What is told in Ivanhoe's work. Online reading of Ivanhoe's book Ivanhoe Chapter I. Chapters IX - X
Almost one hundred and thirty years have passed since the Norman Duke William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon troops and took possession of England at the Battle of Hastings (1066). The English people are going through difficult times. King Richard the Lionheart did not return from the last crusade, captured by the treacherous Duke of Austria. The place of his imprisonment is unknown. Meanwhile, the king's brother, Prince John, is recruiting supporters, intending to remove the rightful heir from power and seize the throne in the event of Richard's death. A cunning intriguer, Prince John is wreaking havoc throughout the country, fueling the long-standing enmity between the Saxons and Normans.
The proud Thane Cedric of Rotherwood does not give up hope of throwing off the Norman yoke and reviving the former power of the Saxons, placing at the head of the liberation movement a descendant of the royal family, Athelstan of Coningsburgh. However, the dull and unenterprising Sir Athelstan causes distrust among many. To give more weight to his figure, Cedric dreams of marrying Athelstan to his pupil, Lady Rowena, the last representative of the family of King Alfred. When Lady Rowena’s affection for Cedric’s son, Wilfred Ivanhoe, got in the way of these plans, the unyielding thane, not without reason nicknamed Saxon for his dedication to the cause, expelled his son from his parental home and deprived him of his inheritance.
And now Ivanhoe, dressed as a pilgrim, secretly returns home from the crusade. Not far from his father's estate, he is caught up by a detachment of the commander of the Order of the Templars, Briand de Boisguilbert, who is heading to the knightly tournament in Ashby de la Zouche. Caught on the road by bad weather, he decides to ask Cedric for an overnight stay. The hospitable house of the noble thane is open to everyone, even to the Jew Isaac from York, who joins the guests during the meal. Boisguillebert, who also visited Palestine, boasts at the table about his exploits in the name of the Holy Sepulcher. The pilgrim defends the honor of Richard and his brave warriors and, on behalf of Ivanhoe, who has already once defeated the templar in a duel, accepts the challenge of the arrogant commander to battle. When the guests go to their rooms, the pilgrim advises Isaac to quietly leave Cedric's house - he heard Boisguillebert giving the order to the servants to seize the Jew as soon as he moved further away from the estate. The astute Isaac, who saw the spurs under the young man’s wanderer’s attire, in gratitude gives him a note to a merchant relative, in which he asks to lend the pilgrim armor and a war horse.
The tournament at Ashby, which brought together the entire flower of English knighthood, and even in the presence of Prince John himself, attracted everyone's attention. The organizing knights, including the arrogant Briand de Boisguillebert, confidently win one victory after another. But when, it seemed, no one else would dare to oppose the instigators and the outcome of the tournament was decided, a new fighter appears in the arena with the motto “Disinherited” on his shield, who fearlessly challenges the templar himself to a mortal battle. The opponents come together several times, and their spears are scattered in fragments up to the hilts. All the sympathy of the audience is on the side of the brave stranger - and luck accompanies him: Boisguillebert falls from his horse, and the fight is declared over. Then the Disinherited Knight fights in turn with all the instigators and decisively gains the upper hand over them. As the winner, he must choose the queen of love and beauty, and, gracefully bowing his spear, the stranger lays the crown at the feet of the beautiful Rowena.
The next day a general tournament is held: the party of the knight of the Disinherited fights against the party of Briand de Boisguillebert. The Templar is supported by almost all the instigators. They are pushing back the young stranger, and if not for the help of the mysterious Black Knight, he would hardly have been able to become the hero of the day for the second time. The Queen of Love and Beauty must place an honorary crown on the head of the winner. But when the marshals remove the stranger’s helmet, she sees in front of her Ivanhoe, pale as death, who falls at her feet, bleeding from his wounds.
Meanwhile, Prince John receives a note from a messenger: “Be careful - the devil is unleashed.” This means that his brother Richard received his freedom. The prince is in a panic, and so are his supporters. To secure their loyalty, John promises them rewards and honors. For example, he offers the Norman knight Maurice de Bracy as his wife Lady Rowena - the bride is rich, beautiful and noble. De Bracy is delighted and decides to attack Cedric’s squad on the way home from Ashby and kidnap the beautiful Rowena.
