"Ivanhoe" is a classic of world literature.The name of the brave knight seems to have been heard or known by everyone, even those who have not read the works of the famous novelist. Therefore, it seems relevant to address the famous work of V. Scott. This will explain the success of the novel, as well as help to understand the reason for its popularity in our days.
Adventurous adventure topics onhistorical background takes a prominent place in English literature. A famous piece, written by Walter Scott, is Ivanhoe. Characteristics of Ivanhoe is the subject of this review. The Scottish writer became famous as the creator of a whole series of adventure-adventure novels dedicated to the history of medieval England and Scotland.
His creative activity began with the creationlyric-epic ballads based on folk songs and Scottish folklore. The young poet was so carried away by ancient legends, stories, ancient songs that for several years he was engaged in their collection and recording. The result was the appearance of such remarkable poems as "The Song of the Last Minstrel" (1805), "The Maiden of the Lake" (1810), "Rockby" (1813).
Very soon, Scott turned to major prose.After the release of his new work (Waverley, or Sixty Years Ago, 1814), the writer created one of his most famous novels - Ivanhoe (1819). Here the author went beyond exclusively Scottish subjects, referring to events from English history. The action takes place in the XII century, during the reign of King John the Landless.
Ivanhoe, whose characteristic is inseparable fromgeneral historical background, it is impossible to imagine in isolation from its social soil. This hero is a typical representative of the knightly class of medieval England. He is the son of the head of an ancient clan who fell out of favor with his father, who drove him out of the house. From that time the young man was forced to seek happiness only with his sword and courage. He goes on a journey, and here with him, according to the canon of the genre, there are many exciting adventures.
Description of the portrait of the main character (who,of course, handsome, brave, honest and noble) suggests addressing the topic of his relationship with surrounding people primarily with Father Cedric Sax, King Richard the Lionheart, Lady Rowena, Rebekah and finally Brian de Boisguilbert. With Lord Cedric Sachs, the boy did not have a relationship. Fell in love with his pupil Rowena, Ivanhoe opposed the matrimonial plans of Cedric to arrange her marriage with the son of the royal family, which led to a certain quarrel and subsequent expulsion. However, the young man still respects his father. Ivanhoe, whose characteristics we are considering, is not glamorous and respectful to the parent.
Scott draws his pet as a real knightwithout fear and reproach. He is loyal to the king and is ready to fight for his cause until the last. Devotion to Richard is one of the main features in his portrait. Ivanhoe, whose characterization refers first of all to the love line of the young man and Lady Rowena, is especially interesting in a pair with her fiancee, as she is essentially his best friend. The girl unconditionally believes in the decency of her chosen one, despite all the slander of others, numerous rumors and gossip. Young people are kindred souls: they are both calm, firmly convinced of their rightness, with dignity endure the trials that have fallen to their share.
Restrained Rovene contrasted in the novel imagethe Jews of Rebekah. She is more impulsive and open: her emotionality affects the most decisive moments. Perhaps, it was this that caused the sympathy of the main character.
Characteristics of Ivanhoe and Briand is,perhaps, the key point in describing the characters. The knights converge in the final duel for the honor of the slandered Rebekah, and the advantage was clearly not on the side of the protagonist, who had not yet recovered completely from the wound he had previously received. However, the moral strength of the young man and the consciousness of his rightness were so great that the enemy could not stand not so much physically as morally.
Aivengo, whose characteristic is inscribed inthe general historical context of the work, is very realistic. Scott was sensitive to the reproduction of the realities of the distant 12th century. It should immediately be noted that the figure of the protagonist is a typical image of a knight of that time, though somewhat idealized. Nevertheless, the common features are still sufficiently recognizable even for the layman.
The so-called "nobility of the sword" fought inroyal troops, where they received their salaries. However, often representatives of the noble class did not find a home and then began to lead a wandering life. The poorest of them even replenished the ranks of the "forest fraternity" - free robbers. With our hero, fortunately, nothing of the sort happened, but from the very beginning of the novel it was obvious that he did not have a permanent home. It was in this position that there was a significant part of the knighthood of that time, and not everyone was lucky enough to marry a rich and noble lady, as happened with the hero of the novel.
Characteristics of Ivanhoe, briefly presented inThis review should be completed by marking the place of the genre work of V. Scott in fiction. This is perhaps the most popular work of the writer to date, which was screened both in foreign and domestic cinema. The secret of popularity is explained by the famously twisted plot, complex characters, magnificent color of an epoch. Undoubtedly, this novel should be considered the most successful creation of the writer.
