History Literature / Ivanhoe

* HistoricalHeroUpgrade: Somewhat played with, as is the HistoricalVillainUpgrade. [[spoiler: Near the end of the plot Eleanor of Aquitane confronts both her sons and lambasts not only John, but Richard as well. If anything she's more annoyed with the latter, since he's spent all but three or four months of his reign in the Holy Lands and has near bankrupted England to pay for his war, leaving John to do the unpleasant but necessary task of raising the money and, oh yeah, keep the country running. As she says, 'John may be a miserable little runt, but at least he's ''been'' here!']]

* DidNotDoTheResearch: Numerous examples, of which perhaps the most extreme is the warping of the real Saxon name "Cerdic" into the previously non-existent "Cedric". Though making Ulrica, and Englishwoman of the 12th century invoke "Zernebock" (''i.e.'', [[SlavicMythology Chernabog]]) is a pretty [[EpicFail epic]] [[DidNotDoTheResearch Research Failure]], too.

* ChildhoodSweethearts: Ivanhoe and Rowena.

* DarkFeminineAndLightFeminine: Virginal Rowena (light) and desirable Rebecca (dark).

* ClearMyName

* AdaptationDistillation: A number of the various adaptations have successfully reinterpreted the original in the terms of their own eras. The 1952 version was extremely popular in an age which demanded spectacle. The 1982 version attempted a sort of ''[[TheAdventuresOfRobinHood Adventures of Ivanhoe]]'' approach, and featured some striking performances. The 1997 A&E/BBC version went for a DarkerAndEdgier, de-romanticized interpretation that captured more of the sense of suspense and tragedy in the novel than other versions. As is the way with most great works, each age will get the kind of ''Ivanhoe'' that best suits it.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Ivanhoe is [[BridesheadRevisited Lord Sebastian Flyte]] and [[Film/TheScarletPimpernel1982 Sir Percy Blakeney]]; Rebecca is [[RomeoAndJuliet Juliet]]; Bois-Guilbert is [[JurassicPark Alan Grant]]; Front-de-Bœuf is [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings Gimli]]; and The Black Knight is either [[StarWars General Veers]] or [[Film/TheLastCrusade Walter Donovan]].

'''''Ivanhoe: A Romance''''' is an 1819 [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Sir Creator/WalterScott, set in the reign of King RichardTheLionHeart and largely concerning the long-smouldering antagonism between the [[PeopleOfHairColor Normans and Saxons]] in the centuries after the Norman Conquest -- an antagonism which, at that date, is highly [[AnachronismStew anachronistic]] (one might call it a sort of [[HollywoodHistory Hollywood History]]) and largely the product of Scott's teeming imagination. In the face of severe criticism by his own contemporaries on this and other historical inaccuracies, Scott himself admitted, "It is extremely probable that I may have confused the manners of two or three centuries," but [[MST3KMantra comforted himself]] that "errors of this kind will escape [[ViewersAreMorons the general class of readers]]." And indeed, despite the author's [[AuthorTract Whig history]] limitations and prejudices (which are [[WriterOnBoard evident]]), ''Ivanhoe'' is a stirring and colourful tale, with plenty of action, lovable heroes and heroines and hissable villains, and a real feeling for the genuine -- if ''extremely [[{{Flanderization}} exaggerated]]'' -- romance of TheHighMiddleAges.

Scott's novel has had a number of adaptations.

* A stage version was prepared as early as 1828.
* In 1850, [[VanityFair William Makepeace Thackeray]] produced the [[AffectionateParody parodic]] FanSequel, ''[[http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/books/randr.html Rebecca and Rowena: A Romance Upon Romance]]'', in which [[TakeThatScrappy Athelstane]] and [[DieForOurShip Rowena]] die and Wilfred [[FanPreferredCouple marries]] a [[ValuesDissonance converted]] Rebecca.