Proud of his son's victory, but still unwilling to forgive him, Cedric Saxe sets off on his return journey with a heavy heart. The news that the wounded Ivanhoe was carried away on a stretcher of some rich lady only fuels his sense of indignation. On the way, Isaac from York and his daughter Rebecca join the cavalcade of Cedric and Athelstan of Coningsburgh. They were also at the tournament and now they are asking to be taken under protection - not so much for their own sake, but for the sake of the sick friend they are accompanying. But as soon as the travelers go deeper into the forest, they are attacked by a large detachment of robbers and all of them are taken prisoner.
Cedric and his companions are taken to the fortified castle of Front de Boeuf. The leaders of the “robbers” turn out to be Boisguillebert and de Bracy, which Cedric guesses when he sees the battlements of the castle. “If Cedric Sax cannot save England, he is ready to die for it,” he challenges his captors.
De Bracy, meanwhile, appears to Lady Rowena and, having confessed everything to her, tries to win her favor. However, the proud beauty is not
is elderly and, only having learned that Wilfred Ivanhoe is also in the castle (namely, he was in Isaac’s stretcher), begs the knight to save him from death.
But no matter how hard it is for Lady Rowena, Rebekah is in much greater danger. Captivated by the intelligence and beauty of Zion's daughter, Briand de Boisguilbert was inflamed with passion for her, and now he persuades the girl to run away with him. Rebekah is ready to choose death over shame, but her fearless rebuke, full of indignation, only gives rise to the confidence in the templar that he has met the woman of his destiny, his soul mate.
Meanwhile, detachments of free yeomen, brought by Cedric’s servants who escaped captivity, are gathering around the castle. The siege is led by Ivanhoe, who has already come to the aid of the Black Knight. Under the blows of his huge ax, the castle gates crack and fall apart, and stones and logs flying on his head from the walls annoy him no more than raindrops. Rebekah, who made her way into Ivanhoe’s room in the turmoil of the battle, tells the bedridden young man what is happening around. Reproaching herself for her tender feelings for an infidel, she is unable to leave him at such a dangerous moment. And the liberators are winning back inch by inch from the besieged. The Black Knight mortally wounds Front de Boeuf and takes de Bracy prisoner. And what’s strange is that the proud Norman, after a few words spoken to him, unquestioningly resigns himself to his fate. Suddenly the castle is engulfed in flames. The Black Knight barely manages to drag Ivanhoe out into the open air. Boisguillebert grabs the desperately resisting Rebekah and, placing her on the horse of one of the slaves, tries to escape from the trap. ‘However, Athelstan rushes in pursuit of him, deciding that the templar has kidnapped Lady Rowena. The templar's sharp sword falls with all its force on the head of the ill-fated Saxon, and he falls to the ground dead.
Having left the dilapidated castle and thanking the free riflemen for their help, Cedric, accompanied by a stretcher with the body of Athelstan of Coningsburgh, goes to his estate, where he will be given the last honors. The Black Knight also parted with his faithful assistants - his wanderings are not yet over. The leader of the shooters, Luxli, gives him a hunting horn as a farewell gift and asks him to blow it in case of danger. Released, de Bracy gallops at full speed to Prince John to tell him the terrible news - Richard is in England. The cowardly and vile prince sends his main henchman Voldemar Fitz-Urs to capture, or better yet, kill Richard.
Boisguillebert takes refuge with Rebekah in the monastery of the Knights of Templestowe. Grandmaster Beaumanoir, who arrived at the monastery for an inspection, finds many shortcomings; first of all, he is outraged by the licentiousness of the templars. When he learns that a captive Jewish woman is hiding within the walls of the preceptory, who, in all likelihood, is in a love affair with one of the brothers of the order, he decides to hold a trial over the girl and accuse her of witchcraft - for what, if not witchcraft, explains her power over the commander? The stern ascetic Beaumanoir believes that the execution of the Jewish woman will serve as a cleansing sacrifice for the love sins of the Knights of the Temple. In a brilliant speech, which won the sympathy of even her opponents, Rebekah rejects all of Beaumanoir’s accusations and demands a duel: let the one who volunteers to defend her prove her right with a sword.
