The principles of creating a historical novel in the work of Walter Scott "Ivanhoe. Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott's contribution to the creation of the historical novel cannot be overestimated. More than one generation of readers read 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 is set in the 12th century against the background of the struggle of two brothers for the throne. This is the legitimate king Richard I and his brother John, who, in fact, wants to usurp power in the kingdom. The Plantagenet dynasty completely established itself on the island and forced out its indigenous inhabitants to the worst lands. The Saxon nobility dreams of regaining their former position. And the country finds itself in three opposing camps. Such is the alignment of forces at the beginning of the novel, where the main thing should be the image of Ivanhoe, created by the writer's imagination. The plot of the novel begins with the return of Ivanhoe 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 to 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 for him is not an empty phrase. Such is the characteristic of the image of Ivanhoe as a whole.
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 the knightly 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 haste - this is how the image of Ivanhoe appears before the reader. During a two-day tournament at 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 the image of Ivanhoe. To his king, whose valor and courage are impeccable, the knight treats with a large share of criticism because of his love affairs. Himself main character the novel is monogamous, and he is not subject to any temptations. The image of Ivanhoe in the novel by Walter Scott is written rather monotonously. This character is positive, and it is quite difficult to draw it 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. Brian de Boisguillebert is a formidable fighter who has endured many trials, dangers and violent passions. He is stern and looks 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 for the purpose 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, as the novel progresses, his persona undergoes a romantic change due 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. Such 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 as a hint and without development. We learn a lot about her environment, but we can only judge indirectly about her. From the text we learn that she is fair and beautiful. It is also reported that the girl is a “soft, kind, gentle” creature, although due to her upbringing she is very proud and serious.
Lady Rowena only serves 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 marry her to Athelstan so that they can give birth to a strong new royal Saxon generation. And no one cares about Lady Rowena's own feelings. She is not perceived by men as a person with own desires. Even Ivanhoe treats it like a subject. When he returns to his homeland, he is in no hurry to please Lady Rowena with his appearance, but keeps everything from her in deep secrecy. 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 had 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 to keep up the love affair, and therefore attracts little interest, love and sympathy from the readership. positive image the writer failed. It's too schematic.
Rebekah
It is not entirely fair to compare Rebekah and Rowena, because in the novel they play different roles. 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 a 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 fate - to die with dignity at the Templars' trial, or to go to Spain and devote herself to working in a hospital. In the final scene, she gives Rowena a jewelry box and rejects an offer to convert to Christianity and stay in England.
These are the main female images in Walter Scott's Ivanhoe.
Conclusion
This novel immediately after its writing was read by the most famous writers of all countries, not to mention the general 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 interest in an adult thoughtful person, who knows history and prone to analysis.
Biography of Walter Scott
Walter Scott was born in Scotland, in the city of Edinburgh, in the family of a lawyer. From the early childhood he was interested in history. The future writer had a phenomenal memory: he easily remembered dates, events, names, titles.
After leaving school, the writer worked for several years in his father's law office. During this period, he reads a lot, and a lot - in the original language. Walter Scott was fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, German and Latin. In the nineties of the XVIII century, Scott was fond of German romanticism. He entered literature primarily as a poet.
In 1811, Walter Scott purchased 100 acres of land on the south bank of the River Tweed, once owned by Melrose Abbey. On this site, Scott set about building a mansion in the old Scottish baronial style, calling it Abbotsford (Fig. 2).
Rice. 2. Abbotsford Mansion
Scott turned the Abbotsford estate into a kind of museum of Scotland's past. The mansion was built according to the design of Scott himself. Construction was completed in 1824. From 1826 until his death in 1832 Walter Scott lived and worked permanently in Abbotsford.
In 1813, while sorting through his manuscripts, Walter Scott unexpectedly stumbled upon a manuscript of a novel that he began writing in 1805. After rereading the manuscript, he decided to continue working on it. In the shortest possible time, literally in a year, Walter Scott writes his first historical novel, Waverley. From this moment begins the worldwide fame of the writer as the author of a historical novel.
In Scotland, in the heart of Edinburgh, there is unusual monument- this majestic building consists of a sixty-meter-high lancet arch, which resembles a Gothic medieval cathedral (Fig. 3). Under the arch, on a pedestal to which steps lead, is a statue of Walter Scott in white marble. The writer sits with a book in his hand. Next to him is a beloved dog that faithfully looks at the owner. In the niches of the tower there are figures of the heroes of W. Scott's books. 
Rice. 3. Monument to Walter Scott
“I erected a monument to myself not made by hands ..” - these lines from famous poem A.S. Pushkin is the best match for Walter Scott. He lives on in his great works.
Among the many works of Scott, perhaps the most popular was the novel "Ivanhoe". The novel takes place in England in the 12th century. The conflict unfolds between two warring camps: the Normans, who conquered England at the end of the 12th century, and the Anglo-Saxons, who have owned the territory of the country for several centuries. For the novel, as for all of Scott's work, the interweaving of political and love intrigue is characteristic. Reporting information about medieval England, the author tells us about knightly honor, love, and fidelity.
