History Creator / WalterScott

[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/walter_scott_portrait.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:310:''"There is a vulgar incredulity, which in historical matters, as well as in those of religion, finds it easier to doubt than to examine."'']]

Walter Scott (later Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, 15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a 19th-century author of best-selling historical novels, many set in his native UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}. His best-known works include ''Literature/{{Waverley}}'', ''Literature/RobRoy'', ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'' (which guest-starred RobinHood and had a significant effect on subsequent portrayals), and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' (which was adapted into a famous opera). Before venturing into prose fiction, which he published anonymously (although his identity was a poorly-kept secret), Scott was a bestselling narrative poet. His later novels were composed under the combined strain of bankruptcy and severe illness.

Arguably the most famous and influential novelist of the nineteenth century, frequently imitated across Europe and in the United States. Among the novelists owing him a profound debt: Creator/JamesFenimoreCooper, Creator/CharlesDickens, Creator/GeorgeEliot, Alessandro Manzoni, and Leo Tolstoy.

[[quoteright:218:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Walter_Scott.JPG]]
[[caption-width-right:218:"There is a vulgar incredulity, which in historical matters, as well as in those of religion, finds it easier to doubt than to examine."]]

Walter Scott (later Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, 15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a 19th-century author of best-selling historical novels, many set in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}. Famous works include ''Literature/{{Waverley}}'', ''Literature/RobRoy'', ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'' (which guest-starred RobinHood and had a significant effect on subsequent portrayals), and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' (which was adapted into a famous opera). Before venturing into prose fiction, which he published anonymously (although his identity was a poorly-kept secret), Scott was a bestselling narrative poet. His later novels were composed under the combined strain of bankruptcy and severe illness.

Walter Scott (later Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet, 15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832) was a 19th-century author of best-selling historical novels, many set in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}. Famous works include ''Literature/{{Waverley}}'', ''Rob Roy'', ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'' (which guest-starred RobinHood and had a significant effect on subsequent portrayals), and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' (which was adapted into a famous opera). Before venturing into prose fiction, which he published anonymously (although his identity was a poorly-kept secret), Scott was a bestselling narrative poet. His later novels were composed under the combined strain of bankruptcy and severe illness.

Walter Scott (later Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet) was a 19th-century author of best-selling historical novels, many set in UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}. Famous works include ''Literature/{{Waverley}}'', ''Rob Roy'', ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'' (which guest-starred RobinHood and had a significant effect on subsequent portrayals), and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' (which was adapted into a famous opera). Before venturing into prose fiction, which he published anonymously (although his identity was a poorly-kept secret), Scott was a bestselling narrative poet. His later novels were composed under the combined strain of bankruptcy and severe illness.

* TheCrusades: ''Ivanhoe,'' ''The Talisman,'' and ''Count Robert of Paris.''

* WorthyOpponent: One of his calling cards was to have decent people of divering races and religions and even on the opposite sides of a war.

* DirectLineToTheAuthor: nearly all of the novels are supposedly "written" or "edited" by somebody other than Scott, with Scott the recipient of (and literary agent for) the results. The best-known of these editorial personae are Jedediah Cleishbotham, Captain Clutterbuck, Chrystal Croftangry, and Peter Pattieson.

** ''Old Mortality'': the Covenanters.

* MySecretPregnancy: the aftermath of a concealed pregnancy drives the plot in ''The Heart of Midlothian.''

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: nearly all of the novels are supposedly "written" or "edited" by somebody other than Scott, with Scott the recipient of (and literary agent for) the results. The best-known of these editorial personae are Jedediah Cleishbotham, Captain Clutterbuck, Chrystal Croftangry, and Peter Pattieson.

* MeaningfulName: Guess which country he made famous?
* MoneyDearBoy: the final novels, written as a last-ditch effort to get himself out of bankruptcy.

* PetTheDog: Once he heard a dog barking outside disturbing him when he was working hard on his writing to pay off oncoming debt. Instead of being annoyed, he commented, "I dare say he has his woes as I have mine."

* UsefulNotes/MaryOfScotland: ''The Abbot.''

* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: ''The Heart of Midlothian'' and ''The Bride of Lammermoor.''
* TheVirginQueen: ''Kenilworth.''

** Mary, Queen of Scots in ''The Abbot.''
** Elizabeth I, Amy Robsart, and the Earl of Leicester in ''Kenilworth.''

** RichardTheLionHeart in ''Ivanhoe''.

* MaryOfScotland: ''The Abbot.''

* LargeHam : Chesterton defended him from the charge that to many of his characters were {{Large Ham}}s by pointing out that that was what made them great characters.

* UsefulNotes/{{Roma|ni}}: Meg Merrilies in ''Guy Mannering.''

* {{Roma}}: Meg Merrilies in ''Guy Mannering.''

* MaryOfScotland: ''The Monastery'' and ''The Abbot.''

* AlternateHistory: ''Redgauntlet.''

* UsefulNotes/{{Scotland}}: Some scholars consider Scott the TropeMaker.

Walter Scott (later Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet) was a 19th-century author of best-selling historical novels, many set in BonnieScotland. Famous works include ''Literature/{{Waverley}}'', ''Rob Roy'', ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'' (which guest-starred RobinHood and had a significant effect on subsequent portrayals), and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' (which was adapted into a famous opera). Before venturing into prose fiction, which he published anonymously (although his identity was a poorly-kept secret), Scott was a bestselling narrative poet. His later novels were composed under the combined strain of bankruptcy and severe illness.

* BonnieScotland: Some scholars consider Scott the TropeMaker.

Walter Scott (later Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet) was a 19th-century author of best-selling historical novels, many set in BonnieScotland. Famous works include ''{{Waverley}}'', ''Rob Roy'', ''Literature/{{Ivanhoe}}'' (which guest-starred RobinHood and had a significant effect on subsequent portrayals), and ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' (which was adapted into a famous opera). Before venturing into prose fiction, which he published anonymously (although his identity was a poorly-kept secret), Scott was a bestselling narrative poet. His later novels were composed under the combined strain of bankruptcy and severe illness.

* ''{{Waverley}}''

* LargeHam : Chesterton defended him from the charge that to many of his characters were LargeHam s by pointing out that that was what made them great characters.