Meanwhile, the Black Knight, making his way through the forests to his only known goal, comes across an ambush. Fitz-Urs carried out his vile plans, and the English king could have fallen from the treacherous hand if it had not been for the free archers, led by Loxley, who appeared at the sound of the horn. The knight finally reveals his incognito identity: he is Richard Plantagenet, the rightful king of England. Loxley also does not remain in debt: he is Robin Hood from Sherwood Forest. Here the company is caught up by Wilfred Ivanhoe, traveling from Saint-Botolph Abbey, where he was recovering from his wounds, to Coningsburgh Castle. Forced to wait until his supporters gather enough strength, Richard goes with him. At the castle, he persuades Cedric to forgive his rebellious son and give him Lady Rowena as his wife. The resurrected, or rather, never dying, but simply stunned, Sir Athelstan joins his request. The turbulent events of recent days have taken away his last ambitious dreams. However, in the midst of the conversation, Ivanhoe suddenly disappears - he was urgently called by some Jew, the servants report. At the Templestowe monastery everything is ready for the duel. There is only no knight willing to fight Boisguillebert for the honor of Rebekah. If the intercessor does not appear before sunset, Rebekah will be burned. And then a rider appears on the field, his horse almost falls from fatigue, and he himself can barely stay in the saddle. This is Wilfred Ivanhoe, and Rebekah is trembling with excitement for him. The opponents converge - and Wilfred falls, unable to withstand the well-aimed blow of the templar. However, from the fleeting touch of Ivanhoe’s spear, Boisguillebert also falls - and never gets up again. God's judgment has been completed! The Grandmaster declares Rebekah free and innocent.
Having taken his rightful place on the throne, Richard forgives his dissolute brother. Cedric finally agrees to Lady Rowena's wedding to her son, and Rebekah and her father leave England forever. “Ivanhoe lived happily ever after with Rowena. They loved each other even more because they experienced so many obstacles to their union. But it would be risky to inquire in too much detail whether the memory of Rebecca’s beauty and generosity did not come to his mind much more often than Alfred’s beautiful heiress might have liked.”
Retelling - S. A. Solodovnik
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Almost 130 years have passed since the time when, in 1066, at the Battle of Hastings, the Norman Duke William the Conqueror defeated the Anglo-Saxon troops and captured England. The people of England are going through difficult times. The last crusade for King Richard the Lionheart became fatal - he was captured by the treacherous Duke of Austria, and the location of his imprisonment is unknown. At the same time, Richard's brother, Prince John, has his own plans for the English throne. He recruits supporters so that in the event of the king’s death, he can excommunicate the rightful heir from power and seize the crown for himself. Being a clever intriguer, Prince John is causing trouble throughout England, pushing the warring Saxons and Normans even further against each other.
The ambitious Thane Cedric of Rotherwood is haunted by the desire to get rid of the Norman yoke and restore the former power of the Saxons.
To do this, the command of the liberation movement, according to his plan, must be taken over by a descendant of the royal family, Athelstan of Koningburg. However, there is one problem - many people treat the stupid and unenterprising Sir Athelstan with distrust. To make his figure more significant, Cedric wants to marry Athelstan to the last of the representatives of King Alfred's family - Lady Rowena, who is his ward. When Cedric realized that his plans could be hindered by Lady Rowena’s ardent feelings for his own son Wilfred Ivanhoe, the indomitable thane, who received his nickname Sax for his dedication to his cause for good reason, kicked his son out of his home and left him without an inheritance.
