Essay Questions

Explain betrayal in the book.

In the novel, The Heptameron, the characters tell stories that are mostly about human relationships. The relationship between a husband and a wife, a king or queen and their subjects, family relationships and friendships. In most of the stories, some people are betrayed by the people that they trust the most. These betrayals are done for personal gain.

In marriage, the husband or wife betrays their partner by having an affair or having sexual relations with someone else. Examples in the novel include; Saint Aignan’s wife had affairs with the bishop and a young gentleman in the town. Another example is that a woman cheated on her husband with the king of Naples. The main reason why these characters stepped out of their marriage was because of the personal favors they received from their lovers.

In the kingdoms, the monarchy betrayed its subjects and, in some instances, the subjects betrayed their king or queen. In the first story, Saint Aignan killed a man who had an affair with his wife. The public demanded that Saint Aignan be punished however the king granted him a pardon because of political reasons. This was a betrayal to the public. In another instance, the King of Naples was betrayed by his subject who convinced the queen to have an affair with him so as to get back to the king.

Describe the economic activities carried out in the novel.

The characters carried out various economic activities in order to earn income. Some of the economic activities that were carried out include; ferrying, serving and trading. The society was divided into two classes, the working class and the ruling class. The ruling class employed the ruling class who earned money from their work. The ruling consisted of nobility who had money from inheritance.

In the stories that the narrators tell, a woman in a certain town ferried people from one part of the river to another. This work was her source of income. She had a boat where passengers would be ferried across the river for a fee. Chambermaids and manservants mainly served the nobility. Every nobleman or noblewoman had several servants who carried out domestic work in their home. Merchants were engaged in the trade of goods and services.

Describe the values that people in a relationship should have as shown in The Heptameron.

In the Heptameron, the several stories that are told by the narrators are mostly about human relationships. These stories highlight some values that individuals should possess in order to have thriving and stable relationships with their partners and friends. Some of the values are; chastity, kindness, generosity, empathy, accountability, forgiveness and openness.

In the story of Saint Aignan and his wife, the values that are highlighted are chastity since the reason their marriage failed was because the wife had numerous affairs. Accountability is also shown to be an important value for Saint Aignan failed to be accountable for all the wrongs that he had done when he murdered his wife’s lover and fled.