* Two appeared in 1913:
** ''Ivanhoe'' was a US production, directed by Herbert Brenon, and starring King Baggot as Ivanhoe, Leah Baird as Rebecca, Herbert Brenon as Isaac, Evelyn Hope as Rowena, and Wallace Widdicombe as Bois-Guilbert;
** ''Rebecca the Jewess'' was directed by Leedham Bantock and featured Lauderdale Maitland, Ethel Bracewell, Hubert Carter, Nancy Bevington, and Harry Lonsdale in the same rôles, respectively. (Oddly, both were filmed in the same locations at Chepstow Castle in Wales.)
* In 1952, MetroGoldwynMayer produced what is probably the best remembered film version, ''Ivanhoe'', directed by Richard Thorpe, and starring Robert Taylor as Wilfred, ElizabethTaylor as Rebecca, Felix Aylmer as Isaac, Joan Fontaine as Rowena, George Sanders as Bois-Guilbert, [[BonnieScotland Finlay Currie]] as Cedric. This version was nominated for three [[AcademyAward Academy Awards]], for Best Picture, Best Colour Cinematography, and Best Score for [[MiklosRozsa Miklós Rózsa]]; it stressed the spectacular and [[{{Swashbuckler}} swashbuckling]] elements.

There have also been quite a number of LiveActionTelevision adaptations of the novel:

* A 1995 television series starring Kristen Holden-Ried, ''Ivanhoe, the King's Knight''

* CourtlyLove: Played straight by Wilfred and Rowena (and [[spoiler:Rebecca for Wilfred]]; subverted by Athelstane and de Bracy for Rowena; beaten all to hell and back by Bois-Guilbert for Rebecca

* [[ItsAllAboutMe It's All About Me]]: Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who is too blind even to be aware of it.

* RetCon: Sir Walter invented a role for RobinHood against Prince John in RichardTheLionHeart's absence to plug some holes in his plot.

* UnfortunateNames: De Bigot, Prince John's seneschal, mentioned in a throwaway line. Very nearly a MelBrooks character.

* UselessProtagonist:: Wilfred Not quite useless, but useless for most of the book.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: [[YourMileageMayVary YMMV]]. Certainly most of the Goodies are ''very '' good, and most of the Baddies ''very'' bad, but it does not prevent them from being memorable characters. One is inclined to say that, rather than being Black and White, they are all rendered in primary colours.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge / RoaringRampageOfRescue : The storming of Front de Boefs castle. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Probably quite a few readers were pleased with that one.

* RoaringRampageOfRevenge/RoaringRampageOfRescue : The storming of Front de Boefs castle. [[KickTheSonOfABitch Probably quite a few readers were pleased with that one.

* DidNotDoTheResearch: Numerous examples, of which perhaps the most extreme is the warping of the real Saxon name "Cerdic" into the previously non-existent "Cedric."
** Though making the English of the 12th century invoke "Zernebock" (''i.e.'', [[Disney/{{Fantasia}} Chernabog]]) is a pretty [[EpicFail epic]] [[DidNotDoTheResearch Research Failure]], too.
*** That was only Ulrica and she pretty much said that she had become pagan in despair.

* TheDulcineaEffect: Ivanhoe champions Rebecca, who is not his LoveInterest.
** Well, [[IOweYouMyLife he owed her his life]].

'''''Ivanhoe: A Romance''''' is an 1819 [[HistoricalFiction historical novel]] by Sir WalterScott, set in the reign of King RichardTheLionHeart and largely concerning the long-smouldering antagonism between the [[PeopleOfHairColor Normans and Saxons]] in the centuries after the Norman Conquest -- an antagonism which, at that date, is highly [[AnachronismStew anachronistic]] (one might call it a sort of [[HollywoodHistory Hollywood History]]) and largely the product of Scott's teeming imagination. In the face of severe criticism by his own contemporaries on this and other historical inaccuracies, Scott himself admitted, "It is extremely probable that I may have confused the manners of two or three centuries," but [[MST3KMantra comforted himself]] that "errors of this kind will escape [[ViewersAreMorons the general class of readers]]." And indeed, despite the author's [[AuthorTract Whig history]] limitations and prejudices (which are [[WriterOnBoard evident]]), ''Ivanhoe'' is a stirring and colourful tale, with plenty of action, lovable heroes and heroines and hissable villains, and a real feeling for the genuine -- if ''extremely [[{{Flanderization}} exaggerated]]'' -- romance of TheHighMiddleAges.