And so, dressed in pilgrim’s clothes, Ivanhoe secretly returns home. Near his father's estate, he is overtaken by a detachment of Briand de Boisguilbert, commander of the Order of the Templars, heading to a knightly competition in Ashby de la Euche. Finding himself in bad weather, he decided to ask Cedric to spend the night. The doors of the noble thane's house are always open for guests, even for the Jew Isaac, who arrived from York, and joined the guests when they were already eating. Boisguillebert, who also happened to visit Palestine, began to boast during the meal about his exploits performed in the name of the Holy Sepulcher. The pilgrim defends the honor of King Richard and his brave warriors and, like Ivanhoe, who once already defeated the templar in single combat, accepts the pompous commander’s challenge to battle. After the guests have dispersed to their rooms, the pilgrim advises the Jew to quietly disappear from Cedric's house, since he heard the commander ordering his servants to seize Isaac as soon as he was a little further from the estate.
In the 20s of the 19th century, the reading world was gripped by a real Walter Scott fever. The novels of the “great unknown” were reprinted many times in Great Britain and were very quickly translated into European languages. People of different ages and classes were fond of Scott. His writing colleagues were jealous of his success, but mentioned his books in their works. So, on the night before the duel, the novel of the “great unknown” is read by Lermontov’s Pechorin, the main character of the novel “Wives and Daughters” Molly “runs away” from family troubles into the world of noble heroes and beautiful ladies, and they meet “Rob Roy” in the Nekhlyudovs’ living room in Tolstoy’s "Youth".
Particularly popular after the debut “Waverley” was “” - the first book set in medieval England, and not in Scotland of the 16th-17th centuries. Initially, it was a commercial project designed to attract even more readers to the work of Walter Scott, but literary scholars are sure that the stubborn author would not have been able to write anything worthwhile if he did not hope that this work would become his contribution to the contemporary political debate. And even now, when Ivanhoe is considered a children's book (“the first and last novel for boys”), it is easy to see important themes of the post-Napoleonic era.
Walter Scott
A chivalric novel about the 19th century
If we leave aside the romantic story about a disinherited knight and his beautiful lover, then the novel comes to the fore in England at the end of the 12th century, torn apart by disputes between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans. Professional historians have often reproached Walter Scott for exaggerating these differences. Like, more than a hundred years after the invasion of William the Conqueror, both sides had almost nothing to share. The writer, of course, did not invent anything; the remnants of this confrontation are still visible in the English language, where high style is formed by words with Romance roots, and simple speech is marked by lexemes of Germanic origin. However, the Anglo-Saxon resistance was indeed not so obvious.
Could Walter Scott have made a similar mistake? There are indeed a number of historical inaccuracies in Ivanhoe, but in the context of the novel they can rather be classified as slips of the tongue. The writer began writing this book after working on the article “Chivalry” for the Encyclopedia Britannica. The article was published in 1818 and largely explained the difference between the military-feudal knighthood (Anglo-Saxon term denoting a category of professional warrior-horses) and the Norman concept of chivalry, which included social and cultural connotations. Based on the collected material, a year later the author of Waverley published Ivanhoe.
Today, a number of researchers of Walter Scott’s work agree that the end of the 12th century in the novel easily overlaps with the situation of the first half of the 19th century, and the dispute between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans is a metaphor for the disagreements between the English and the Scots. The latter became part of the United Kingdom only in 1707, but did not accept their “vassal” position.
As a Scottish patriot, Walter Scott believed in the national identity of his small people, loved their culture and regretted the dying dialect, but as a man who knew politics and understood the situation in the country, he could appreciate the benefits of unification with England. In this context, Ivanhoe should be seen as an attempt to reconcile the two camps.
Indeed, Scott created a novel not about the end of the Anglo-Saxon resistance, but about the birth of a united English nation. Both warring groups in the book have their own strengths and weaknesses. Thus, the writer clearly sympathizes with the indigenous population, but he portrays the Saxon ten Cedric as an inert and grumpy old man, and the main hope of the entire “party” - Athelstan of Coningsburgh - as a lazy and indecisive person. At the same time, the Normans, unpleasant in all respects, upon a more detailed analysis turn out to be masters of their craft, strong and purposeful warriors. The indigenous people are fair and freedom-loving, while the invaders know how to “stand up for themselves.”
