The work "Ivanhoe", a summary of which can be described as a rivalry between the descendants of the Norman conquerors of England and the Saxons, is recognized as the pinnacle of Walter Scott's work.
Even a cursory retelling of the plot testifies to the genuine valor of the heroes depicted in the novel. It is a masterpiece of classical literature that has thrilled readers around the world for many years.
Walter Scott "Ivanhoe" - history of creation
Ivanhoe is a historical novel by Scottish writer Walter Scott. The text of the novel was published in 1819.
Walter Scott (1771-1832)
This is the first historical novel in the biography of the writer. He wanted the plot to take place in South Yorkshire in the north of England during the reign of Richard l.
The main characters and their characteristics
List of main characters:
- Ivanhoe is a brave English hero who obeys the knight's code and fights for King Richard. Is the embodiment of knightly valor and honor;
- Rowena is Cedric's pupil, honest and loyal to her lover;
- Cedric is Ivanhoe's father, a noble but wayward and quick-tempered lord;
- Rebecca - the daughter of the Jew Isaac, in love with Ivanhoe, a strong-willed and courageous girl;
- Richard the Lionheart is a brave and just ruler, but prone to adventures.
Minor characters
The following heroes are also encountered:
- Isaac is a Jewish usurer, a loving father;
- Athelstan is a royal descendant of the Saxon dynasty;
- Reginald Fron de Boeuf - a cruel lord who inherited the Ivanhoe estate; the main negative character;
- Prince John is the mean, greedy and dishonest brother of King Richard.
Descriptions of chapters are given in abbreviations. The main thoughts can be taken for a reader's diary.
Chapters 1-4
On the way home, King Richard I is captured. Prince John intends to take the throne. The swineherd Gurt and the jester Wamba, slaves of Lord Cedric Sachs, meet a detachment of horsemen, including Abbot Aymer and the knight Briand de Boisguillebert.
They ask how to get to Cedric's castle. Wamba points the wrong way, and the riders leave.
Along the way, the riders meet a man named Palmer, who escorts them to the estate. This is Wilfred Ivanhoe disguised as a pilgrim.
Ivanhoe is the son of Cedric, exiled by his father and disinherited due to the fact that he was in love with Lady Rowena, Cedric's pupil. He intended to give her in marriage to a wealthy royal descendant of Athelstan and thereby throw off the Norman oppression.
Guests arrive at the castle. Everyone is having supper when the servant announces that the wanderer is a Jew named Isaac and asks to let him in for the night.
Chapters 5-8
After everyone goes to bed, Palmer overhears de Boisguillebert's conversation; he intends to rob Isaac. Palmer helps Isaac escape the robbery; in exchange, Isaac helps Palmer procure armor and a horse so that he can participate in the big tournament at Ashby.
On the first day of the battle, Palmer, fighting under the coat of arms with the motto "desdechado", that is, disinherited, defeats all rivals, including de Boisguillebert. Palmer is allowed to choose the Queen of Love and Beauty.
Chapters 9-12
The knight chooses Rowena as his queen. The knights who oppose Palmer attack him together. With the help of an unknown Black Knight, he wins the tournament. When Rowena removes his helmet, she recognizes Ivanhoe. He is badly injured and loses consciousness, falling to the ground at Rowena's feet.
Chapters 13 - 17
In the confusion, Prince John and his advisers hastily discuss the consequences of his appearance and their plan of action. The messenger brings John a warning, which means that Richard has been released.
Chapters 18 - 22
Cedric worries about his son's injury. On the way from Ashby, he meets Isaac and Rebecca, accompanying a very sick man. Rebecca asks for protection, Cedric agrees. Suddenly de Bracy attacks and takes them prisoner. De Bracy's men take the prisoners to the castle. Isaac is thrown into prison and demanded to pay a ransom. The sound of a bugle at the gate interrupts this scene.
Chapters 23 - 27
Maurice de Bracy demands marriage from Rowena, stating that if she does not agree, he will kill Cedric and Ivanhoe. The Horn foreshadows a letter written by the Black Knight announcing his intention to free the prisoners by siege.
