In Extremis

by Howard Brenton

A new spirit of philosophical and religious enquiry is growing in 12th-century France. In its vanguard is the brilliant Peter Abelard. He starts a war of ideas with the powerful Abbot and Pope-maker, Bernard of Clairvaux, the arch-priest of medieval mysticism and austerity. But his enemies find just the pretext they need to destroy him.

Genres: Plays, Drama, Historical Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d love to see this live, but certain things about the treatment of the central relationship sat weird with me.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a play about the relationship of Abelard and Heloise (two intellectuals and lovers) during 12th century France and the dialectical environment they lived in. I have read and studied the letters of Abelard and Heloise and I have seen this play performed at Shakespeare's Globe so I am a little partial but I found it very entertaining, intelligent, and sharply witty. It is nice balance between historical accuracy and poetic license. Brenton fills in the gaps in the story of Abelard and Heloise very smoothly. In Extremis is a short and satisfying read. Also, the Goodreads description of this book is completely wrong. As is the one on Amazon. Info must have gotten crossed with another book.

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

For whatever reason, all the descriptions of this work online seem to think it's a story about Oscar Wilde. It's not. It's a fantastic drama about the relationship of Abelard and Heloise, and the tension between dueling philosophies in the theological community of 12th century Europe. I had the good fortune to see this play performed at the Globe in London in 2006, and was very glad to find a printed copy of the text on Amazon a few years later.

[Becky Chatman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The script of this play was every bit as delightful as I remembered from the production at the Globe Theatre. What a magical time we had there, and I am so glad this show was playing at the time! I would recommend this play to everyone!