Disinherited Ivanhoe and his patron King Richard the Lionheart are here the best representatives of their peoples. Moreover, Richard is even more “English” than Ivanhoe; he is a true follower of William the Conqueror, a brave and courtly knight, but at the same time a fair and wise ruler, not afraid to sully his reputation by communicating with people who were outside the law (Loxley’s story). Of course, Walter Scott idealized the ruler, whose crusade, which ended with a ransom from captivity, almost led the country to economic collapse.
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Literary influence of "Ivanhoe"
The writer followed the ballad tradition of depicting a noble warrior king. And, it must be said, he rehabilitated Richard I in culture. In 1825, Walter Scott used his image for the second time in his novel. We are talking about the book “The Talisman”, where Lionheart became the main character.
“Ivanhoe” also influenced the literary fate of another semi-legendary character - Robin Hood, who is called Loxley here. Thanks to Walter Scott, the tradition has firmly established the opinion that the noble robber lived in the 12th century and was a contemporary of John the Landless and his crusader brother. However, the writer contradicts himself, because Loxley in the novel becomes the winner of an archery tournament, and such competitions began to be held in England no earlier than the 13th century. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, Ivanhoe was not without errors and anachronisms.
Most legends about Robin Hood stipulate that he comes from a noble family. This point of view was first questioned by the British antiquary and folklore collector Joseph Riton. According to his version, the historical prototype of Robin was a yeoman (small landowner) born in the village of Loxley near Nottingham (hence the hero’s second nickname). Scott adopted this very hypothesis in order to make Robin Hood a fighter for strong individual power, capable of resisting the private interests of feudal lords. Loxley and his squad are Richard's loyal allies, helping him in the fight against Front de Boeuf, de Bracy and others. No matter how pretentious it sounds, the writer turned the noble robber into a symbol of popular resistance. Some literary scholars even call the relationship between people in his squad primitive communism.
Ideal Middle Ages
From the middle of the 19th century, the popularity of Walter Scott's books began to decline. The rational era had no use for the romantic heroes of the author of “Waverley”; a new wave of interest in them arose only at the beginning of the 20th century. But, as French medieval historian Michel Pastoureau writes, it is still very difficult to find a complete version of the novel, not adapted for children, in European bookstores, which undermines respect for the work in the eyes of literary and university criticism. At the same time, the images of the knight Ivanhoe, Rowena, Rebecca or Loxley have become cultural topoi and continue to influence their audience, if not directly, then through films.
“In a survey conducted in 1983-1984 by the magazine “Medievales” among young researchers and recognized historians, the question appeared: “Where did you get your interest in the Middle Ages?” Among about three hundred respondents, a third claimed that they owed their early awakened interest in the Middle Ages “Ivanhoe,” writes Pastoureau.
Eugene Delacroix "Rebecca and the Wounded Ivanhoe"
What do modern readers find in a not very accurate historical work? The fact is that Walter Scott managed to create an image of the ideal Middle Ages with knightly tournaments, heraldry, trials against witches and the struggle of feudal lords and the king, in a word, everything that, regardless of historical details, is repeated in any scientific or fiction book. The story, constructed like a fairy tale, is set in the gloomy atmosphere of an era of continuous wars, which do not allow leaving the house without an armed detachment, and difficult living conditions, where even the chambers of a noble lady are so permeable that curtains and tapestries flutter in the wind.
After the release of Ivanhoe, science and literature briefly switched places. The novel aroused such a keen interest in the Middle Ages that in 1825 Augustin Thierry, a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure, teacher and pioneer of scientific history, published the first of his works - “The History of the Conquest of England by the Normans, Outlining its Causes and Consequences for England, Scotland, Ireland and continental Europe from antiquity to modern times."
History of character creation
The key figure on whose description the plot is based was the valiant knight Ivanhoe. When the first edition was released in 1814, the book was announced as an adventure novel. The adult public was delighted with it, and today teenagers are also reading it. The description of the life of medieval knights leaves few people indifferent.
