The army was dressed magnificently,
And it was a match for knights
The splendor of their fun,
When it happened, having gathered everyone -
And ladies and warriors - in a circle
The horn sounded in the ancient castle.
Wharton

Prince John gave a sumptuous feast at Ashby Castle. This was not the building whose majestic ruins still interest travelers; the latter was built at a later period by Lord Hastings, master of the English court, one of the first victims of the tyranny of Richard III; however, this lord is better known as the person brought to the stage by Shakespeare than for the fame of a historical figure.

At that time, the castle and town of Ashby belonged to Roger de Quincey, Earl of Winchester, who went with Richard to Palestine. Prince John occupied his castle and disposed of his property without a twinge of conscience. Wanting to dazzle everyone with his hospitality and splendor, he ordered the feast to be prepared as luxuriously as possible.

The prince's suppliers, using the king's powers, devastated the entire area. Many guests were invited. Prince John, conscious of the need to gain popularity among local population, invited several noble families of Saxon and Danish origin, as well as local untitled nobles. The numbers of the despised and oppressed Saxons would make them a formidable force during the approaching troubles, and therefore, for political reasons, it was necessary to enlist the support of their leaders.

In this regard, the prince intended to treat his Saxon guests with unusual courtesy. There was no man who could so readily subordinate his feelings to selfish interests as Prince John, but his characteristic frivolity and irascibility constantly destroyed and nullified everything that his hypocrisy managed to conquer.

In this sense, his behavior in Ireland, where his father, Henry II, sent him, was especially indicative in order to win the sympathy of the inhabitants of this country, which had just been annexed to England. The Irish leaders tried to show the young prince all kinds of honors, to express loyal feelings and a desire for peace. Instead of being kind to the Irish leaders who met him, Prince John and his retinue could not resist the temptation to pull their long beards. Such behavior, of course, severely offended the eminent representatives of Ireland and fatally influenced the attitude of this country towards English rule. One must remember this inconsistency characteristic of Prince John in order to understand his behavior at the feast.

Following a decision made in calmer moments, Prince John received Cedric and Athelstan with the utmost politeness, and expressed only regret, not anger, when Cedric apologized, saying that Lady Rowena was unable to accept his kind invitation from ill health. Cedric and Athelstan were dressed in ancient Saxon clothing. Their suits, made of expensive material, were not at all ugly, but in their cut they were so different from the fashionable outfits of the other guests that the prince and Waldemar Fitz-Urs had difficulty refraining from laughing at the sight of the Saxons. However, from the point of view of common sense, the short and tight-fitting tunic and long cloak of the Saxons were more beautiful and more comfortable than the costume of the Normans, which consisted of a wide and long camisole, so spacious that it was more like a cabman's shirt or caftan, over which a short cloak was worn. This cloak did not protect either from rain or from cold and was only suitable for having so many expensive furs, laces and precious stones, as much as the tailor managed to fit here. Charlemagne, during whose reign these cloaks first came into use, was struck by their absurdity. “Tell me, for God’s sake,” he said, “what are these short cloaks for? They won’t cover you in bed, on horseback they won’t protect you from wind and rain, and in a sitting position they won’t protect your legs from dampness or frost.”

However, short cloaks were still in fashion at the time, especially in the courts of the princes of the House of Anjou. They were also widespread among Prince John's retinue. It is clear that the long robes that made up the outer clothing of the Saxons seemed very funny here.

The guests sat at the table, bursting under the burden of delicious dishes. The numerous cooks accompanying the prince, trying to diversify the dishes served on the table as much as possible, managed to prepare the dishes in such a way that they acquired an extraordinary appearance, similar to how today's masters of culinary art bring ordinary foodstuffs to the point of complete unrecognizability. Besides dishes homemade, there were a lot of delicate dishes brought from foreign lands, fatty pates, sweet pies and crumbly bread, which was served only at the table of the noblest persons. The feast was crowned with the best wines, both foreign and local.

