The Anti-Romantic in "Ivanhoe"

Author(s): Joseph E. Duncan

Source: Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Mar., 1955), pp. 293-300
Published by: University of California Press
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 The Anti-Romantic
in "Ivanhoe
JOSEPH E. DUNCAN

IS SIR WALTERScorr's Ivanhoe essentially

adventure-preferably
a romanticbook of
forboys?A numberof usuallyperceptive
criticshave treatedit as such.WalterBagehotdeclaredthatthe
novel expresseda great"romanticillusion"and thatit was ad-
dressed"to thatkind of boyishfancywhichidolizesmedievalso-
time.' EightyyearslaterSirHerbertGrierson
cietyas the'fighting
assertedthatIvanhoewas "mainlya good storyof adventurefor
boys."Una Pope-Hennessy agreedthatthenovelwas "first and last
a boy'sbook" and explainedthatforScottmedievalEnglandwas
"all a wonderfulpageant-land"and thatthenovel'sromancewas
"a revoltagainstthetyranny offacts."G. H. Maynadierwrotethat
thenovelwas notdeservedly so famouson itshistoricalsideor its
humanside,butthat"on itsromanticside,one can hardlypraiseit
too highly."DorothyMargaretStuartsuggestedthatIvanhoewas
"little-ifat all-more convincingthanThe Castleof Otranto."'
While the novel'sjuvenileand romanticqualitiesprobablyhave
been responsible formuch of its appeal to successivegenerations
of readersand, more recently, to moviegoers,the basic pointof
viewin Ivanhoeis neitherjuvenilenor romantic,but thoughtful,
JosephE. Duncan is a memberof thedepartment of Englishat theUniversity of Minne-
sota,DuluthBranch.
1 The Worksof WalterBagehot(Hartford, I89I) II, 22I; Sir HerbertGrierson,Sir Wal-
terScott,Bart. (London, I938), p. I82; Una Pope-Hennessy, Sir WalterScott (Denver,
I949), "Ivanhoeand Its Literary
p. 93; G. H. Maynadier, Consequences,"Essaysin Mem-
oryof BarrettWendell (Cambridge,Mass., I926), pp. 222-223, and DorothyMargaret
Stuart,"Sir WalterScott,Some CentenaryReflections," English AssociationPamphlets,
No. 89 (1934), p. 4.

E 293 J

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294 Fiction
Nineteenth-Century
mature,and in a senseantiromantic. The novelpresentsa vivid,
colorfulpictureof the "fighting time,"butit does notglorifythe
fighters.
In his studiesof the Scottishnovels,David Daiches explained
thatScott'srealinterestas a novelistwas "in thewaysin whichthe
pastimpingedon thepresentand in theeffects of thatimpacton
humancharacter." ExplainingScott's"deepconcernwiththerela-
tionsbetweentraditionand progress,"Daiches declaredthatthe
Scottishnovels"attemptto show thatheroicaction,as thetypical
romanticwriterwould like to thinkof it,is, in the last analysis,
neitherheroicnoruseful."2 Verysimilarinterests and attitudesare
reflectedin Ivanhoe (I820). It was Scott'sfirstpublishedmedieval
novel,and in it he treatedthe same kind of themesexaminedin
Rob Roy (I8I7), The HeartofMidlothian(i8i8), and otherScot-
tishnovels.In thosehe wroteabout the conflictbetweenan old
heroicidealand modernindustrial society.He showedthestruggle
betweenthe Scottishnationalists and the moresociallyadvanced
Englishand thentheirultimateco6perationin forginga new so-
ciety.In Ivanhoe he treatedthe chaos arisingfromthe struggle
betweenSaxonsand Normansand thebeginningof a new,more
orderedsociety.Buthe realizedthattherewas muchoftheheroic
and romanticin bothculturesthatwouldunfortunately havetobe
sacrifiedbeforethe two peoplescould fuseand formthe English
nation.
The action,thoughconfusingly narrated, presentsin clearout-
linestheconflictbetweentheSaxonsand Normans,theturmoiland
distressbroughtto thecountryby thestruggle, thelossessuffered
bybothgroups,and thenthefirststepstowarda unifiedEngland.
2 David Daiches,"Introduction," The HeartofMidlothian, bySir WalterScott,p. v, and
"Scott'sAchievement as a Novelist"(Part One), Nineteenth-Century Fiction,VI (I95I),
8i. In theintroductionto The Fortunesof Nigel,Scottexplainedthatthe"strongcontrast
producedbytheopposition of ancientmannersto thosewhichare graduallysubduingthem
affords thelightsand shadowsnecessary to a fictitious
to give effect narrative."Max Korn
declaredthatScott'sintellectualand intuitivehistorical
consciousnessprovidedthefounda-
tionand pointof view in his workand thatin Ivanhoehe had presentedsuccessfully the
dramatictensionofhumanand politicaloppositions. "Sir WalterScottund die Geschichte,"
Anglia,LXI 937), 417, 435-

