Pragmatism in Navarre’s Heptameron :: Navarre Heptameron

Pragmatism in Navarre’s Heptameron In Navarre’s Heptameron, the tale of the princess who thwarts an attempted rape reveals the superiority of pragmatism over passion in a Europe transitioning from the medieval period to the Renaissance. Firstly, it is worth mentioning that the princess’ physical defeat of her lustful attacker would have violated traditional societal mores vis-à  -vis the male-female power dynamic. However, it is the princess’ social response that is most significant. While initially insistent on the would-be rapists ‘head’, she calms down after a discussion with her assistant. Her good judgment eventually prevails and the conclusion is favorable for her. The princess was a woman of moral uprightness; that is emphasized in the tale. Her rage emanated from her knowledge that a man, whom she, in an exercise of free will and of her honor, had rejected, would then try to take forcefully that which she had refused to give voluntarily. Clearly, the assailant (also her host) deserved to be punished. The medieval solution would be execution of the attacker; that was the surest way of preserving the family’s honor. However, in the process, the princess’ personal reputation could be destroyed. So, the princess pursues her own personal interest; she refuses to be a victim of â€Å"greater good† philosophy. Her innovative solution leads to the host being consumed with his own guilt. He can no longer bear to face the woman he loved so greatly. His bruises serve as a personal reminder of his sin. The princess, on the other hand, receives confirmation of her suspicions—which she would have been deprived of had she punished her host in a more traditional fashion—and her honor remains intact. Her scheme is also more torturesome for the host; he knows that she might know and her professional and noble behavior throughout attests to her goodness—a goodness he tried to violate.