The Norman nobility, accustomed to great luxury, was quite moderate in food and drink. It willingly indulged in the pleasure of eating well, but gave preference to sophistication rather than quantity eaten. The Normans regarded gluttony and drunkenness as distinctive qualities of the defeated Saxons and considered these qualities to be characteristic of an inferior race of people.

However, Prince John and his henchmen, who imitated his weaknesses, were themselves prone to excess in this regard. As you know, Prince John died because he ate too many peaches, washing them down with young beer. But he, in any case, was an exception among his compatriots.

With sly importance, only occasionally giving each other mysterious signs, the Norman knights and nobles looked at the ingenuous behavior of Cedric and Athelstan, who were not accustomed to such feasts. And while their actions were the subject of such mocking attention, these Saxons, untrained in good manners, several times sinned against conditional rules, established for a good society. Meanwhile, as we know, it is incomparably easier for a person to forgive serious sins against good manners or even against morality than ignorance of the slightest regulations of fashion or secular decency. Cedric, after washing his hands, wiped them with a towel instead of drying them, waving them gracefully in the air. This seemed much funnier to those present than the fact that Athelstan alone destroyed a huge pie filled with the most exquisite overseas game and which at that time was called karum-pie. But when, after cross-examination, it turned out that the Thane of Coningsburgh had no idea what he had swallowed, and mistook the filling of the karum-pie for the meat of larks and pigeons, when in fact it was beccafiches and nightingales, his ignorance caused much more ridicule than the gluttony he showed.

The long feast was finally over. Over the circular bowl, the guests talked about the exploits of the past tournament, about the unknown winner in archery, about the Black Knight, who refused his well-deserved glory, and about the valiant Ivanhoe, who bought victory at such a high price. Everything was said with military directness, jokes and laughter were heard throughout the hall. Prince John alone sat with a sullen frown; it was clear that some kind of heavy concern was weighing on his soul. Only sometimes, under the influence of those close to him, did he force himself for a minute to become interested in those around him. At such moments, he grabbed a goblet of wine from the table, drank it in one gulp and, in order to lighten the mood, intervened in the general conversation, often inappropriately.

This cup, he said, we will raise for the health of Wilfred Ivanhoe, the hero of the current tournament. We regret that his injury prevents him from participating in our feast. Let them drink with me to his health. In particular, Cedric Rotherwood, the venerable father of the server big hopes son.

“No, sir,” Cedric objected, getting up and putting the undrinked cup back on the table, “I no longer consider the son of a rebellious young man who disobeyed my orders and renounced the morals and customs of his ancestors.”

Can't be! - Prince John exclaimed with well-acted amazement. “Is it possible that such a valiant knight could be a disobedient and unworthy son?”

Yes, sir, - answered Cedric, - such is Wilfred. He left his father's house and joined the frivolous nobles who make up your brother's court. There he learned the equestrian tricks that you value so highly. He left me, despite my prohibition. In King Alfred's day, such an act would have been called disobedience, and it was considered a crime that was punished very severely.

Alas! - said Prince John with a deep sigh of feigned sympathy. - If your son got involved with my unfortunate brother, then there is no point in asking where and from whom he learned disrespect for his parents.

And Prince John said this, deliberately forgetting that of all the sons of Henry II, it was he who was most distinguished by his rebellious disposition and ingratitude towards his father.

It seems to me,” he said after a pause, “that my brother intended to bestow a rich estate on his favorite.”

“That’s what he did,” Cedric answered. - One of the main reasons for my quarrel with my son was his humiliating agreement to accept, as a vassal, precisely those estates that his ancestors owned by right, regardless of anyone’s will.

Therefore, you will not object, good Cedric, - said Prince John, - if we assign this estate to a person who will not be offended to accept the land as a gift from the British crown. “Sir Reginald Front de Boeuf,” he continued, turning to the baron, “I hope you will be able to retain the good baronial estate of Ivanhoe.” Then Sir Wilfred will not incur his parents' wrath a second time by taking possession of him again.