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 in "Ivanhoe"
Anti-Romantic 295
Ivanhoe,thesonoftheSaxonpatroitCedricbuta devotedfollower
of theNormanRichardtheLion-Hearted, is severelywoundedin
a tournament in whichhe defeatstheNormanfollowersof King
John.He is takenaway and caredforby theJewishRebeccaand
herfatherIsaac,who latertravelwiththepartyof Cedricto gain
protection againstoutlaws.The Normansof King John'sfaction
attackCedricand hisentourage, captureeveryone excepttheswine-
heardGurthand the fool Wamba, and take the prisonersto the
castleoftheNormanFront-de-Boeuf. Richard,theSaxonservants,
and RobinHood and hisband stormthecastleand rescueeveryone
exceptRebecca,who is takenawaybytheTemplarBriande Bois-
Guilbert.When the TemplarscondemnRebeccaas a witch,she
demandsa champion.Brianhad expectedto be herchampion,but
he is appointedto defendthe Templars'chargeagainstRebecca.
If he is victorious,she will be burned;if he does not fight,he is
disgraced.Ivanhoe,however,thoughscarcelyrecovered,appears
as herchampionand defeatsBrian,who is reallythevictimofthe
conflict withinhim.
The end of civilstrifeand thebeginningof a new nationalera
are seenmostclearlyin thedestruction of Front-de-Boeuf's
castle.
stormed
It is successfully byRichard(who now insistshe is Richard
ofEngland,no longerRichardofAnjou), RobinHood, theSaxon
slave Gurthand manycommonmen of England.It was also set
on firebythemad Saxon captiveUlrica,apparently representative
of the mostancientand barbarouselementin the Saxon culture,
who perisheswithFront-de-Boeuf. In her song atop theburning
castleshe returnsto "the wild strainswhich animatedher fore-
fathersduringthe time of Paganismand unrestrained ferocity"
and lamentedthepassingof therace of Hengistand Horsa. The
conclusionof her song seemssignificant forthe future:
Forvengeance hathbutanhour;
Strong hateitself
shallexpire!
I alsomustperish!