Against the backdrop of picturesque historical events the hero acts - Ivanhoe, faithful to the code of honor, in any situation acting according to a sense of duty and remaining faithful beautiful sweetheart. He wins the duels of the Knights Templar, fights with Richard the Lionheart, takes part in the crusade, protects the defenseless, fights for his love.
Thus, through a fictional story about the brave knight Ivanhoe, a historical era is presented - the life of England in the 12th century.
The historical flavor of the era is created in the novel using the following techniques:
1. direct historical comment,
2. details of the era (interior, clothes, traditions),
3. presence historical characters.
Let's work with the text and select quotes that recreate the era. First of all, we will pay attention to direct historical commentary, which is the main device in historical prose. We have already encountered this device in the works of Pushkin and Gogol. However, if the direct historical commentary of the named authors was rather concise, then in the novel by Walter Scott we see a detailed account of events, the author draws us the historical situation that developed in England in the 12th century. So, let's turn to the text. Here is what is said about feudal fragmentation.
“... in time, the events described in it refer to the end of the reign of Richard I, when the return of the king from a long captivity seemed a desirable, but already impossible event to desperate subjects who were subjected to endless oppression by the nobility. The feudal lords, who had received exorbitant power in the reign of Stephen, but were forced to submit to the royal authority of the prudent Henry II, now again outraged, as in former times; ignoring the weak attempts of the English council of state to limit their arbitrariness, they fortified their castles, increased the number of vassals, forced the entire district into obedience and vassalage…»
The confrontation between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans (indigenous people and conquerors):
“The conquest of England by the Norman Duke William greatly increased the tyranny of the feudal lords and deepened the suffering of the lower classes. Four generations could not mix together the hostile blood of the Normans and Anglo-Saxons or reconcile the common language and mutual interests of the peoples hated by each other, of which one was still reveling in victory, and the other was suffering from the consequences of its defeat ... Almost without exception, Saxon princes and Saxon nobility were either exterminated or deprived of their possessions; the number of small Saxon owners, who retained the lands of their fathers, was also small. The kings constantly sought, by legal and illegal measures, to weaken that part of the population that experienced an innate hatred of the conquerors. All monarchs of Norman origin had a clear preference for their fellow tribesmen.».
The position of the common people:
“At that time, the English people were in a rather sad situation ... Many peasants, driven to despair by the oppression of the feudal lords and the merciless application of laws on the protection of forests, united in large detachments that ruled in forests and wastelands, not at all afraid of local authorities. In turn, the nobles, playing the role of autocratic rulers, gathered around themselves whole gangs, not much different from robber gangs ... It is not surprising that under such difficult conditions of existence, the English people experienced great disasters in the present and had every reason to fear even worse in the future. . On top of all the evils, some dangerous contagious disease has spread throughout the country. Having found fertile ground for herself in the difficult conditions of life of the lower strata of society, she claimed many victims, and the survivors often envied the dead, delivered from impending troubles.».
Thus, in detailed, direct historical commentary, Walter Scott describes the situation in 12th-century England. It is against this background that the main events of the novel unfold. Speaking about the historical novel, we also noted the great role of the description of the situation and the clothes of the characters. Walter Scott pays great attention to this, he in the most detailed way describes appearance their heroes. Let's take an example.
“His clothes consisted of one leather jacket, sewn from the tanned skin of some animal, fur up; from time to time, the fur was so worn out that it was impossible to determine from the few remaining scraps which animal it belonged to. This primitive robe covered its owner from the neck to the knees and replaced all parts of ordinary clothing for him. The collar was so wide that the jacket was put on over the head, like our shirts or old chain mail. To make the jacket fit snugly to the body, it was pulled over by a wide leather belt with a copper clasp. A bag was hung from the belt on one side, and a ram's horn with a pipe on the other. A long wide knife with a horn handle protruded from his belt; such knives were made right there, in the neighborhood, and were already known then under the name of Sheffield. On his feet this man had sandal-like shoes with bearskin straps, and thinner and narrower straps wrapped around the calves, leaving the knees bare, as is customary among the Scots.».
We can easily recognize Gurt the swineherd in the illustration and we are convinced that the artist reproduced his appearance quite accurately according to the description (Fig. 4).
Rice. 4. A.Z. Itkin. Illustration for the book "Ivanhoe"
Let's name the events of the novel.
1. Crusades
2. Knight tournaments
3. Knights Templar
4. Competitions of archers
5. Abduction of Rowena (Saxon) by the Normans
6. Torture of the Jew Isaac
7. Judgment of Rebekah
8. Forest robbers
So, we have considered the role of historical commentary and detailed description clothes in a historical novel. An equally important role in the work of this genre is played by a historical character. The main historical figure in Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe" was the English king Richard the Lionheart. His image in the novel is covered with a halo of mystery and romanticism. He appears incognito, first under the name of the Black Knight, and then under the name of the Knight of the Padlock. At first, he is perceived by readers as a simple knight-errant, to whom glory won in solitude is dearer than glory at the head of a huge army. However, in this image there is both physical and moral strength, and gradually it is revealed. Let's see what characterization Rebekah gives him, watching the siege of the castle.