“I swear by Saint Anthony,” answered the black-browed hero, “I agree that your Highness will enroll me as a Saxon if Cedric, or Wilfred, or even the most noble Englishman manages to take away from me the estate that you deigned to grant me!”

Well, sir baron,” said Cedric, offended by these words, which expressed the usual contempt of the Normans for the English, “if anyone wanted to call you a Saxon, it would be a great and undeserved honor for you.”

Front de Boeuf wanted to object, but Prince John, with his characteristic frivolity and rudeness, interrupted him.

Of course, gentlemen,” he said, “the noble Cedric is quite right: their breed takes precedence over ours both in the length of pedigree lists and in the length of cloaks.

“In the battlefield, they also run ahead of us,” Malvoisin noted, “like a deer pursued by dogs.”

They should not go ahead of us,” said Prior Eymer. - Do not forget their superiority in manners and knowledge of decency.

And also their moderation in food and sober behavior,” added de Bracy, forgetting that he had been promised a Saxon bride.

And the courage with which they were distinguished at Hastings and in other places,” noted Briand de Boisguillebert.

While the courtiers, with an amiable smile, vying with each other in ridicule, Cedric's face turned purple with anger, and he furiously looked from one offender to another, as if such quickly inflicted insults deprived him of the opportunity to respond to each individually. Like a hunted bull surrounded by his tormentors, he seemed unable to immediately decide on which of them to take his anger out.

Finally, choking with rage, he turned to Prince John, the main instigator of the insults he had received.

Whatever the shortcomings and vices of our tribe, he said, every Saxon would consider himself disgraced if he allowed such treatment of a harmless guest in his house as your Highness deigned to allow today. And besides, whatever the failures experienced by our ancestors at the Battle of Hastings, it should be kept silent by those (here he looked at Front de Boeuf and the templar) who in the last two or three hours have been knocked out of the saddle more than once by a spear saxa

I swear to God, a poisonous joke! - said Prince John. - How do you like it, gentlemen? Our Saxon subjects are improving in wit and courage. These are the times! What do you say, my lords? By the sun, wouldn’t it be better for us to board the ships and get back to Normandy in time?

This is out of fear of the Saxons! - picked up de Bracy with a laugh. “We don’t need any other weapon than hunting spears to pin these boars against the wall.”

Stop joking, gentlemen, knights,” said FitzUrs. “And it’s time for Your Highness to assure the venerable Cedric that there is no offense to him in such jokes, although our mockery may seem offensive to an unaccustomed person.”

Grievances? - Prince John repeated, becoming extremely polite again. “I hope no one would think that I would allow a guest to be offended in my presence.” Well, I fill the goblet again and drink to Cedric’s own health, since he refuses to drink to the health of his son.

And again the healthy bowl went around, accompanied by the hypocritical speeches of the courtiers, which, however, did not produce the desired effect on Cedric. Although by nature he was not particularly sharp, he still had enough sensitivity not to fall for all these pleasantries. He listened in silence to the prince's next toast, proclaimed "to the health of Sir Athelstan of Coningsburgh," and drank with everyone else.

Athelstan himself only bowed and, in response to the honor shown to him, drained a huge goblet at once.

Well, gentlemen,” said Prince John, whose head was beginning to make noise from drinking wine, “we have done due honor to our Saxons.” Now it's their turn to return the favor. “Reverend Thane,” he continued, turning to Cedric, “would you please name us a Norman whose name is least unpleasant to you?” If it does leave an unpleasant taste on your lips, you will drown it out with a good cup of wine.

Fitz-Urs rose from his seat and, standing behind Cedric's chair, whispered to him that he should not miss the opportunity to restore good harmony between both tribes by mentioning the name of Prince John.

