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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Heloise ask Abelard in her first letter?

2. What does Heloise say makes it impossible to endure Abelard's absence?

3. In Letter 4, what does Heloise beg Abelard to do?

4. Who else does Heloise say was affected by Abelard's letter?

5. What explanation does Abelard offer for his action?

Short Essay Questions

1. What two things does Heloise ask Abelard in Letter 6?

2. How is Letter 7 organized?

3. What does Heloise say about virtue?

4. How does Peter the Venerable greet Heloise in Letter 10?

5. What does Heloise say she did on Abelard's sake?

6. What does Heloise say are her feelings toward God?

7. What does Abelard remind Heloise of in Letter 5?

8. What is Abelard's advice with regard to scripture?

9. Why does Heloise say there should be different standards for women?

10. In Letter 2, what does Heloise say her motive for writing was?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the God to whom Abelard and Heloise show their devotion. What does he want, how does he behave, and what kind of behavior does he encourage in human beings? Does he ever respond to their prayers? How, or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate the opposition Abelard and Heloise faced throughout their marriage. How would you characterize their enemies? What were they bent on, and why did they oppose Abelard and Heloise? Why did they take the tactics they took, in opposing them? What made harsher or more lenient tactics less preferable?

Essay Topic 3

How would Abelard and Heloise answer Nietzsche's claim that Christian morality is slave morality that celebrates the weakness of the followers as against the master morality that celebrates the strength of the masters?

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