“He rushes into battle, as if to a merry feast. More than just muscle power controls his blows - it seems as if he puts his whole soul into every blow inflicted on the enemy. This is a terrible and majestic sight when the hand and heart of one person defeats a hundred people.».
Such traits as courage, generosity and nobility, in fact, were characteristic of the king of England. But, undoubtedly, the image of Richard is far from the historical truth, who in the novel by W. Scott looks like a charming, simple man and a wise warrior who cares about the interests of his people, sincerely loving his subjects. In the historical, authentic Richard, the features of court education were intertwined with the repulsive cruelty and greed of the feudal lord. The history of Richard's wars and raids is full of disgusting facts that strongly contradict the attractive image created by W. Scott. The real Richard the Lionheart wasn't that close to ordinary people England, did not lead them to attack feudal castles, did not judge so fairly and wisely (Fig. 5).
We have repeatedly read various historical works and paid attention to the role of fiction. The author, talking about the events of the past, first of all tries to express his attitude and view of these events. This happened with W. Scott's novel Ivanhoe. The author's task is not to create a real historical character, but to convey his attitude towards him and, more importantly, the attitude of the common people towards him. That is why the novel is based not only on historical chronicles, but also on folk ballads. We know that folklore reflects the people's true view of events. A specific example can be given - the episode when the Black Knight comes across the hut of a hermit monk in the forest, gets to know him, sings songs with him. This episode is taken from a folk ballad.
Rice. 5. Richard the Lionheart
Recall that the main theme of the novel "Ivanhoe" is the depiction of the struggle between the Anglo-Saxons - the local population - and the Norman conquerors. The writer himself is on the side of the Anglo-Saxons. That is why, with the help of fiction, he wanted to show the unity of the king, local feudal lords and the common people. The author gives his Saxon heroes best features- courage, honesty, nobility. This is how we see Cedric Sax, Æthelstan, Ivanhoe. The positive characters of the novel are opposed to the Norman knights. These are people without shame and conscience, capable of the lowest and meanest deeds in order to achieve their own selfish goals. The scenes of the abduction of Rowena, the imprisonment of Rebekah, the torture of the Jew Isaac are disgusting. Tragic is the fate of Urfrida, who became a victim of the arbitrariness of the Normans.
“I was born,” she said, “not at all such a miserable creature as you see me now, my father. I was free, happy, respected, loved and loved myself. Now I am a slave, unhappy and humiliated. While I was beautiful, I was the plaything of the passions of my masters, and since my beauty faded, I became the object of their hatred and contempt. Is it any wonder, my father, that I have come to hate the human race, and most of all the tribe to which I was indebted for such a change in my destiny? Can a frail and shriveled old woman, pouring out her anger in impotent curses, forget that she was once the daughter of the noble thane of Thorquilstone, before whom thousands of vassals trembled?
The image of Urfrida became direct evidence long history humiliation and oppression of the Saxons. Reading the work, we come across other examples of the disrespectful attitude of the Normans towards the Saxons. So, for example, during the knightly horizontal bar, Prince John was very unhappy that he defeated Ivanhoe, and the Saxon Rowena was elected queen of love and beauty.
Throughout the novel, the Normans call the Saxons pigs, mocking their ideals and traditions. In response, the Saxon people composed a proverb.
Norman saws on our oaks,
Norman yoke on our shoulders,
Norman spoons in English porridge,
Normans rule our homeland,
Until we drop all four,
There will be no fun in the native country.
The cup of people's patience is full, which is why the culmination of the novel was the episode of the capture of the castle. In this scene, the author showed the unity of the king, Saxon feudal lords, servants and even forest robbers. All united for one goal - to repel a common enemy.
Loxley
Robin Hood is the hero of medieval English folk ballads, the leader of forest robbers (Fig. 6).
Rice. 6. Robin Hood
According to legend, he acted with his gang in Sherwood Forest near Nottingham - robbed the rich, giving the spoils to the poor.
Robin Hood was born in the village of Loxley, hence his middle name - Robin of Loxley.
Historians are still arguing whether the hero had his own historical prototype. In addition, even if such a person lived, most likely, he existed at the beginning of the XIV century, during the reign of Edward the Second.
However, Walter Scott uses fiction and places his hero in the era of the end of the XII century. There are many facts against this. For example, in the novel, Loxley is involved in a shooting competition. Historians say that such competitions began to be held in England no earlier than in the 13th century.
An interesting scene is the parting of the Black Knight and the leader of the forest robbers Loxley.
“Sir knight,” answered the robber, “each of us has his own secret. I leave you to judge me as you please. I myself have some guesses about you, but it is very possible that neither you nor I hit the target. But since I do not ask you to reveal your secret to me, do not be offended if I do not reveal mine to you.
- Forgive me, brave yeoman, - said the knight, - your reproach is just. But it may happen that we will meet again and then we will not hide from each other. And now, I hope, we will part friends?
“Here is my hand in friendship,” said Loxley, “and I can safely say that this is the hand of an honest Englishman, although now I am a robber.
“Here is my hand,” said the knight, “and know that I consider it an honor to shake your hand.” For whoever does good, having an unlimited ability to do evil, is worthy of praise not only for the good done, but also for all the evil that he does not do. Goodbye, brave robber!»
