Abelard and Heloise

     The true romantic story in Abelard and Heloise reveals one of history's most tragic love affairs.  Heloise was a beautiful and well-educated woman who lived in France during the twelfth century.  Her uncle, Notre Dame's Canon Fulbert, hired Peter Abelard, a well-known philosopher, as her tutor.  Although Abelard was twenty years her senior, they fell madly in love.  After Heloise became pregnant, she feared her uncle's reprisal and worried about Abelard's reputation and social position, since teachers in the church were sworn to celibacy.  Abelard was a highly respected, talented teacher, and if news about his affair or his marriage spread, he would no longer be permitted to teach.

     Although Fulbert arranged a secret marriage between the couple, Heloise believed her uncle would take greater action.  She was right.  In an effort to completely sever ties between the two, Fulbert violently attacked Abelard, who consequently became a monk.  Heloise took refuge in a convent and gave their child to Abelard's sister.  For years, their only correspondence occurred through letters filled with passion.  Heloise's writings express a great yearning for their past love and closeness and an overwhelming sense of hypocrisy for entering a convent under such conditions.  She wrote, "While I am denied your presence, give me at least through your words - of which you have enough and to spare - some sweet semblance of yourself...I beg you, think what you owe me, give ear to my pleas, and I will finish a long letter with a brief ending: farewell, my only love."

     Abelard responded to her pleas as such, "If since our conversion from the world to God I have not yet written you any word of comfort or advice, it must not be attributed to indifference on my part but to your own good sense..."  He implied that her intellect was strong enough that he need not verbalize  his feelings, that she fully understood them.  As time passed, Heloise accepted that Abelard would not reciprocate romantic discourse through his letters, so she proceeded to discuss religious matters with him, especially those surrounding the role of women within the clergy and the restrictions patriarchal society placed on women.

     Although these two were deeply in love, their reliance and closeness were severed, and despite the intensity of their written communication, they never saw each other again.  Today, their remains reportedly rest side-by-side at Pere Lachaise cemetery in France.

16.  Which of the following best states the purpose of this passage?

     A.  to describe the love affair between members of the clergy

     B.  to explain why people should only become romantically involved with people their own age

     C.  to inform the reader about the roles of nuns within the church

     D.  to recite the tale of a couple tragically separated

17.  Why were Abelard and Heloise married secretly?

     A.  Teachers were not permitted to marry.

     B.  Fulbert wanted to punish Abelard for his actions

     C.  Heloise could not join the convent if she were married.

     D.  Heloise was too young to be married.

18.  What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

     A.  It describes how Abelard and Heloise fell in love.

     B.  It explains the obligations Abelard had to his career.

     C.  It describes Fulbert's role in their separation.

     D.  It shows how pregnancy out-of-wedlock affected women in previous centuries.

19.  According to the passage, which statement is true?

     A.  Heloise was twenty years older than Abelard.

     B.  Abelard's and Heloise's bodies are buried a great distance from one another.

     C.  Fulbert was appeased by the marriage and sought no further actions against Abelard.

     D.  Abelard's sister raised Abelard and Heloise's child.

20.  As used in the passage, the word reciprocate most nearly  means

     A.  reenact.

     B.  forget.

     C.  return.

     D.  acknowledge.

21.  Why did Abelard become a monk?

     A.  He was a teacher of the Church, and his next logical step was to enter the monastery.

     B.  Fulbert's attack most likely influenced him to choose a life away from Heloise.

     C.  Once Heloise joined a convent, he realized they would never be together again and became a monk.

     D.  Fulbert forced him to enter the monastery.