In Walter Scott's bibliography, consisting of 28 books in the genre of historical novel, Ivanhoe stands apart. It faithfully depicts the reign of the Lionheart, but also artistically transforms the portraits of the royals to create grand ideals. In the preface to Ivanhoe, the author explains that he was inspired when considering the combination of modern images and age-old traditions and customs to create the leitmotif of the novel. Walter Scott was only worried about the syllable, afraid of spoiling 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, and the fate of ordinary heroes. Thanks to the author's imagination, the pages describe characters who can serve as role models. Interesting authentic motifs of Scottish and English folk art are revealed to the public.
The history of the creation of the novel says that initially Walter Scott wanted to publish the novel under someone else's name. He had previously gained fame as the author of Waverley, or Sixty Years Ago, and he wondered whether the public would recognize him under his pseudonym. However, the publisher later dissuaded the writer from this idea so that the book would not distract attention from his previous works and would not 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 his pupil, Lady Rowena, who is in love with his son, must be successfully married to a Saxon knight. This is the key to the family conflict and the reason for the son’s disinheritance. Cedric made this decision 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 has fighting skills and, during competitions in Palestine, becomes triumphant, defeating Boisguillebert. The author pays attention to the patriotic feelings of the protagonist, noting the lack of disposition towards the Normans: Wilfred is sure that they provoke ordinary people, inciting enmity and anger between them.
In relations with 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 towards Rebekah, who is supportive of him. For a man there is no concept of freedom in this matter. Unlike the king, he is incapable of intrigue and remains faithful to his chosen one, is not subject to temptation, criticizes frivolous men and behaves modestly.
As a progressive character in an innovative work, Ivanhoe sees prospects in harmony. Therefore, he advocates the reunification of the country, takes the oath to the king and becomes his companion on the crusade. Due to his father's unexpected decision, the man has to forget about the inheritance. Over time, Cedric softens and becomes more tolerant of his son's actions.
The author's main idea was to depict chivalry - both a way of life and a way of thinking. Ivanhoe helps those in need and protects the suffering, despite the risks. An honest and just hero comes to the aid of Isaac, saving the Jew’s fortune, and protects him from Boisguillebert’s attacks. Wilfred is a champion of the religion of Christianity, so many of the knight’s actions are dictated by commandments and faith.
“A knight without fear or 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 worth emulating. In the battles for the Holy Land, Wilfred gains invaluable experience, says goodbye to youthful fervor and subsequently demonstrates the maturity of his decisions and actions.
A full description of the image of the main character is impossible without comparison with the antagonists and protagonists. Despite the quarrel with his father Cedric, Ivanhoe treats his parent with respect. The old man’s views are contrary to the perception of reality to which Wilfred is inclined, but traditions and family ties mean a lot to the hero. He is not known for his rancor and communicates respectfully with Cedric.
Ivanhoe and Rebekah
Rowena acts as Wilfred's lover and loyal, understanding friend. Her reserved nature is contrasted with Rebekah's temperament. A young Jewish woman causes a fight between Ivanhoe and Briand de Boisguillebert. The girl's honor 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, 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 into Torquilston Castle, but this order had not yet been founded at the time the novel takes place. There is also a mention of a Carmelite monastery, but in reality the first monastic community of Carmelites appeared almost 40 years later.
Ivanhoe in films
Four films were made 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 film, which began a trilogy about knights. The 1982 film adaptation, where the main role was played by actor Anthony Andrews, won the hearts of viewers.
The work "Ivanhoe", a brief summary of which can be described by the 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 quick retelling of the plot testifies to the genuine valor of the heroes depicted in the novel. This is a masterpiece of classic literature that has thrilled readers around the world for many years.
Walter Scott "Ivanhoe" - history of creation
“Ivanhoe” is a work belonging to the genre of historical novel, written by the 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 writer's biography. He wanted the story to be set 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 honors the code of the knight and fights for King Richard. Is the embodiment of knightly valor and honor;
- Rowena is Cedric's pupil, honest and faithful to her lover;
- Cedric is Ivanhoe's father, a noble but capricious and hot-tempered lord;
- Rebecca is the daughter of the Jew Isaac, in love with Ivanhoe, a strong-willed and brave girl;
- Richard the Lionheart is a brave and fair ruler, but prone to adventure.