So the king of England Richard the first and the legendary Robin Hood, the leader of a gang of forest robbers, said goodbye.
The finale of the novel is optimistic: good has triumphed, the enemy has been defeated. That is what differs literary work from historical chronicle. Therefore, A. Dumas, the author of many historical novels, in particular the well-known work "The Three Musketeers", argued: "History is the nail on which I hang my picture."
Bibliography
1. Literature. 8th grade. Textbook at 2 o'clock Korovin V.Ya. and others - 8th ed. - M.: Education, 2009.
2. Samarin R. / Walter Scott and his novel "Ivanhoe" / R. Samarin. - M., 1989. - p. 3-14.
3. Belsky A.A. / Walter Scott // Brief literary encyclopedia: In 8 volumes / A.A. Belsky - T.6. - M.: Sov. Encyclopedia, 1971. - 900 p.
Homework
1) Write an essay comparing Ivanhoe and Richard the Lionheart.
2) Answer the questions and complete the tasks:
1. Describe the acquaintance of a Jew and a disinherited knight.
2. Which of the knights who were the hosts of the tournament participated in the duel?
3. Who won, who lost?
4. What is the attitude of others towards the Jew? What is his real character?
5. How much money did a knight's servant give without an inheritance to a Jew for armor and a horse?
6. What prize/reward goes to the winner of the first day of the tournament?
7. How did Rowena and the disinherited knight accept the prince's invitation to come to the castle for a feast in honor of the first day, and why?
8. Who was declared the winner of the second day of the tournament? What did he excel in?
9. What happened when the Queen of the Tournament crowned a disinherited knight? Why?
10. Did you recognize him at the tournament? And why?
11. Describe Ivanhoe's relationship with his father
12. Which of the archers won, what did the loser say?
13. Why is Ivanhoe a knight without an inheritance?
3) Describe one of the characters in the novel. Think about the differences between a historical character and a corresponding hero. Try to emphasize in your answer the signs of that distant era. Do not forget to say about how you see the attitude of the author to the hero.
Walter Scott is considered the founder of the historical novel genre in European literature and a classic of this genre.
But it would be more correct to say that he was one of the first creators of the historical novel genre, because. he already had predecessors - for example, Maria Edgeworth.
John Downman. Portrait of Mary Edgeworth
Maria Edgeworth(1767-1849) - English (Irish) writer, essayist, publicist. She knew W. Scott and visited Abbotsford at his Scottish estate. Her novel Castle Rakrent (1800) became the first historical novel in Europe and Great Britain.
But first classic historical novel was, of course, Walter Scott.
Walter Scott: from a biography
Henry Raburn. Portrait of Sir Walter Scott (1822)
Born in Edinburgh (capital of Scotland) big family lawyer and daughter of a professor of medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Despite suffering from polio in childhood, the future writer was fond of mountaineering, read a lot, was active and inquisitive. He graduated from Edinburgh College and became a lawyer. He had his own legal practice.
In connection with his profession, he traveled a lot around the country and along the way collected Scottish folk legends and ballads. Translated from German.
He created his own family, had 4 children and was a great family man. He built a castle on the Abbotsford estate, where his museum is now located.
Abbotsford
Creation
Creativity began with poetry and translations from German. Having already become a famous poet, V. Scott turned to prose. Scott's first historical novel was "Waverley, or Sixty Years Ago"(1814). It was published anonymously but was a great success. Scott acknowledged authorship only in 1827. All his subsequent novels until 1827 were published as works by the author of Waverley.
The novel takes place during the Jacobite rising of 1745. This uprising was raised in Scotland by the "young pretender" Charles Edward Stuart in the hope of seizing the throne of the kingdom of Scotland, despite the fact that his father James ("the old pretender") was still alive.
After the first success, V. Scott began to work in the genre of the historical novel. Yes, he had predecessors, but he was looking for his own path and his own universal structure of the historical novel. He believed that no one could stop the course of history. prominent personalities and the driving force of history is always the people. Scott's perspective on development human society called "providentialist" (from the Latin. Providentia - God's will). Here Scott is close to Shakespeare.
It is also considered a merit of the writer that in his novels he accurately described the realities of the depicted time, he never showed “history for the sake of history”. In addition, he had a phenomenal memory and knowledge, which he acquired mainly as a result of self-education, which helped him enrich his readers. All these factors make it possible to call him the creator of the historical novel genre.
W. Scott "Ivanhoe"
The novel was published in 1819. Its subject is the medieval enmity between the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans during the reign of Richard I the Lionheart (1157-1199).
Ended third crusade, which was attended by four of the most powerful European monarchs: the German Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa, the French King Philip II Augustus, the Austrian Duke Leopold V and the English King Richard I the Lionheart. Knights return to Europe. King Richard the Lionheart is captured by the Austrian Duke Leopold. There are intrigues against the king. Preparing to seize power. To revive the former power of the Saxons, Cedric of Rotherwood, a wealthy landowner, nominates the apathetic Athelstan, but his personality does not inspire confidence in anyone. Then they decide to marry him to the beautiful Lady Rowena. But Cedric's son, Wilfred Ivanhoe, also fell in love with Rowena. Cedric expelled him from his father's house and disinherited him. This is how the intrigue of the novel begins.