Sax did not respond to this diplomatic proposal, got up from his seat and, pouring a full cup of wine, addressed the prince with the following speech:

Your Highness has expressed a desire that I should name a Norman worthy of mention at our feast. For me this is a rather difficult task: it is the same as a slave praising his master, or a vanquished man, experiencing all the disastrous consequences of conquest, praising his conqueror. However, I want to name such a Norman - the first among the brave and the highest in rank, the best and most noble representative kind. If anyone refuses to acknowledge his well-deserved glory with me, I will call him a liar and a dishonest person and am ready to answer for it with my own life. Raising my cup to Richard Lion Heart!

Prince John, who had expected the Saxon to end his speech by proclaiming his name, shuddered when he heard the name of the brother he had insulted. He automatically raised a goblet of wine to his lips, but immediately put it on the table, wanting to see how his guests would behave at this unexpected toast. Not supporting the toast was perhaps as dangerous as joining it. Some of the courtiers, older and more experienced than others, did exactly the same as the prince, that is, they raised the cup to their lips and put it back. Others, animated by more noble feelings, exclaimed: “Long live King Richard! For his speedy return to us!” Some, including Front de Boeuf and the templar, did not touch their cups at all, and their faces did not express sullen contempt. However, no one dared to openly object to the toast in honor of the rightful king.

Having enjoyed his triumph, Cedric turned to his companion:

Let us go, noble Athelstan,” he said. “We have stayed here long enough, repaying the kindness of Prince John, who invited us to his hospitable feast. Anyone who would like to become more familiar with our simple Saxon customs is welcome to come to us, under the roof of our fathers. We've seen enough of the royal feast. We've had enough of Norman politeness.

With these words, he stood up and left the hall, followed by Athelstan and some other Gosto-Saxons, who also considered themselves offended by the mockery of Prince John and his entourage.

“I swear by the bones of St. Thomas,” said Prince John when they left, “these Saxon logs distinguished themselves in the tournament today and left the feast as winners!”

Conclamatum est, poculatum est,” said Prior Eymer, “that is, we have drunk enough, shouted enough - it’s time to leave our cups alone.”

The monk must be going to confess to some beauty for the night that he is in such a hurry to leave the table,” said de Bracy.

“No, you are mistaken, sir knight,” answered the abbot, “I need to go home today.”

“They’re starting to scatter,” the prince said in a whisper, turning to Fitz-Urs. - They chickened out in advance! And this vile prior is the first to renounce me.

Do not be afraid, sir, - said Valdemar, - I will give him such arguments that he himself will understand that it is necessary to join us when we gather in York... Sir Prior, I need to talk with you in private before you sit down on the horse.

Meanwhile, the rest of the guests quickly left. Only those who belonged to the prince's party and his servants remained.

“This is the result of your advice,” said the prince, turning angrily to Fitz-Urs. “At my own table I was fooled by a drunken Saxon fool, and at the mere name of my brother people run away from me like a leper!”

Be patient, sir,” said the adviser, “I could object to your accusation, citing the fact that your own frivolity destroyed my plans and carried you beyond the limits of prudent caution.” But now is not the time to reproach each other. De Barsi and I will immediately go to these indecisive cowards and try to prove to them that they have gone too far to retreat.

“Nothing will come of it,” said Prince John, pacing the room in great excitement, which was partly contributed to by the wine he had drunk. - They had already seen the writings on the wall; noticed the footprints of a lion's paw in the sand; heard the approaching lion's roar, shaking the forest. Now nothing will revive their courage.

God grant that he himself does not become afraid,” whispered Fitz-Urs, turning to de Bracy. - Just hearing his brother’s name makes him shake like he’s in a fever! It is bad to be the adviser of a prince who lacks firmness and constancy in both good and bad deeds.

Sir Walter Scott's contribution to the creation historical novel impossible to overestimate. More than one generation of readers have been reading his works for over a hundred and fifty years. "Ivanhoe" is one of the most interesting things written by this author.

