29 pages 58 minutes read

Madame de La Fayette

The Princesse de Clèves (The Princess of Cleves)

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1678

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Essay Topics

1.

Lafayette was a member of the French court during the reign of Louis XIV (100 years after the events of the novel). By observing court scandal so closely, do you think she does a service or a disservice to her courtly peers? Why?

2.

How does marriage during Henri II’s reign differ from our own conception of marriage? What do they have in common?

3.

Do you believe that Mme de Chartres was a good counsellor to her daughter?