72 pages • 2 hours read
Marguerite De NavarreHeptameron
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1558A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
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?
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?
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?
While most stories in The Heptameron take place in France, many tales originate from Italy, Spain, and throughout Europe. Choose a story that takes place outside of France and analyze how and why other cultures are depicted differently. How does this depiction reinforce cultural identity? How does the introduction of one culture into another create conflict in the text?
How is masculinity represented differently throughout the text? Give two to three conflicting examples of how men should behave, according to different tales. Does this expectation change according to class and position in society?
Consider the role of the “servant” in the text. What are the accepted rules of public and private behavior when servant and lady engage in a relationship? How are these liaisons problematic or beneficial to society, according to the storytellers?
Throughout the text there are multiple instances of homosocial relations and platonic love. Using one example, provide an analysis of how the relationship is either undermined or fortified in the text, commenting on how love and loyalty play a role in forming and breaking homosocial bonds.
Consider the appearance and role of royalty throughout The Heptameron, particularly the instances in which relatives of Marguerite de Navarre (or Marguerite herself) make an appearance. How is royalty depicted, and is it consistent across genders and nations?
A recurrent problem in The Heptameron is a poor marriage match and the infidelity that results. How are men and women advised to deal with infidelity differently? Provide a comparison of two to three instances in which men or women successfully undermine a lover’s infidelity to their advantage.
How does the depiction of love differ across social classes in The Heptameron? Compare two different tales, analyzing what these similarities and differences reflect about the authors and general perceptions of high- and low-born people. Do these stereotypes persist today?
