Text, Film, and Historical Fact:
Soucing “The Name of the Rose”

1. Evaluate the following statement: The film “The Name of the Rose” is an accurate portrayal of the lives of medieval monks.

“The Name of The Rose” is a historical murder mystery combining fiction, biblical analysis, medieval studies and literary theory. The movie is very appropriate for historical class, because it simply describes the debate on the poverty of the clergy, but not converted beyond recognition. The scenes of the life in Abbey describe challenges and promises of monastic life. Such characters as dithering abbot and fat cellarer, quirky herbalist and dedicated illuminator demonstrate the variety of occupation and different personalities within the walls of the monastery. The scenes where after the second murder even the abbey became under the apprehension that they are experiencing the last days before the coming of Antichrist, is a perfect evidence that in the fourteen century many experienced divorce from the scholarly world turned to superstition, heretic movements, or apocalyptical outbursts. Moreover, the movie accurately described some parts of daily life medieval monks. The dining sessions, scenes of prayers, psalms and hymns were showed properly. Medieval monks devoted their lives to strict routine and discipline of life. For example, the part where elderly blind monk was angry at other monks because they were laughing claiming that monks never fool themselves. In the movie there were many scenes that performed the process of coping the manuscripts of classical authors as well.

2. Evaluate the following statement: As the film suggests, questions about sexuality were ever-present in the medieval European mind.

Sexuality in medieval Europe was repressed. The Church was considering all sexual acts and thoughts as impure. Any sexual behavior was threatening