The contribution of Sir Walter Scott to the creation ofhistorical novel can not be overestimated. His works of a hundred and fifty years were read by more than one generation of readers. "Ivanhoe" is one of the most interesting things written by this author.
Normans conquered about 150 years ago, primordialthe land of the Saxons in just one battle. The novel takes place in the XII century against the backdrop of the struggle of the 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 was firmly established on the island and displaced its indigenous inhabitants to the worst lands. The Saxon nobility dreams of regaining its former position. And the country is in three opposing camps. This is the alignment of forces at the beginning of the novel, where the main thing should be the image of Ivanhoe, created by the imagination of the writer. The plot of the novel begins with the return of Ivanhoe to his homeland, where he does not know what awaits him.
Wilfred Ivanhoe is deprived of his inheritance by his fatherCedric, but deeply in love with his ward Rowena, whom Cedric is preparing a higher fate than a marriage with his son. Ivanhoe is a Saxon knight who is loyal to Richard I, the King of England, a representative of the Plantagenet dynasty that came from France. From his suzerain, he received the desire to follow the courtly laws of honor. Valor, courage, loyalty for him is not an empty phrase. This is the characteristic of the image of Ivanhoe in general.
He is a Knight of the Order of the Knights Templar.Knights Templars are representatives of a powerful international military religious organization that supposedly devoted itself to the conquest of the Holy Land. But in reality 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 ominous. He does not recognize morality. He indulges his passions and temptations. So, knowing that a wealthy Jew Isaac is going to go to Sheffield, the knight does not shun the mere attack on him for the purpose of robbery. Greed, lascivious attitude towards women, far from the lofty courtly representations of that time, characterize this character.
It is difficult to analyze the image of the blond lady Rovena,because in the novel he is given a hint and without development. We learn a lot about her surroundings, and we can only judge her by herself indirectly. From the text we learn that it is fair and beautiful. Still it is informed, that the girl is a being "soft, kind, gentle" though owing to the education she very proud and serious.
Even when, at the end of the novel, Ivanhoe finallygets Cedric consent for the wedding, it turns out that the reader did not even see how Ivanhoe looked after his bride. One can only assume that there was a time for 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 it. This makes Rowena a kind of pawn for the writer himself, to support the love affair, so he does not attract the interest, love and sympathy of the readership to it. Positive image of the writer was not a success. He is too sketchy.
It is not entirely fair to compare Rebekah andRovena, because in the novel they play different roles. If the reader knows about Rowena and Ivanhoe's love as a fait accompli and sees no intrigue in it, then Rebekah's relations to Ivanhoe are given in development. The love of a beautiful black-haired Jewess does not find a response in the soul of the protagonist. Rebekah is a proud, brave, courageous and free person, since she does not belong to the highest nobility. She is a person despised because of her nationality. But the beautiful Jewish woman is almost always confident in herself.
Such are the main female images in Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe".
This novel immediately after its writingthe most famous writers of all countries were read, not to mention the mass reader. Then he passed into the category of children's literature. But the novel is unlikely to interest a modern child. This colorfully described epoch of the early Middle Ages can arouse the interest of an adult thoughtful person who knows the story and is prone to analysis.