Historical setting of the novel

The Normans conquered the Saxons' ancestral lands in just one battle about 150 years ago. The novel takes place in the 12th century against the backdrop of the struggle between two brothers for the throne. This is the rightful king Richard I and his brother John, who, in fact, wants to usurp power in the kingdom. The Plantagenet dynasty became fully established on the island and displaced its native inhabitants into inferior lands. The Saxon nobility dreams of regaining their former position. And the country finds itself in three opposing camps. This is the balance of power 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 Ivanhoe's return 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 the desire to follow the courtly laws of honor. Valor, courage, and loyalty are not empty words for him. This is a characteristic of Ivanhoe’s image as a whole.

By participating in Richard, he gained great fame as a true defender of faith and Christianity. There he covers himself with glory, but also arouses the hatred of the knight Boisguillebert, whom he defeated at the tournament in Palestine. This is one of the aspects 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 rashly - this is how the image of Ivanhoe appears before the reader. During a two-day tournament in Ashby, he was seriously wounded, but, gathering 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 is included in the image of Ivanhoe. The knight treats his king, whose valor and courage are impeccable, with a great deal 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 Walter Scott's novel is written rather monotonously. This character is positive and quite difficult to draw vividly.

Briand de Boisguilbert

This is a knight of the Templar Order. 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 reality they often interfere in European politics. Briand de Boisguilbert 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 the wealthy Jew Isaac is going to go to Sheffield, the knight does not hesitate to simply attack him for the purpose of robbery. Greed, a lustful attitude towards women, far from the sublime courtly ideas of the 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 character 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. This is the image of a 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 in a hint and without development. We learn a lot about her surroundings, but we can only judge her indirectly. 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 thanks to her upbringing she is very proud and serious.

Lady Rowena serves only 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 new strong royal Saxon generation. And no one cares about the feelings of Lady Rowena herself. She is not perceived by men as a person with your own desires. Even Ivanhoe treats her as an object. When he returns to his homeland, he is in no hurry to please Lady Rowena with his appearance, but keeps everything a deep secret from her. 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 how Ivanhoe courted his bride. One can only assume that there was once courtship, and Rowena developed a feeling of love for Ivanhoe. This young man is a medieval romantic knight, and he needs beautiful lady to express courtly love and fight for it. This makes Rowena something of a pawn for the writer himself to support love affair, therefore it attracts little interest, love and sympathy from the readership. Positive image the writer was unsuccessful. He's too sketchy.

Rebekah

It is not entirely fair to compare Rebekah and Rowena because they play different roles in the novel. 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, brave, 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 confident in herself.

And whenever she is under threat of violence, she argues with the templar. Rebekah has the opportunity to choose her fate - die with dignity at the Templar trial or go to Spain and devote herself to work in a hospital. In the final scene, she gives Rowena a casket of jewelry and rejects the offer to convert to Christianity and stay in England.

These are the main female images in Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.

Conclusion

This novel, immediately after it was written, was read by the most famous writers of all countries, not to mention the mass reader. Then he moved into the category of children's literature. But a modern child is unlikely to be interested in a novel. This colorfully described era of the early Middle Ages may arouse interest in a thoughtful adult, knowledgeable about history and prone to analysis.