E. Delacroix. Illustration for W. Scott's novel "Ivanhoe" (1858)
After many adventures, which each reader must get to know on their own, Cedric gives up and reluctantly agrees to Rowena's marriage to Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe is married to Rowena.
General characteristics of historical novels by W. Scott
In Scott's novels there is a special peculiar world of events and feelings. Readers are presented with a panorama of the life of England, Scotland and France for several centuries (the end of the 11th-beginning of the 19th century).
The realistic basis of his novels is complemented by features of romanticism, which is especially true for the novel "Ivanhoe". The satire of the nobility, the nobility, which is gradually transforming into a bourgeois, is not alien to his novels.
In his novels, Scott shows people from a wide variety of social strata in Scotland, but especially often in his work there are characters from the petty bourgeoisie, the peasantry and the declassed poor. They are depicted brightly, colorfully; so colorful is their language. The writer felt the described era very much, for which he was called "the greatest master of historical divination of all time." Scott's historicism amazed his contemporaries, who were not accustomed to such a scale of knowledge. His novels preceded the work of many historians of his time.
For the Scots, Walter Scott is a significant figure, for them he is more than just a writer. He revived the historical memory of this people and opened Scotland to the rest of the world and, first of all, to England.
Scott's writings helped change Britain's attitude towards this poor but proud country.
The novel "Ivanhoe" is one of the the best works Walter Scott. Despite the fact that it was created almost 200 years ago, readers' interest in it does not fade away. The novel helps us understand the peculiarities of life and customs of people in a time far from us.
The theme of medieval chivalry in Western literature of the 19th century becomes relevant for very different political, sociocultural and historical reasons. This trend was accompanied by a series of historical events that forced the Western intelligentsia to reconsider their views on political system, on life values in general.
First, one of the most important prerequisites for this retrospective view of reality through the eyes of contemporaries can be considered the American Revolutionary War of 1775-1783. and, most importantly, great French Revolution 1789–1794 Her emotional experience, and then the comprehension of her experience, her consequences played a decisive role in the emergence and development of the romantic worldview. For a short time, the revolution created the illusion of universal liberation from centuries of slavery in captivity of external circumstances, a person felt himself omnipotent.
Secondly, the aesthetic origins of romantic literature are, first of all, sentimentalism, which created an apology for individual feelings, and various options pre-romanticism: meditative landscape poetry, gothic romance and imitations of medieval poetic monuments.
Walter Scott, a typical product of his time, the creator of the historical novel, took some time to become a novelist. The son of a small judicial official, after graduating from the university, was engaged in advocacy, but the history of his native land attracted him more, and he devoted himself entirely to studying its customs and traditions. That was the beginning of it creative way to the formation of a personality that posterity would later call an outstanding English writer. First, he made a career as a translator, then, as a result of a long collection of English and Scottish folklore, he produced many poems, united under the name "Songs of the Scottish Border", and only then, due to the development of his artistic talent, he became the ancestor of a new one for his time. literary genre genre of the historical novel.
Walter Scott lived in an era of turbulent political times: before his eyes, an entire era of statehood was being destroyed not only in his country, but in all the countries of Europe. It also became obvious that the bourgeois system was a heavy yoke that fell on the shoulders of the masses of the people, who at that time had already opposed the domination of the bourgeoisie more than once (“the Luddite movement” in 1811-1812 - ed.). “Apparently, the events of the turbulent modern political life and put before W. Scott the question of a broad coverage of the ongoing historical process. W. Scott sought to comprehend the causes of the great historical changes that took place in his era: he looked into the past in order to better and more fully understand the present and imagine the path of development of history in the near future. The genre of the poem was too cramped and narrow for the new huge historical canvases, the ideas of which were nurtured by W. Scott. Modernity required the creation of such a genre historical narrative, which could broadly and comprehensively cover the depicted era, reveal it as fully as possible. Thus, evaluating all literary activity mature Scott (and this was, as we said above, nothing more than the development of a new genre in literature), we can say that all of them are saturated with the author's insight into history, the presentation of its events through the eyes of an artist who has looked into it. Belinsky wrote: "Reading Shakespeare and Walter Scott, you see that such poets could appear only in a country that developed under the influence of terrible political storms, and even more internal than external." So, on the example of the famous work of the author "Ivanhoe", we will try to analyze some points, without the presence of which a truly world-class masterpiece would not have turned out.
1. A historical event in the novel or ways of introducing the realities of the era into the novel.
As noted above, the basis of all the writer's novels is exclusively the historical aspect, in the light of which various destinies unfold, both the fate of individuals and the fate of an entire nation. (By the way, Scott was much more interested in the fate of the people than the fate of an individual person - ed.) “When analyzing a historical novel, it was customary, first of all, to prove or reject its historical authenticity. To do this, they usually separate "truth" from "fiction" - what the author took from the "genuine" documents, from what he brought his own, which is absent in the documents. But it is essentially impossible to perform such an operation on the novels of Walter Scott, because truth and fiction, history and novel, constitute an indissoluble unity in them. It could be argued that Richard I existed, and Wamba the jester, Gurt the swineherd, Lady Rowena, and all the others were fictitious by the author. But it was possible to find out about this only by destroying the novel and building some kind of abstraction from its fragments, which Scott himself, as a historian and novelist, was incapable of.