Chapters 28 - 31
After being wounded in the tournament, Ivanhoe was looked after by Isaac and Rebecca. When the Saxons met the Jews before they were captured, Rebecca and Isaac said that there was an old sick man on the mat. It was Ivanhoe himself.
In battle, Fronne de Boeuf leads the defenders of the castle against the Black Knight. He receives a mortal wound. The flame begins to spread through the castle.
The Black Knight managed to capture de Bracy; he rushes to the castle to save Ivanhoe. The rest of the prisoners manage to escape on their own; however, Rebecca is captured by de Boisguillebert.
Chapters 32 - 36
The Black Knight frees de Bracy. Aymer writes a letter to de Boisguillebert urging him to let Rebecca go. When Isaac goes to the citadel of the Knights Templar, the others prepare to return the body of the slain Athelstan to his castle. Rebecca has been declared a witch and will be executed.
Chapters 37 - 40
Rebecca's trial begins. She is considered guilty, and de Boisguillebert urges her to ask one of the knights to fight in battle for her. She does this, and the Templars send a messenger to Isaac. Ivanhoe goes to the castle. The Black Knight is attacked. Locksley's people help him. In battle, it is revealed that the knight is the king himself.
Chapters 41 - 44
Richard is waiting for his allies to raise a formidable force. It turns out that Athelstan was only stunned by de Boisguillebert's blow. A large crowd gathered for the tournament for Rebecca's life. De Boisguillebert, against his will, became the champion of the Templars.
At the very last moment, Ivanhoe enters Rebecca's defense. He attacks Boisguillebert, but he is so exhausted that he falls off his horse. But de Boisguillebert falls dead. Ivanhoe wins and Rebecca is saved.
Ivanhoe and Rowena got married. Rebecca and her father left England for good. For many years, Ivanhoe served with King Richard.
Analysis of the work
"Ivanhoe" is an adventure novel. It has 466 pages of text, but in short, its main purpose is to tell a story of heroism. Here is the moment when King Richard returned to England after fighting in the Crusades and languishing in prisons.
The main historical emphasis of the novel focuses on the tension between the Saxons and Normans who inhabited England.
Conclusion
In his novel, the author painted images of brave people who are ready to stand up for the honor of their friends. Walter Scott's novel is a masterpiece of literary art for many centuries. The image of a brave, valiant knight, created in the work, remains a favorite type of hero in an adventure novel.
W. Scott's novel "Ivanhoe" was written in 1819.
Its action takes place in Scotland and takes the reader seven centuries back into a special world of history and experiences. We are interested in the main character - Ivanhoe, whose characteristics will be given in the article. But first, we will briefly review the main events of this work.
The beginning of events in the novel
After the end of the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart languishes in captivity. Prince John insidiously takes his place on the throne. Ivanhoe, whose characterization we are interested in, is a staunch supporter of the rightful king.
Caught up in bad weather, all the heroes of the novel meet in the house of Cedric Sachs. There are inquiries about the campaign in the name of faith.
The Templar Knight says that he lost to only one knight in the tournament: his name is Ivanhoe. Everyone gasps - this name is forbidden to be mentioned in the house.
In the meantime, everyone prepares for the Ashby tournament to take place the next day.
All the nobility came to Ashby to see the valor of the knights who returned from Palestine. A knight enters the arena, who introduces himself as Deprived of Inheritance. He doesn't open his face to anyone. Having defeated everyone, he makes a circle around the arena and chooses Lady Rowena as the queen of beauty and love.
The second day of the tournament continues with squad fights. Companions of the Knight Deprived of Inheritance are defeated. He fights alone with three opponents. A knight in black armor comes to his aid. Together they achieve victory, and the black knight disappears. Prince John again appoints a mysterious knight as the victor. He again chooses Lady Rowena as queen, but, wounded, falls from his horse and then his face opens. Everyone recognizes Wilfred Ivanhoe, whose characterization will follow.
In captivity
A small detachment of Cedric Sachs, which includes Lady Rowena, a beautiful Jewess Rebekah with her father and a wounded helpless protagonist, captures Prince John's detachment and imprisons them in de Boeuf's castle. By cunning, Cedric's subordinates rescue him from the castle. He, together with the Black Knight, captures the castle and frees the prisoners. This knight turns out to be King Richard and invites everyone to him.
