72 pages 2 hours read

Marguerite De Navarre

Heptameron

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1558

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Essay Topics

1.

How are friars, monks, and priests depicted in The Heptameron? What are some of the major criticisms leveled at this group, and how do they tie into greater social, religious, or philosophical movements of the 16th century?

2.

Women and men are often criticized wholesale and depicted according to stereotyped behavior. However, members of the group often protest the conclusion that one bad actor might represent the many. Why might the author present this tension between the one and the many throughout the text?

3.

The storytellers often discuss feminine virtue and chastity in the text. What characteristics might define feminine virtue and chastity? Do they come naturally, or can behavior change?