Ivanhoe- a noble young knight, son of Cedric Sax, a Saxon nobleman. Participant of the Third Crusade, friend and associate of King Richard the Lionheart, in whose retinue he arrived in Palestine. Before this, he was expelled from home by his father and deprived of his inheritance - because he dared to fall in love with Cedric’s pupil Lady Rowena, whom he intended to be the wife of Athelstan, the last representative of the Saxon royal dynasty: with this marriage Cedric pinned his hopes on the revival of the Saxon kingdom, which ceased to exist after the conquest of England by the Normans, who placed their king on the throne. By the beginning of the novel, A., like King Richard I, secretly returns to England - without money, a horse, weapons or armor. Unrecognized, he comes to his father's house dressed as a pilgrim. At this time, Cedric receives unexpected guests - the abbot of the abbey and the influential knight-templar Briand de Boisguillebert, A.'s opponent: he defeated him in a tournament back in the Holy Land. From a conversation with Lady Rowena, A. realizes that he is still not indifferent to her. Leaving his native home, he helps the merchant and moneylender Isaac from York escape from mortal danger. In gratitude, Isaac buys him a horse, weapons and armor. A. appears incognito at a tournament organized by the Knights Templar. He defeats four valiant knights in personal duels, including de Boisguillebert, and with the help of Richard the Lionheart, who also competes incognito, he emerges victorious in the general tournament, but receives a serious wound. Isaac's daughter, the beautiful Rebekah, nurses him. He, in turn, not yet fully recovered from his injury, goes out to fight for her in a duel.” God's judgment" to prove her innocence when the templar court sentences Rebekah to be burned at the stake as a witch. His opponent is again de Boisguilbert. Seized by a fatal passion for Rebekah, the templar, by force of circumstances, is forced to defend in battle a court decision that dooms her to a painful death. The struggle between feeling, duty and ambition turns out to be an overwhelming experience for the knight, and he suddenly dies at the very beginning of the duel. At the request of Richard the Lionheart, Cedric forgives his son and restores his inheritance rights. Since Athelstan resolutely refuses to marry Lady Rowena, AA becomes her husband. disgust towards the “Jewish tribe” as such. But Rebekah successfully rids him of this prejudice with her beauty, skill as a healer and intelligent conversations, forcing him to respect her wisdom.

The actions of the novel “Ivanhoe” are revealed to the reader against the backdrop of interesting historical events: 1194, King Richard the Lionheart returns to England from Austrian captivity, and meanwhile, the power-hungry Prince John has seized the throne, causing all sorts of unrest.
The author describes in detail the struggle of the Saxons conquered by the Normans, who cannot come to terms with the fate of the conquered people, and the war against the Normans is caused not only by national, but also by social contradictions. The Normans are over high level social development, but the Saxon nobility does not forgive them for the loss of their possessions and the brutal extermination of their compatriots. The country, one might say, is literally being torn apart by those who remained loyal to King Richard and those whom Prince John managed to bribe.
The novel captivates with its narration and fascinating plot from the first pages. It cannot be said that this is a book for teenagers: children, rather, will read only out of curiosity about what will happen next. They will be carried away story line. But psychological images, the philosophical question of choice, are enough difficult language, judgments that make you think a lot about this or that problem will intrigue any adult.
Almost every image here is painted in bright colors. I even find it difficult to know where to start. I'll start, perhaps, with the hero after whom the book is named.
Ivanhoe is a glorious and valiant knight who has accomplished many feats. The knight, disinherited for many years of wandering, expelled from home by his father because of conflicting views on the situation in the country and for his affection for his father Cedric's pupil, Lady Rowena, tempered his spirit, learned to be patient, restrained, stronger and more reasonable.
He never acts rashly and gives account of his every action, even if it costs him his life. Honor, valor, courage, love and loyalty are above all for him. For many years, love for Lady Rowena lived in his heart. At the tournament organized by Prince John, Ivanhoe fought to the last: how much endurance is needed! How you need to be able to gather your strength, what kind of will you need to have in order to, having received a serious injury, complete the started competition to the end and emerge victorious! Having barely recovered, he sets off to defend Rebekah’s honor, knowing that his opponent will be the strongest, Briand de Boisguillebert. But in general the reader should notice that in the novel there is much more attention given to other heroes.So, we are seeing a lot more episodes with the Black Knight. The legendary king of England - Richard the Lionheart, forced to hide under the mask of the Black Knight, carries the wounded Ivanhoe out of the burning castle in his arms, and then does many more good deeds: saves old Cedric and Lady Rowena, reconciles Ivanhoe with his father and blesses the future marriage of the young man and Rowena . This king is true soul ordinary people. He is respected and revered by the entire gang of Loxley robbers (the big question, by the way, is who is more of a robber - Loxley or Prince John), he knows how to appreciate real exploits and friendship. “England will be left without a king,” his loyal subjects warned, but the Black Knight visited the most hot spots of the novel in order to protect his friends. Nobility and the well-being of loved ones for him are on the first step in the hierarchy of values, rather than the crown and power. The cowardly Prince John is his exact opposite. And this begs the question: can Richard be called reckless?
After all, he must understand that if he dies, then all his associates will remain in the hands of his cruel brother. “A magnanimous, but rash and romantic monarch” - this is what the author himself says about him. Whether to condemn Richard or admire him is up to the reader to decide.