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296 Fiction
Nineteenth-Century
Thistransition andthecomingnational unityarealsodramatized
in thevictories oftheSaxon-Norman Ivanhoe,theSaxonAthel-
stane'srenunciation of hisrightsto theEnglishthrone, and the
marriage ofIvanhoe, Richard'sfavorite, andRowena,thelastde-
scendant ofKingAlfred.
In theintroductionto IvanhoeScottexplained thattheSaxons
weredistinguished by"theirplain,homely, bluntmanners, andthe
freespiritinfusedbytheirancientinstitutionsandlaws;thevictors,
bythehighspirit ofmilitaryfame,personal adventure,andwhat-
evercoulddistinguish themas theFlowerof Chivalry." Butthe
novelmakesclearthattheseidealsare sometimes and
travestied
thatan inflexibledevotion tothemhaslostmuchofitsusefulness.
The twopeoplescannotachieveunity so longas theSaxonsdream
ofre-establishingtheirold kingdomand theNormansseekper-
sonalgloryin irresponsible adventure.Bothareshort-sighted and
hardened becauseoftheirenslavement totheseoutworn idealsand
the consequent disunity and disorderin England.Cedricis a
dreamer witha fanaticdevotion to thelostSaxoncausethathas
ledhimtooppose theclaims ofnature in disowning hissonIvan-
hoebecausetheyoungknighthasfollowedRichard.Athelstane,
thehereditary leaderof the Saxons,is knownas theUnready.
Although brave,he hasno enthusiasm foranything excepteating.
Manyoftherepresentatives oftheNormanchivalric tradition
areasinterestedinpersonal bootyastheyareinpersonal glory.Like
Robertson in TheHeartofMidlothian andsomeoftheHighland
chiefs,theyareoftenlittlebetterthancommonoutlaws.Scottin-
terrupted his"idletale"to lamentthat"thosevaliantbarons,to
whosestandagainstthecrowntheliberties ofEnglandwerein-
debted shouldthemselves
fortheirexistence, havebeensuchdread-
fuloppressors, and capableof excessescontrary notonlyto the
lawsofEngland, buttothoseofnatureandhumanity." Front-de-
Boeufhaskilledhisfather, haskepttheSaxonUlricaas hiscaptive
andisprepared
mistress, totortureIsaactoobtainmoney. De Bracy
is somewhat morechivalrous,buthas kidnapedRowena.Brian

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Anti-Romanticin "Ivanhoe" 297
gailyviolateshis oath as a Templar,but is destroyed by an inner
conflictwhenhe discovers thatthe valuesof his orderareopposed
not onlyto love but to humaneaction.
Ivanhoeand Richardarethepivotalcharacters who indicatethe
possibilityof a betterfuture.Ivanhoe,thougha Saxon,has given
up theclaimsofhisracein fighting forEnglandand Christendom
in the Crusades.Richard is a Norman who, however,honors
SaxonsfromCedricto RobinHood. Richard,likesomeofthedie-
hardHighlandleadersof the Scottishnovels,is a paradoxicalfig-
ure,and Scott'streatment ofhimis ambivalent. Scottrealizedboth
thebeautyand thegraveinadequacyof theheroicideal. Richard,
"gay,good-humoured, and fondofmanhoodin everyrankoflife,"
can uniteSaxonsand Normans,baronsand yeomen.When Cedric
addresseshim as Richardof Anjou, the monarchexclaims:"No,
nobleCedric-RichardofEngland! whosedeepestinterest, whose
deepestwish,is to see hersonsunitedwitheach other."He effects
a reconciliationbetweenCedricand Ivanhoeto help quell thedis-
sensionamonghis"faithful people."Yet Richardis toocommitted
to theold outwornheroicidealto lead thepeopleintothepromised
land of a new England."In the lion-hearted king,"Scottwrote,
"the brilliant,but uselesscharacter,of a knightof romance,was
in a greatmeasurerealisedand revived;and the personalglory
whichhe acquiredbyhis own deedsofarms,was farmoredearto
his excitedimagination, than thatwhich a courseof policyand
wisdomwould have spreadaroundhis government." Scottappar-
entlyfeltthatRichard's dreams for England were not realized
becausehe was "rashand romantic."3
There is morepromiseof unityand progressin the characters
representativeof thecommonpeople.RobinHood joinsthesiege
ofFront-de-Boeuf's strongholdas "a true-bornnativeofEngland."
"DownrightEnglish am I," Friar Tuck exclaimsto Richard.
Wamba and Gurthare readyand able to play important rolesin
to The Monastery
8 In theintroduction Scottreferredto thepersonalgallantryand "ex-
travagantchivalry"thatled knightsto endangerthe livesof othersas well as theirown.