In the castle of the king
A royal invitation is an order. According to Cedric, it is Athelstan who is the rightful king of England, and Lady Rowena should belong to him. But Athelstan himself, a native Saxon, swears allegiance to King Richard, and everyone persuades Cedric to unite Rowena and Cedric's son, who are in love with each other. While Cedric hesitates, the knight-hero, emaciated by the wound, goes to certain death - to free Rebekah. She is held captive by the Templar Boisguillebert. In a duel, the knight of the order suddenly falls from his horse and dies. Our hero, having freed Rebekah, returns. Cedric was persuaded to allow the marriage of Lady Rowena and his son. The wedding of Rowena and Ivanhoe takes place, the characteristics of which will be presented a little later.
Novel "Ivanhoe"
After the success of Waverly, which was published in 1814, Ivanhoe will become the eighth work of the historical genre. The work "Ivanhoe", the characteristic of which is paradoxical and lies in the fact that it, having become a classic of historical adventure literature, has now migrated to children's libraries.
The novel seems to be somewhat prolonged, the action develops slowly. But the retreats are wonderful, which show the panorama of life in the 12th century and immerse you in its atmosphere, in the entourage of knightly life, which is once again becoming fashionable: adolescents and adults make themselves costumes of knights and arrange elegant knightly tournaments.
Knight Ivanhoe: characteristics
Wilfred Ivanhoe belongs to the old family. His father Sachs adheres to all ancient customs and does not tolerate the Normans, who captured the whole country in just one battle. He believes that his pupil, the beautiful lady Rowena, should become related to the face of the royal house of the Saxons. Therefore, he has two reasons to deprive his son of the inheritance: he has sworn allegiance to the English king and dreams of marrying Lady Rowena.
Ivanhoe is handsome, young, strong and brave.
He is fluent in all martial arts, which allows him to defeat the experienced knight Boisguillebert at a tournament in Palestine and repeat it at home.
The hero of the work is a patriot. He hates the Normans, who have been cultivating the bitterness and anger of the common people in their homeland for more than a hundred years.
Ivanhoe is a monogamous person. Having fallen in love with Rowena, he is delicate with Rebekah's feelings and behaves like a knight - no more. And he gave his heart to Lady Rowena forever. He devotes military exploits to his beloved.
Wilfred is noble. He is a man of honor and fairness. He helps Rebekah's father, the old Jew Isaac, to save his fortune and life from the encroachments of the templar de Boisguillebert. He defends Rebekah at trial.
Ivanhoe is progressive. He understands that the future of his country is unification. Therefore, he swears allegiance to the king and goes with him on the Third Crusade. For this, the father deprived his son of his inheritance, and he placed an oak that was uprooted on his shield. Courage, nobility and love for his son's homeland make old Cedric reconsider his political views and open his heart to his son.
The hero is a knight, which means that he is faithful to the given word, protects the weak. Always, even at the risk of his life, Ivanhoe is truthful and just, whose characterization is complete.
All the qualities of Ivanhoe are relevant for our time. The question remains: "Is it easy to be a knight?"
Ivanhoe characteristic plan:
- The history of the creation of the novel "Ivanhoe".
- The origin of the hero.
- His portrait.
- Loyalty to King Richard.
- Attitude towards positive and negative characters.
- Knightly qualities.
This concludes our review of the novel by W. Scott and his protagonist Ivanhoe.
Sir Walter Scott's contribution to the creation of the historical novel cannot be overemphasized. More than one generation of readers have been reading his works for a hundred and fifty years. Ivanhoe is one of the most interesting things written by this author.
The historical setting of the novel
The Normans conquered the ancestral lands of the Saxons about 150 years ago in just one battle. The novel takes place in the XII century against the background of the struggle of two brothers for the throne. This is the rightful king Richard I and his brother John, who, in fact, wants to usurp power in the kingdom. The Plantagenet dynasty fully established itself on the island and drove its native inhabitants to the worst lands. The Saxon nobility dreams of regaining their former position. And the country finds itself in three opposing camps. This is the alignment of forces at the beginning of the novel, where the main image of Ivanhoe, created by the writer's imagination, should be. The plot of the novel begins with Ivanhoe's return to his homeland, where he does not know what awaits him.