Since the events in the novel unfold in the “muddy” times of the Middle Ages, which were distinguished by the particular ferocity and cruelty of the rulers, it is appropriate to recall a fragment of the burning of the castle of the feudal lord Fron de Beuf by the people under the leadership of the Black Knight. In general, Scott's people are shown ambiguously and contradictory in all his works. The author himself was an adherent of conservative political views. He emphasized his devotion to the royal house, however, this is expressed artistically in a slightly different way, in contrast to how it is known to history. However, it cannot be said that, in depicting history, Scott largely distorted the reality that he illuminated with his narrative, but it is absolutely legitimate to say that the people are too willing to recognize the power of leaders who pursue the interests of their class, and not the interests of people. "Ivanhoe" clearly divides the entire mass of the people into supporters of the one who occupies the throne in currently(this is Prince John: with what devotion, for example, they meet his appearance at the jousting tournament at the beginning of the novel!) and on his novel antipode, the once disappeared King Richard the Lionheart. Of course, this devotion is partly ostentatious, explained solely by the fear of the wrath of the powerful monarch John (the largest feudal lord in England), and in their hearts each of them dreamed of the solemn return of a genuine people's favorite, but to show this was, as it becomes obvious when reading, too fraught. One way or another, the novel “shows this era of the reorganization of England, which was turning from a country of scattered and warring feudal estates into a monolithic kingdom, into a country where a single new people was slowly melted out of the conquered and conquerors - not the Normans and not the Anglo-Saxons, but the British. W. Scott gave in this novel, on the whole, a true picture of the described moment in the history of England.
The novel features several main characters, one of which is Richard I, better known as Richard the Lionheart, a great and powerful, valiant and fearless knight .... Order, distinguished, as history knows, not so much by its feats of arms, how much in a loud and thunderous voice, from the cry of which the horses squatted, and this was noted by the author himself:
“... he himself was anxious all the time, whether from under the lowered visor of this knight covered with steel armor, the low and formidable voice of Richard the Lionheart would be heard!” . The deeds that he does are not recorded in any historical document, but this does not particularly bother the author, because his goal is to show Richard as he sees the knight himself, in the light of his artistically fictional portrait sketches and strokes. Sending his hero to visit the cell of the monk-hermit Tuka, Scott skillfully weaves a whole layer into this small plot segment. historical heritage: together with the monk, they arrange a whole feast with wine and a hearty dinner, accompanied by the singing of ballads and other folk songs, which medieval England is so rich in!
The true character of Richard is revealed by the very fact of his coming to monastic cell: this is indeed in line with the "adventurer" tradition of chivalry that existed at the time.
“A pack of feudal lords, hosting in England, causing the hatred of the English people, is headed by Prince John, brother of King Richard I, who seized power in the country in his absence. V. Scott, distorting the historical truth, shows Prince John as a spineless and pitiful figure, a tool in the hands of a feudal clique that regards England as its prey. But common point W. Scott's view of the prince and his supporters is basically correct."
The writer did not bypass such hot topic, and not just a theme, but a drama and a scourge of all times and all peoples without exception, as an unfortunate and always and everywhere persecuted nation of Israelis, embodied in the images of the old Jewish creditor Isaac and his beautiful daughter Rebekah, who drove the cynical, cruel , but a great hunter of Boisguillebert's women. So, the story is known for certain that Prince John, having imprisoned some rich Jew in one of his castles, ordered to pull out his tooth every day. This went on until the unfortunate Israelite had lost half of his teeth, and only then did he agree to pay the enormous sum that the prince sought to extort from him. Taking this as a plot historical fact, Walter Scott managed to recreate a unique picture of medieval torture, as well as talk about the character, customs, traditions, religion (remember how often Isaac in his remarks turned to different saints) and even the clothes of those who were subjected to them (Jewish hat of Isaac, a characteristic outfit his daughter is also described in detail).
Not the last role is played by such details-methods of introducing historical realities as the slave collar of the swineherd Gurta, the Templar cloak de Boisguillebert and much, much more. To achieve even greater reliability, Walter Scott uses his favorite technique in the novel, in which the main characters are presented to the reader as if by chance, in an everyday view, and historical figures are also “incognito”.
So, from a small number of examples given, it will be logical to conclude that where there is history, there is also fiction, where there is fiction, there is also history, since then the novel would not be a novel, but would be a chronicle, and would not be historical, but would lie down on a shelf with fantasy (I recall Lewis Carol: “if you want to reach the oak, you need to go to reverse side"- approx. auth.). "Obviously, Scott's historical characters are as fictional as the non-historical ones."<…>“You can embody more historical truth in a fictional character than in a historical character; in order to create and therefore explain a fictional character, one can draw on more information about moral life, way of life, the existence of the masses - information that is not in the documents, but which determines the nature of the entire era.<…>“For Scott, as well as for his reader, the images he created were not fiction, but history. To discover the patterns that created this image meant to produce historical research era, its customs, national traditions, way of life, public relations.»