[[folder:Synopsis]]
[[TheCrusades The Third Crusade]] has just ended, and the combatants are returning home. The cruel and lascivious [[TheKnightsTemplar Templar]], Brian de Bois-Guilbert and his [[CorruptChurch worldly companion]], Prior Aylmer, despite their misdirection by the swineherd Gurth and his companion, [[TheJester the jester]] [[ObfuscatingInsanity Wamba]], are guided by a mysterious Palmer to the home of Cedric the Saxon, a noble who wishes to re-establish the ancient English kingdom by marrying his ward Rowena to the last descendant of Saxon royalty, Athelstane of Coningsburgh. Also sheltering at Cedric’s house is the Jewish moneylender, Isaac of York. In the course of dinner, it is revealed that Cedric has disowned his son, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, for attaching himself to the Norman king [[RichardTheLionHeart Richard Cœur-de-Lion]] and for daring to woo Rowena (who returns his love); it is further revealed that Bois-Guilbert is Ivanhoe’s [[ArchNemesis mortal enemy]], who defies him to mortal combat at an upcoming tournament. That night the Palmer forces helps Isaac to escape from the Templar (who had planned to kidnap him and send him to his ally, the ferocious and greedy [[TheBrute Front-de-Bœuf]]); in gratitude, Isaac supplies him with a horse and armour. The Palmer somehow[[hottip:* : even dim readers will already have figured out that the Palmer ''is'' Ivanhoe]] convinces Gurth to serve as his squire for the upcoming tournament.

At the tournament, the evil Prince John and his followers are plotting to seize the throne, but are unnerved to learn that King Richard has escaped captivity. Meanwhile, the tournament is dominated by two unknown knights, the "Disinherited Knight" and the [[BlackKnight Black Sluggard]], who defeat Bois-Guilbert and his companions, and by a Saxon [[TheArcher archer]] called ''[[RobinHood Locksley]]." The Disinherited Knight, who chooses Rowena to be the tournament's Queen, is revealed to be Ivanhoe when he faints from his wounds; he then disappears. In fact, he has been carried off by Isaac and his beautiful and noble daughter, Rebecca. Unfortunately, Cedric, Rowena, Athelstane, Isaac, Rebecca, and Wilfred are all captured by Bois-Guilbert's ally Maurice de Bracy and taken to Front-de-Bœuf's castle. There, Front-de-Bœuf demands ransoms, de Bracy tries to [[AbhorrentAdmirer woo]] Rowena, and Bois-Guilbert threatens to [[AttemptedRape ravish]] Rebecca, who is tending Wilfred. Meanwhile, Gurth, Wamba, Locksley, and the Black Sluggard rally an army of outlaws to assail the castle. Wamba manages to trick his way into the castle, disguised as a friar, where he switches places with Cedric. Cedric, on his way out, manages to [[AxCrazy stir up]] the crone Urfried -- formerly the Saxon princess Ulrica -- to vengeance against Front-de-Bœuf (who has, incidentally, been struck down by the BlackKnight). She sets fire to the castle. In the confusion of its fall, Rowena, Wilfred, and Isaac are rescued, but Athelstane is struck down and Rebecca carried off by the Templar, who takes her to one of his [[TheKnightsTemplar order]]'s houses. There she is discovered by the [[KnightTemplar fanatical Grand Master]], Lucas de Beaumanoir, who concludes that she has [[BurnTheWitch bewitched]] Bois-Guilbert. She demands a TrialByCombat, and sends for Ivanhoe to come fight for her.

Meanwhile, the BlackKnight, who has been attacked by Prince John's men, is saved by Locksley and his outlaws; it is [[TheReveal revealed]] that the BlackKnight is really [[RichardTheLionHeart King Richard]] and that [[TheArcher Locksley]] and his band are really [[RobinHood Robin Hood and his Merrie Men]]. Richard hastens to Athelstane’s funeral to reconcile Cedric and his son ... when it is suddenly revealed that Athelstane is alive (!!!) and now refuses to stand between Wilfred and Rowena. However, Wilfred has disappeared (again), to arrive just in the nick of time to fight for Rebecca, though he has not yet recovered from his wound. Fate, however, intervenes; though Wilfred does not actually touch him, Bois-Guilbert falls over, dead, killed by his own turbulent emotions. Rebecca is declared innocent; Richard shows up to punish the guilty; Wilfred and Rowena are to marry and Rebecca and Isaac decide to emigrate to Spain, where Rebecca will devote herself to an eternal maidenhood; Normans and Saxons are united under one English king, and all ends happily... [[ItGotWorse For Now]].
[[/folder]]

There have been several [[TheFilmOfTheBook Film Adaptations]].