Characteristics of the image of Ivanhoe
Wilfred Ivanhoe is disinherited by his father Cedric, but is deeply in love with his ward Rowena, for whom Cedric is preparing a higher fate than marriage with his son. Ivanhoe is a Saxon knight who is loyal to Richard I, King of England, a representative of the Plantagenet dynasty that came from France. From his overlord, he received a desire to follow the courtly laws of honor. Valor, courage, loyalty is not an empty phrase for him. This is the characteristic of the image of Ivanhoe as a whole.
By participating in Richard, he won great fame as a true defender of the faith and Christianity. There he covers himself with glory, but also arouses the hatred of the knight Boisguillebert, whom he defeated in a tournament in Palestine. This is one of the sides that characterizes the image of Ivanhoe. He is the perfect embodiment of a chivalrous code of honor and heroism. For him, Richard the Lionheart is an example. The brave knight spent a long time fighting for the Holy Land. He is not a youth, but a true one who will not act in a rush - such is the image of Ivanhoe before the reader. During a two-day tournament in Ashby, he was seriously injured, but, having gathered all his strength and endurance, he brought the tournament to victory. And then Ivanhoe, not fully recovered, will go to defend the honor of the Jewish girl Rebekah. This is another facet that enters into the image of Ivanhoe. The knight treats his king, whose valor and courage are impeccable, with a great deal of criticism because of his love affairs. The main character of the novel himself is monogamous, and he is not subject to any temptations. The image of Ivanhoe in the novel by Walter Scott is written in a rather monotonous manner. This character is positive and hard enough to draw brightly.
Briand de Boisguillebert
This is a knight of the Knights Templar. The Knights Templar are representatives of a powerful international military religious organization that is supposedly dedicated to the conquest of the Holy Land. But in fact, they often interfere in European politics. Briand de Boisguillebert is a formidable fighter who has endured many trials, dangers and violent passions. He is harsh and sinister. He does not recognize morality. He indulges his passions and temptations. So, knowing that the wealthy Jew Isaac is going to go to Sheffield, the knight does not disdain a simple attack on him with the aim of robbery. Greed, a lustful attitude towards women, far from the lofty courtly notions of that time, characterize this character.
He does not hesitate to kidnap the daughter of old Isaac, Rebecca, and seek love from his captive. However, over the course of the novel, his image undergoes a romantic change thanks to his love for Rebekah. He, realizing that the girl would not respond to his feelings, lost interest in life and died in a duel with Ivanhoe, but made his death conscious. This is the image of the Knight of the Order of the Temple in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe. He is the opposite of the main character, but very interesting and bright.
Lady Rowena
It is difficult to analyze the image of the blond lady Rowena, because in the novel it is given by hint and without development. We learn a lot about her environment, and we can judge about her only indirectly. We learn from the text that she is fair and beautiful. It is also reported that the girl is a "soft, kind, gentle" creature, although thanks to her upbringing she is very proud and serious.
Lady Rowena serves only as a pawn in the hands of men who try to manipulate her. So, Maurice de Bracy immediately wanted to marry her when he found out what her dowry was. Cedric wishes to tie her in marriage to Athelstan so that they can give birth to a new strong royal Saxon generation. And no one cares about the feelings of Lady Rowena herself. She is not perceived by men as a person with her own desires. Even Ivanhoe treats her as a subject. When he returns to his homeland, he is in no hurry to please Lady Rowena with his appearance, but keeps everything in deep secrecy from her. Winning the tournament, Ivanhoe calls Rowena the queen of love and beauty, although she might have preferred a simple warm welcome.
Even when at the end of the novel Ivanhoe finally gets Cedric's consent to the wedding, it turns out that the reader did not even see Ivanhoe courting his bride. One can only assume that there was once courtship, and Rowena developed a feeling of love for Ivanhoe. This young man is a medieval romantic knight, and he needs a beautiful lady to express courtly love and fight for her. This makes Rowena something of a pawn for the writer himself, in order to maintain a love affair, therefore it attracts little interest, love and sympathy from the readership to her. The writer did not succeed in a positive image. It's too sketchy.