2. The system of social connections and its reflection in the system of images.
Describing England of the 12th century, when England was not yet England, but a military field of struggle between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons, W. Scott focuses not so much on the very hostility of these two political camps as on class contradictions, and contradictions between the enslaved serfs and the feudal lords as Anglo-Saxon and of Norman origin. The struggle was in particular between the English kings during the second half of the XII century and their own subjects -
dukes, earls and barons, all in the name of creating a centralized English feudal monarchy. It is obvious that, as in all times, the royal power pursued only its own selfish interests, in general, this process of centralization was inevitable, progressive and necessary as a necessary condition. further development civilization in general. Slowed down this natural historical process only numerous strife between the conquerors and those already conquered, bringing only confusion into the natural historical process of reconstruction. “The reader sees that both the Norman knights Fron de Boeuf, de Malvoisin and de Bracy, and the representatives of the old Anglo-Saxon nobility, Cedric and Athelstan, are equally lagging behind in their development, in their views, from the tasks facing the English people. They can't resolve the old argument about the relative merits of winners and losers. Their feuds lead to the fact that England is constantly threatened by civil strife, destroying the life of the country, a heavy burden on the people.
By introducing such vivid images into the novel as the ballad hero Robin Hood, who received from Scott the name of the best shooter Loxley, the author tried to recreate the image of those people in whom he saw hope for a better future for his country.
The figure of Ivanhoe - the main character - is rather pale, and even somewhat modernized, more similar in character and mood to a person of the 19th century. The same can be said about the main character - Lady Rowena. However, for Walter Scott, the main thing was the observance of the condition characteristic of all his work - the dependence of Ivanhoe's fate on those historical events, a participant or witness of which he somehow turned out to be.
Considering the social aspect of people in principle, without taking into account either politics or economics, a person inevitably faces the problem of social inequality when we are talking about the more intimate sphere of his life - about marriage, about love. Although the author does not focus on the love line of the novel, it would not be out of place to note that Rebekah, a representative of a hostile tribe, has no right to love the knight Ivanhoe, and Rebekah, in turn, has no right (we are talking about moral right, of course) wish Boisguillebert. Not a single code will allow him to marry her, but Rebekah is not able to simply dishonor himself and allow himself to be mastered as a toy. Although she is Jewish, she highly appreciates and honors the laws of her tribe and faith, besides, it is unacceptable for her that the person who by force captured and locked her in his castle with her father, threatening death, seeks her favor .
“I believe what I was taught,” Rebekah objected, “and may God forgive me if my faith is erroneous. But what is your faith, sir knight, if you invoke your greatest shrine when you are about to break your most solemn vows.
“You preach very eloquently, O daughter of Sirach! the templar said. “But, my fine theologian, your Jewish prejudices make you blind to our lofty privileges. Marriage would be a serious crime for a Knight of the Temple, but for petty sins, I can instantly get a pardon in the nearest confessional of our order. The wisest of your kings, and even his father, whose example must have some power in your eyes, enjoyed more extensive privileges in this respect than we, the poor warriors of the Temple of Zion, who acquired such rights for ourselves by defending it so zealously. The defenders of Solomon's temple can afford the pleasures sung by your wisest king Solomon.
Through the images of Ivanhoe and Rebekah, the attitude of the protagonist towards the Jews is traced. At first, his behavior gives the impression that he does not feel contempt for them, like all the other characters in the novel. This can be assumed from the scene when he gives Isaac his place by the fireplace, he is a noble knight, at a time when all the servants clearly demonstrate to Isaac their disdain for him, and also when Ivanhoe saves a poor Jew from certain death. But this impression is deceptive. His true attitude towards the sons of the "despicable people" is clearly seen in his relationship with Rebekah. He, like all noble people of that time, is disgusted with her. This is shown in the scene when he woke up wounded in the castle of Reginald Fron de Boeuf. At first, he sees in her a beautiful girl who saved his life. He calls her "dear", "noble maiden". But as soon as Ivanhoe finds out that she is Jewish, his whole attitude towards her changes dramatically: “... with what feeling her faithful knight first looked at the beautiful features and brilliant eyes of the beautiful Rebekah ... But Ivanhoe was too sincere a Catholic to keep feelings for a Jewess ... "
3. As a conclusion.
The hero as the embodiment of the "code". Functions of the chronotope in the novel.
So, events unfold in the Middle Ages in the space of medieval buildings - castles, castle dungeons, medieval cities.
conflict between political camps, historical crisis, turning point in the country's history.