Minor characters
The following heroes are also encountered:
- Isaac is a Jewish moneylender and loving father;
- Athelstan - a royal descendant from the Saxon dynasty;
- Reginald Front de Boeuf is a cruel lord who inherited the Ivanhoe estate; main negative character;
- Prince John is the vile, greedy and dishonest brother of King Richard.
The descriptions of the chapters are given in abbreviation. The main thoughts can be taken for a reader's diary.
Chapters 1 - 4
On his way home, King Richard I is captured. Prince John intends to take the throne. The swineherd Gurth and the jester Wamba, slaves of Lord Cedric Sax, meet a detachment of horsemen, including the Abbot Aymer and the knight Briand de Boisguillebert.
They ask how to get to Cedric's castle. Wamba shows the wrong road and the riders ride away.
Along the way, the riders meet a man named Palmer, who accompanies them to the estate. This is Wilfred Ivanhoe, disguised as a pilgrim.
Ivanhoe is Cedric's son, exiled by his father and disinherited because he was in love with Lady Rowena, Cedric's ward. He intended to give her in marriage to the rich royal descendant of Athelstan and with this help throw off Norman oppression.
Guests arrive at the castle. Everyone is having dinner when the servant announces that the wanderer is a Jew named Isaac and asks to be let in for the night.
Chapters 5 - 8
After everyone goes to bed, Palmer overhears de Boisguillebert talking; he intends to rob Isaac. Palmer helps Isaac escape a robbery; in exchange, Isaac helps Palmer obtain armor and a horse so he can compete in the great tournament at Ashby.
On the first day of the battle, Palmer, fighting under the coat of arms with the motto "desdecado", that is, disinherited, defeats all rivals, including de Boisguilbert. 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 takes off his helmet, she recognizes Ivanhoe. He is badly wounded and loses consciousness, falling to the ground at Rowena's feet.
Chapters 13 - 17
In the turmoil, Prince John and his advisers hastily discuss the consequences of his appearance and their plan of action. A messenger brings John a warning, meaning Richard has been released.
Chapters 18 - 22
Cedric is worried about his son's injury. On his way out of Ashby, he encounters Isaac and Rebecca, who are 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 asked 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, saying that if she does not agree, he will kill Cedric and Ivanhoe. The bugle foreshadows the appearance of a letter written by the Black Knight, announcing his intention to free the prisoners by siege.
Chapters 28 – 31
After being injured in the tournament, Ivanhoe was looked after by Isaac and Rebecca. When the Saxons met the Jews before their capture, Rebecca and Isaac said that there was a sick old man on the mat. It was Ivanhoe himself.
In battle, Front-de-Boeuf leads the castle's defenders against the Black Knight. He receives a mortal wound. The flames begin to spread throughout the castle.
The Black Knight managed to capture de Bracy; he rushes into the castle to save Ivanhoe. The remaining prisoners manage to escape on their own; however, Rebecca is captured by de Boisguilbert.
Chapters 32 – 36
The Black Knight frees de Bracy. Eimear writes a letter to de Boisguillebert, urging him to release Rebecca. As Isaac travels to the Knights Templar's stronghold, the others prepare to return the body of the slain Athelstan to his castle. Rebecca is declared a witch and faces execution.
Chapters 37 – 40
Rebecca's trial begins. She is considered guilty and de Boisguilbert encourages her to ask one of the knights to fight in battle for her. She does this, and the Templars send an envoy to Isaac. Ivanhoe goes to the castle. The Black Knight is attacked. Loxley's people help him. In battle it is discovered 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 became the champion of the Templars against his will.
At the very last moment, Ivanhoe comes to Rebecca's defense. He attacks Boisguillebert, but he is so exhausted that he falls off his horse. But de Boisguilbert falls dead. Ivanhoe wins and Rebecca is saved.
Ivanhoe and Rowena got married. Rebecca and her father left England forever. For many years, Ivanhoe served 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. This describes the moment when King Richard returned to England after fighting in the Crusades and languishing in prison.
The main historical focus of the novel focuses on the tension between the Saxons and the Normans who inhabited England.
Conclusion
In his novel, the author painted images of brave people who were 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 the favorite type of hero in an adventure novel.
