|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
Abelards Historia Calamitatum, or the story of his misfortunes, is an
autobiographical account in the form of a letter which sets out the events
of Abelards life, his views on a number of issues such as philosophy, the
monastic life and the way in which he is treated by the others at the
monastery to which he has retreated. In order to set the Historia in
context, it might be useful for the student to give a brief account of
Abelards life, and the reasons why has been forced to flee to the monastery
in the first place. ... She appears to have taken to the
monastic life quite successfully, whereas Abelards outspokenness and
controversial philosophical ideas meant that he came into conflict with many
at the monastery, and was not popular.
The Historia, written during this period, is an account which, he states at
the beginning, will prove to others that in comparison to him, their
problems are minor and superficial. ... He points out on several occasions that other teachers
are jealous of him - when he sets up his own school of philosophy, he states
that man who had formerly been his teacher is so eaten up by envy of
Abelards success that he spreads lies and rumours, attempts to replace him
with another, and tries various other ways of discrediting him. ... This gives the reader, at the outset, a clear
impression of Abelards character. ...
A great deal of the Historia is concerned with his affair with Heloise, and
it is apparent that although he refers to himself as a seducer, the love
between them was genuine. ...
The student could point out that, whilst modern readers tend to find this
part of the Historia shocking and barbaric - as indeed it is - there are a
great many medieval stories and biographical accounts which mention
castration as a form of torture or punishment; it appears to have been
fairly common at the time. ...
At the end of the Historia he sees himself as still suffering at the hands
of others, accusing the other monks at the Abbey of attempting to poison
him, but maintains that he is able to bear these injustices because of his
faith in himself and in God. It is evident that a great deal of information
can be gained from the Historia, both in terms of Abelards own life and
beliefs and about twelfth-century monasticism in general.
Approximate Word count = 1960
Approximate Pages = 7.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|