Scott is interested in a specific historical moment, the specifics of a certain era, hence the localization of the plot in historical time;
- opposition of polar loci, symbolizing the opposition of order and chaos (for example, a city-forest)
Compositional-speech forms and a system of points of view
- the distance between the past and the present is emphasized; therefore, there are significant differences between the points of view of the narrator and the character;
- characterized by a large number of comments, descriptions of life, mores, customs of the era, given directly in the text of the novel (numerous digressions, giving a description of the time being described, cited ballads, folk songs, epigraphs to chapters)
The obligatory presence of historical characters (Richard the Lionheart, Prince John, the Jew Isaac, who also has his own real prototype)
The presence of several “pairs” of characters that are somehow compared with each other, which are needed to show the change of eras as a change in their inherent characters (Prince John is opposed to Richard, Ivanhoe can be opposed to Fron de Boeuf)
The hero of Ivanhoe's novel is the spokesman for the code of chivalrous ideas, attitudes, and behavior. The duty of a true knight is to be a supporter of the weakest party, the weakest of the ruling camps (in this case, the conflict between King John, who is in power and has a number of supporters with him, and Richard, who was just about to strike a decisive blow with his appearance on the political arena). Ivanhoe, as a true knight, was devoted to Richard and sincerely hoped that the latter, upon returning, would destroy all John's insidious plans and restore justice in the country.
Getting wounded in the castle of Reginald Fron de Boeuf, in fact the same knight, the owner of the castle sets to look after him. This is not an accidental plot twist and not a gesture of goodwill: even though front de Boeuf is villain novel, strict concepts of knightly honor forbade any violence against a knight who was in a helpless state. However, it is difficult for a person experienced in knightly exploits to remain inactive, like some monk or woman, while others around him perform valiant deeds, so Ivanhoe heroically rushes into battle, strives into the thick of events, especially when on the other side of the room where he is, there is an active deposition of the castle. “After all, battle is our daily bread, the smoke of battle is the air that we breathe! We do not live and do not want to live otherwise than surrounded by a halo of victory and glory! These are the laws of chivalry, we have sworn to fulfill them and sacrifice for them everything that is dear to us in life. Thus, the reward of a knight is glory, only it will perpetuate the name of the hero. The chivalrous spirit distinguishes a valiant warrior from a commoner and a savage, he teaches to value his life incomparably lower than honor, to triumph over all hardships, worries and suffering, not to be afraid of anything but dishonor. The worst crime of a knight is betrayal of honor and duty. And the crime is punishable by death, so the punishment is inevitable (Font de Boeuf and Brian de Boisguillebert). Chivalry is the source of the purest and most noble affections, the support of the oppressed, the protection of the offended, the bulwark against the arbitrariness of the rulers. Without him, noble honor would be an empty phrase. In the image of the fictional Ivanhoe, all the principles and laws of the military spirit of a medieval knight are observed, the whole plot of the novel is based on these selfless truths and are, as it were, a convoy of the entire work, through which readers of many generations can recreate the type of a worthy and faithful person and restore a reliable, authentic appearance a real man, because it is especially hard to do in the 21st century, when all the ideals and patterns of behavior are so mercilessly trampled and irretrievably lost.
As befits a good adventure novel, Ivanhoe is notable for its energetic plot and unambiguous characters. All of Scott's are Normans, all the positive ones are Saxons.
The plot of the novel: the return from the war
The protagonist of the novel is the brave knight Wilfred Ivanhoe, the only son of Sir Cedric of Rotterwood. Cedric wants to clear his native land from the conquerors. He supports the last descendant of the Saxon king Alfred and plans to marry him to his pupil Lady Rowena. But Rowena and Ivanhoe love each other, and the father banishes his son from the house as a hindrance to his plans. Ivanhoe sets out with King Richard the Lionheart on the Third Crusade.At the beginning of the novel, a young warrior returns to his homeland after being seriously wounded and forced to hide his name. King Richard is languishing in captivity, and England is Prince John, who supports the Normans and oppresses the common people.
Development: Ashby Tournament
Big tournament in Ashby brings everyone to the stage actors. Yeoman Locksley wins the shooting competition. The dishonest templar knight Brian de Boisguillebert and Baron Fron de Boeuf, who has seized the Ivanhoe estate, challenge everyone who wants to fight them.Their challenge is taken up by the mysterious Knight Disinherited, to whom, at the last moment, the no less mysterious Black Knight. Declared the winner of the tournament, the Disinherited Knight proclaims Lady Rowena the queen of love and beauty. Accepting the award from her hands, the knight takes off his helmet and turns out to be her lover Ivanhoe. He falls unconscious from a wound received in battle.
Climax: the siege of the castle of Front de Boeuf
After the tournament, the defeated knights attack Sir Cedric on their way home. Cedric and the wounded Ivanhoe are held in the castle of Front de Boeuf for ransom and revenge, while the baron tries to win the love of the beautiful Rowena.But the servants of Cedric, who escaped captivity, save noble heroes. They find the Black Knight, who helped Ivanhoe in the tournament, and Locksley the gunslinger with a group of yeomen. The assembled team storms the castle and frees the captives, the villains are overtaken by a well-deserved punishment.
happy ending
According to the laws of the genre, the last scenes reveal all the secrets to us and reward goodies novel. The Black Knight turns out to be King Richard returned from captivity, who immediately puts things in order in England. Shooter Loxley turns out to be Robin Hood: he goes on to protect the innocent victims. Ivanhoe marries Rowena with his father's blessing.In his novel, Walter Scott showed the reader the ideal knight, handsome, loyal and brave. All conceivable virtues, collected in one person, made the image of Ivanhoe synonymous with impeccable chivalry.
