Ivanhoe

Synopsis

More than a century after the Norman Conquest, England remains a colony of foreign warlords. The dissolute Prince John plots to seize his brother's crown, his barons terrorize the country, and the mysterious outlaw Robin Hood haunts the ancient greenwood. The secret return of King Richard and the disinherited Saxon knight, Ivanhoe, heralds the start of a splendid and tumultuous romance, featuring the tournament at Ashby-de-la-Zouche, the siege of Torquilstone, and the clash of wills between the wicked Templar Bois-Guilbert and the sublime Jewess Rebecca. In Ivanhoe Scott fashioned an imperial myth of national cultural identity that has shaped the popular imagination ever since its first appearance at the end of 1819. The most famous of Scottish novelists drew on the conventions of Gothic fiction, including its risky sexual and racial themes, to explore the violent origins and limits of English nationality. This edition uses the 1830 Magnum Opus text, corrected against the Interleaved Set, and incorporates readings from Scott's manuscript. The introduction examines the originality and cultural importance of Ivanhoe, and draws on current work by historians and cultural critics. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Palmer's Journey

* Summary: Ivanhoe disguises himself as a Saxon pilgrim to travel to the tournament in Ashby-de-la-Zouche. He encounters Locksley, a skilled archer, and Gurth, a Saxon swineherd.
* Example: "A Palmer, just from Palestine, The first he met was Locksley's train."

Chapter 2: The Knight Templar

* Summary: Sir Brian de Bois-Guilbert, a Knight Templar, attempts to abduct Rowena, the beautiful Saxon heiress, but Ivanhoe rescues her.
* Example: "With one foot in the stirrup, he scorn'd to fly."

Chapter 3: The Jew's Daughter

* Summary: Rebecca, the Jewish physician's daughter, heals Ivanhoe's wound. Despite her religion, Ivanhoe falls in love with her.
* Example: "Rebecca, a Jewess, loved him well."

Chapter 4: The Black Knight

* Summary: King Richard I, disguised as the Black Knight, enters the tournament and defeats Bois-Guilbert. He also reveals Ivanhoe's true identity to King John.
* Example: "The Knight of the Free Hand, he fought and slew."

Chapter 5: The Disinherited Knight

* Summary: Ivanhoe is disinherited by his father, Cedric the Saxon, who believes he has betrayed his Saxon lineage.
* Example: "And unto Ivanhoe the father's hold,/Denied the Saxon's ear."

Chapter 6: The Challenge

* Summary: Sir Reginald Front-de-Boeuf, a Norman knight, challenges Ivanhoe to a trial by combat. Ivanhoe accepts, hoping to regain his inheritance.
* Example: "Front-de-Boeuf's charge to the battle was such/As might a panther's first spring have been."

Chapter 7: The Siege

* Summary: Ivanhoe and his allies lay siege to Front-de-Boeuf's castle, Torquilstone. Rebecca, captured by the Normans, pleads with the Black Knight to intervene.
* Example: "The foaming steed, the frantic man,/Shot by in wild career."

Chapter 8: The Assault

* Summary: The Black Knight leads a successful assault on Torquilstone, rescuing Rebecca and defeating Front-de-Boeuf.
* Example: "The dart was fixed within his throat,/Unwounded still the fatal shot."

Chapter 9: The Trial

* Summary: Ivanhoe and Bois-Guilbert face each other in the trial by combat. Ivanhoe is victorious, but he spares Bois-Guilbert's life.
* Example: "With a mightier force, his left-hand held the throat,/And crushed his bones against his knee."

Chapter 10: The Ladies' Gathering

* Summary: Rebecca is falsely accused of witchcraft and condemned to be burned at the stake. Ivanhoe and the Black Knight intervene to save her.
* Example: "As, half in joy, half in anguish, lay/Ivanhoe, gazing on her face."

Chapter 11: The Hermitage

* Summary: King Richard reveals his identity and pardons Ivanhoe and his allies. He also orders Bois-Guilbert's arrest for his crimes.
* Example: "That monarch, with his Saxon prince, came slow,/With royal cortege, to the hermitage."

Chapter 12: The Tournament

* Summary: Ivanhoe and Rowena are married, and Ivanhoe wins a tournament held in their honor.
* Example: "The din is deafening, the gauds are bright,/The scene is flashing on the dazzled sight."

Chapter 13: The Crusade

* Summary: Ivanhoe and Richard leave for the Third Crusade, leaving behind their loved ones.
* Example: "Where England's king in toils of death had been,/And where the Saracens' swords had drank their blood,/In one dread hour, full many a valiant heart."