The image of the templar Briand de Boisguillebert is no less controversial. At first he may seem like a cruel, harsh and greedy person, and what can one expect, it would seem, from a person who has endured more than one brutal battle, hardened by the sun of Palestine and bloodthirsty fights?.. However, even such a person can love. He loved the beautiful Rebekah until his death, and was ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of this love: title, honor, if only she would give her consent. On the one hand, his love is predatory.

He does not want to accept refusal, he is used to conquering like a true warrior, but he has forgotten that a girl’s heart is not just a fortress that can be repulsed with a sword, because she also has her own opinion, the right to choose. On the other hand, the templar does not force her - he offers various options salvation, he does not forcibly hold her in a fortress. He is patient and bides his time. I hardly agree with the fact that in the duel with Ivanhoe “he fell, becoming a victim of his own passions,” or “God punished him for his unbridled passion.” The templar, realizing that Rebekah would never love him, lost the meaning of life and gave up, although he acted in the duel as a knight and created the illusion of battle. And he succeeded. His name, the last thing he could lose, was not tarnished by shame and he died in armor, as befits a knight, although he could easily defeat Ivanhoe, who was barely sitting in the saddle. He preferred death to disgrace and, in my opinion, acted nobly. His love can serve as a role model: for the sake of his beloved, he was ready to do anything.
But even more interesting in the novel are the female characters. Rowena. Spoiled by wealth and attention, the power bestowed on her, accustomed to everyone around her obeying her, she does not have determination or dedication. As for Ivanhoe, rather, she allows herself to be loved, she is flattered by the love of such a valiant knight, and strokes her vanity.
William Thackeray spoke wonderfully about this character: “Rowena is a colorless, fair-haired creature, in my humble opinion unworthy of either Ivanhoe or the position of a heroine.” But what did she do for him, her loved one? I just asked at the beginning of the book - where is Ivanhoe, and what’s wrong with him?...Much more amazing and brighter image Rebekah is a beautiful and courageous Jewish woman. Unlike Rowena, she went through humiliation and contempt, being the daughter of a persecuted and hated people. She learned to survive. In an extreme situation, when Rowena and Rebekah were captured, Rebekah, deftly slipping out of the tower window, chose to fall to her death rather than fall to the oppressor as an easy prey, and Rowena burst into tears like a defenseless child. It is Rebekah and her father Isaac who help Ivanhoe with the armor; it is this girl who heals his wound. She is an excellent healer, brave and determined. The author makes an interesting note at the end of the story: “Ivanhoe lived long and happily with Rowena, for from early youth they were bound by bonds of mutual love. And they loved each other even more because they experienced so many obstacles to their union. But it would be risky to inquire too closely whether the memory of Rebecca's beauty and generosity did not come to his mind much more often than he might have liked Alfred's beautiful heiress." The hint that the image of Rebekah could not leave Ivanhoe’s heart is obvious.
Selfless people like Boisguillebert and Rebekah were defeated. Ivanhoe remained true to his love and his principles, not even wanting to find out more about Rebekah. This is probably its downside. Did Rowena love him? Did he ask himself this question before choosing her? It is worth noting that the images of Rebekah and the Knight of the Temple leave a stronger impression after reading the book. There is a lot to learn from them, and they are much more interesting and brighter than the images of Rowena and Ivanhoe. Yes, even if they lost, they admire their courage and will be remembered by readers for a long time.