The Letters of Abelard and Heloise - 1200 Words

In The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, Abelard and Heloise’s faith and morals are justified solely by the Church and society. This discussion of virginity, sex, punishment, society, religion and ethnical views are all tied together into one autobiography written by Pierre Abelard himself. Pierre Abelard was born in 1079 B.C in France. Abelard was born into a minor noble family where he learned quickly and excelled in the art of dialect, a branch of physiology, which at the time consisted solely on the logic of Aristotle. Unlike his father, Abelard decided to receive an academic career rather than a military career. With his academic career Abelard traveled through France and created a name for him and eventually his travels led him to†¦show more content†¦Heloise understands that women are not superior to men and are only alive to serve their husband and supports it by saying, â€Å"changing my clothing along with my mind, in order to prove you the sole possessor of my body and my will alike,† (113). People in the twelfth century ignore the tenets of the Bible in which they do not wish to follow and instead believe that if society accepts their actions, society considers them virtuous. In a sense, society’s standards are held higher than the Church standards and people value society over the Church. Abelard, completely focused on his studies, had no intention of falling in love until he met someone just as academically advance as himself. Heloise captured Abelard’s heart and they started their love affair. Abelard feels guilty for having sexual affairs with Heloise before marriage and â€Å"during the days of Our Lord’s Passion† (147). And although God blesses sex in a marriage, the church regulates when a couple can be together. The affair lasts until Heloise’s uncle, Fulbert, a Church official, finds out and puts an end to it. However, being the witty, clever man he is, Abelard convinces Heloise to dr ess up as a nun and practice the nun life so that their affair will remain a secret. Unfortunately, this secret plan lasts until Fulbert finds out and thinks that Abelard’s intentions are to only get rid of Heloise and with that in mindShow MoreRelatedThe Letters Of Abelard And Heloise1047 Words   |  5 PagesIn the book The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, Abelard and Heloise’s relationship changes dramatically as seen in their love letters. At first, their relationship was very sexual based while they were together. I feel that the shift in their relationship happened when they became physically separated. As soon as the separation occurred, their relationship became a primarily chaste relationship. My goal in this paper is to demonstrate why I feel that Abelard and Heloise’s relationship changed fromRead MoreThe Love Letters Of Heloise And Abelard Analysis886 Words   |  4 Pagesby Christine de Pisan† and â€Å"The Love Letters of Heloise and Abelar d† that are different and similar. â€Å"The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine de Pisan† was a book that was written by Christine Pisan and what inspired her to write this story was all of the slander woman were getting as far as being blamed for every negative thing in the world. â€Å"The Love Letters of Heloise and Abelard† was written by Heloise and Abelard and they are different types of letters. The two couples were inspired whenRead MoreEssay about A Comparison of Cleopatra and Heloise994 Words   |  4 PagesSex, manipulation, selfishness, obsession, and dramatic interactions are all present in Antony and Cleopatra and The Letters of Abelard and Heloise. The roles of women in society and conceptions of femininity in the eras of Cleopatra and Heloise were limited compared to todays standards. In Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra and The Letters of Abelard and Heloise, there are recurring images of women as well as conceptions that are unique to ea ch text. In comparing and contrasting theRead MoreAbelard and Heloise Essay examples1242 Words   |  5 Pagesreal case of star-crossed â€Å"lovers†, Peter Abelard and Heloise. This couple went to little length to fight society in trying to establish a relationship with one another. Although considered a love story to some, a relationship founded on lust, inability to fight for marriage, and union to the church, shatters the illusion of romance and shows the relationship for what it truly is, a lackluster liaison. The relationship between Peter Abelard and Heloise failed to be established with strong bondsRead MoreEssay on Abelard and Heloise836 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Jeff HIST 101 11/11/13 Gender As Seen in Abelard and Heloise The gender views of European medieval society were largely built upon the views of Aristotle and others alike that degraded the status of women into a lower form of life, characterizing them as secondary to men. Many successive Christian intellects such as St. Augustine also contributed to establishing the idea of misogyny in the medieval views toward the female sexuality, which helped to create the gender stereotype that severelyRead MoreExaple of a Bad Marriage: Abelard Heloise Essay842 Words   |  4 PagesThe relationship between Abelard and Heloise is to this day regarded as one of the great romances of history. nbsp;Their romance has been categorized with that of Dante Beatrice and even Romeo Juliet. nbsp;Due to their captivating romance many historians and scholars alike have deeply studied the true essence of Abelard and Heloises relationship. nbsp;Some agree that their relationship was a true love romance; while others argue that their marriage was doomed from the moment they said `IRead More Heloise Essay example659 Words   |  3 PagesHeloise Early in the 12th century, two people were developing a relationship that not only showed them the true meaning of having to suffer the difficulties of a relationship that got off on the wrong foot, but they also documented it for the rest of the world to follow.These two people were none other than the French philosopher and theologian Peter Abelard (1079-1142?), and his wife, Heloise. To understand Heloise, first we must learn about her husband.Peter Abelard was born in Le PalletRead MoreThe Influence Of Abelard s And Heloise s Views On Marriage, Religion, And Sexuality944 Words   |  4 PagesThree key figures in twelfth century Europe had a considerable impact on marriage, religion, and sexuality. The first two figures were classic romantics who wrote love letters to each other and made love in the kitchens of convents. These two influential figures are Heloise and Abelard. This teacher and student love affair knew no bounds and it eventually led to a dismal chain of events, but led to various revelations. The third figure is a religious visionary who took a secret vow of chastityRead MoreThe Story Of Heloise And Abelard1990 Words   |  8 PagesThe story of Heloise and Abelard is not unlike that of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in the sense that there was drama, family trials, and immeasurable passion. Known for her intelligence and sexual r elationship with Abelard, Heloise was not the typical medieval woman. The life of Heloise was not conventional in the sense that she gave birth to a child out of wedlock and was reluctant to marry Abelard even though her reputation as a woman was tarnished due to their relationship. The sourcesRead MoreHeloise and Abelard: Focus on Right and Wrong Essay937 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Abelard morally wrong action are distinguished by four things. First, there is a mental vice that makes us prone to sin, such as lust and desire, followed second by the sin itself which is dependant on the situation. Third is the will for evil and finally the doing of evil. He holds these separate for â€Å"to will and to fulfill the will are not the same, so to sin and to perform the sin are not the same†(2-511-L). Just as there is a difference between someone who intended to push someone