Rebekah
It's not entirely fair to compare Rebekah and Rowena because they play different roles in the novel. If the reader knows about the love of Rowena and Ivanhoe as a fait accompli and does not see any intrigue in it, then Rebekah's relationship with Ivanhoe is given in development. The love of a beautiful black-haired Jewish woman does not find a response in the soul of the protagonist. Rebekah is a proud, courageous, courageous and free person, since she does not belong to the highest nobility. She is a person despised because of her nationality. But the beautiful Jewish woman is almost always self-confident.
And whenever she is threatened with violence, she argues with the templar. Rebekah has the opportunity to choose her destiny - to die with dignity at the Templar court or to travel to Spain and devote herself to working in a hospital. In the final scene, she gives Rowena a casket with jewels and rejects the offer to convert to Christianity and stay in England.
These are the main female characters in the novel by Walter Scott "Ivanhoe".
Conclusion
This novel, immediately after it was written, was read by the most famous writers of all countries, not to mention the mass reader. Then he moved into the category of children's literature. But the modern child is unlikely to be interested in the novel. This colorfully described era of the early Middle Ages can arouse the interest of an adult, thoughtful person who knows history and is prone to analysis.
"Ivanhoe" by Walter Scott is a work that we examined today in literature lesson. Its author wrote back in 1819. The very same actions that take place in the novel are depicted at the end of the XII century. In the work, the author showed us life during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart. There is no ideal world, Walter Scott showed us the reality of that time with its cruelty, rudeness, and dangers. He depicted us a period when even just returning home was dangerous and you had to take security with you, otherwise, the trip home could turn into inevitable.
The main characters of Ivanhoe's novel
In the work, the author created a wide variety of characters, thanks to whom he managed to write this interesting work, which can be read in one breath. All the heroes of the novel by Walter Scott are endowed with their own characteristics, their own characters, and at the same time, even the negative protagonists, in the person of the Norman knights, cause admiration. They, despite their atrocities, are courageous, full of determination, ready for the sake of a goal, to risk their lives.
There are many good characters among the main characters, therefore, making a characterization of the heroes of the novel "Ivanhoe", one cannot fail to mention Loxley, Revvek, Isaac. But, perhaps, I will focus on two characters. This is Ivanhoe and Lady Rowena.
Ivanhoe, like Lady Rowena, is liked because of their nobility, because they are faithful to the end, faithful to duty, faithful to the light and beautiful feeling of love.
Immediately we meet Ivanhoe, who gets into his father's house undercover so as not to find out, because he is accused of betraying the king. He goes to his father's house because he loves him, and his beloved remained in this house.
Ivanhoe is ready to come to the aid of those whom everyone turned away from, so he helps the Jew Isaac, although at that time everyone treated the Jews badly. The author of the work created the protagonist of the novel "Ivanhoe" an ideal knight, where intelligence and nobility, courage and the ability to fight are intertwined.
Lady Rowena is a flamboyant representative of her class. She is faithful to her love to the end. She is characterized by mercy, she wants everyone around to be happy. Rowena is kind, affectionate, feminine.
Rowena and Ivanhoe are wonderful heroes, for whom you rejoice, because they still managed to unite, went through all the tests, retaining love for each other.
Characteristics of the heroes based on the work of Walter Scott "AIVENGO"
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Character creation history
The key figure on the description of which the plot is based is the valiant knight Ivanhoe. At the time of its first print run in 1814, the book was announced as an adventure novel. The adult audience was delighted with him, and today teenagers are also reading to him. The description of the life of medieval knights leaves few people indifferent.
In the bibliography of Walter Scott, consisting of 28 books in the genre of the historical novel, Ivanhoe stands out. It reliably depicts the period of reign, nicknamed the Lionheart, but at the same time the portraits of crowned persons are artistically transformed to create majestic ideals. In the preface to Ivanhoe, the author explains that he was inspired when he thought about combining modern images and age-old traditions and customs to create the leitmotif of the novel. Walter Scott was worried only about the syllable, fearing to spoil the transmission of the main idea to the reader.
The novel combines the plots of legends and ballads, a description of the historical features of that time, the fate of ordinary heroes. Thanks to the author's imagination, the pages describe characters that can serve as role models. Interesting authentic motives of Scottish and English folk art are revealed to the public.
The story of the creation of the novel says that initially Walter Scott wanted to publish the novel under a false name. Prior to that, he had already gained fame as the author of Waverly, or Sixty Years Ago, and he wondered if the public would recognize him under a pseudonym. However, later the publisher dissuaded the writer from this idea, so that the book would not divert attention from his previous works and compete with them.
Biography and image of Ivanhoe
The main character of the work is Wilfred Ivanhoe, a representative of an old family and the son of the conservative Cedric. His father hates the Normans and is sure that the pupil in love with his son, Lady Rowena, should be successfully married to a Saxon knight. This is the key to family conflict and the reason for depriving his son of inheritance. This decision was made by Cedric after Ivanhoe took the oath of allegiance to the English king.
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Ivanhoe and Rowena
Wilfred is an example of a typical man of that era. The hero is young, handsome, strong and brave. The knight possesses martial skills and during the competition in Palestine becomes a triumphant, defeating Boisguillebert. The author pays attention to the patriotic feelings of the protagonist, noting the lack of affection for the Normans: Wilfred is sure that they provoke ordinary people, inciting enmity and anger between them.
In relations with the ladies, Ivanhoe behaves impeccably. The female characters in the work are embodied by Lady Rowena and Rebekah (Rebecca). The knight's heart belongs to the first girl. He composes poems for her, remaining delicately cool in relation to Rebekah, who is benevolent to him. For a man, there is no concept of liberty in this matter. Unlike the king, he is incapable of intrigue and remains loyal to his chosen one, is not subject to temptations, criticizes frivolous men and keeps himself modest.
As a progressive character in a groundbreaking work, Ivanhoe sees perspectives in harmony. Therefore, he stands for the reunification of the country, takes the oath of allegiance to the king and becomes his companion in the crusade. Due to the unexpected decision of the father, the man has to forget about the inheritance. Over time, Cedric softens and becomes more tolerant of his son's actions.
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The main idea of the author was the image of chivalry - both a way of life and a way of thinking. Ivanhoe helps those in need and protects those in need, despite the risks. An honest and just hero comes to the aid of Isaac, saving the fortune of a Jew, and defends him from the attacks of Boisguillebert. Wilfred is a champion of the religion of Christianity, so many of the knight's actions are dictated by the commandments and faith.
"A knight without fear and reproach" - this is how Walter Scott describes the hero, rewarding his ward with positive characteristics. For Ivanhoe, Richard the Lionheart is not just a king, but a model to be looked up to. In the battles for the Holy Land, Wilfred gains invaluable experience, says goodbye to youthful fervor, and further demonstrates the maturity of decisions and actions.
A full description of the image of the protagonist is impossible without comparison with antagonists and protagonists. Despite a quarrel with his father Cedric, Ivanhoe treats his parent with respect. The old man's views abhor the perception of reality, to which Wilfred is inclined, but tradition and family ties mean a lot to the hero. He does not differ with rancor and respectfully communicates with Cedric.
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Ivanhoe and Rebekah
Rowena acts as Wilfred's beloved and loyal, understanding friend. Her restrained nature is contrasted with Rebekah's temperament. A young Jewish woman becomes the cause of a fight between Ivanhoe and Briand de Boisguillebert. The honor of the girl is at stake. Scott described the fight in such a way that it becomes clear: Wilfred won not by physical strength, but by fortitude.
The more obstacles and difficulties there are, the more glory lies ahead.Although Walter Scott relied on historical sources when creating the novel, some inaccuracies crept into the novel. For example, the jester Wamba pretends to be a Franciscan monk in order to get to Torquilston Castle, but this order was not yet founded at the time of the novel. There is also a mention of a Carmelite monastery, but in reality the first Carmelite monastic community appeared almost 40 years later.
Ivanhoe in films
Four films were shot based on the book. The first film about Ivanhoe was released in 1952. He was nominated for an Oscar three times. Richard Thorpe's project opened with this tape, which began a trilogy about the knights. The 1982 film adaptation, starring Anthony Andrews, won the hearts of the audience.