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298 Fiction
Nineteenth-Century
therescue.In fact,Wambaenters thecastledisguised as a monk
andchangesplaceswithCedric,whoescapes.Although he is pre-
paredtoriskhislifeforhisfriend andmaster, heis notwillingto
do so fortheheiroftheSaxonkings,Athelstane.
The Hebraicculture, as representedbyIsaacand Rebecca,is a
kindoftouchstone bywhichbothNormansand Saxonsmaybe
judged.The Jewsareconventionally chargedwithavarice, partly
forthesakeofcomedy, buttheyarealsothebestrepresentatives in
thenoveloftheChristian virtuesofloveand sacrifice. Isaacand
RebeccaaregoodSamaritans whocareforIvanhoewhenhisfather
Cedricis tooproudto do so. Isaacrisesto trueheroism in hisde-
termination toendureanyphysical torture orfinancial sacrifice
to
savehisdaughter. This courageous devotion is in contrast with
Cedric'streatment ofIvanhoe.Rebecca, withnohopethatheraffec-
tionforIvanhoecanbe reciprocated, risksherlifeto nursehim
andeventogivehima rapid-fire accountofthesiege.In herself-
andunobtrusive
sacrifice heroismsheiscomparable toJeanie Deans
ofThe HeartofMidlothian. In themeeting ofIvanhoewithRe-
beccathereis an encounter ofthehighest idealsof thechivalric
tradition withthoseof theHebraic-Christian tradition.Ivanhoe
champions a chivalry, whichhe ironically associates withChristi-
anity,whichrateslifefarbeneath thepitchofhonor.Rebeccacar-
riesScott'scriticism of the chivalricideal. She maintains that
"domestic love,kindlyaffection, peaceandhappiness" arehigher
virtuesthanthelove of honorand glorythatbringstearsand
bloodshed. It is alsoRebeccawholaterrecallstheEnglishtotheir
ownideals.She seeksa champion from"merry England,hospi-
table,generous, free."
The closingpagesofIvanhoesuggest thata stephasbeentaken
forward towarda lessadventurous butmorestableand fruitful
buttheyalsowarnthata relapse
society, is inevitable becauseofan
adherence to outworntraditions. The marriage of Ivanhoeand
Rowenais symbolically a marriage between theNormans andthe
Saxonsand "a pledgeofthefuture peace and harmony betwixt

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Anti-Romanticin "Ivanhoe" 299
two races."It is attendedby bothSaxons and Normans,"joined
withthe universaljubileeof the lowerorders."Ivanhoehimself,
a nativeSaxon butrepresentative of thebestin Normanchivalry,
is a kind of symbolof a new,unifiedEngland.Althougha brave
and loyalknight,he is graveand is impatient with"thewild spirit
of chivalry"whichimpelsRichardto seek dangersneedlessly.
Whileattention perhapscenterson thedramaticconflict between
the Saxons and Normans,the tensionbetweenthe past and the
present,traditionand progress,is even more significant. Critics
havefoundmanyanachronisms in Ivacnhoe, buttheyhave tended
to neglecttheone whichScottintendedto present-theadherence
to idealsthathaveoutlivedtheirusefulness. BothCedricand Rich-
ard are victimsof theirown romanticdreamsof waysof lifethat
belongto the past. Cedricdesiresto re-establish the Saxon king-
dom; Richardenvisionsa progressive and unifiedEnglishnation,
butis too committed to knight-errantry to leave"thosesolidbene-
fitsto his countryon whichhistorylovesto pause." "His reign,"
wroteScott,"was like the courseof a brilliantand rapidmeteor,
whichshootsalong the face of Heaven, sheddingaroundan un-
necessaryand portentous light,which is instantlyswallowedup
byuniversaldarkness."Ivanhoeand EnglandprosperunderRich-
ard,buttheirprosperity is cutshortbyRichard'spremature death,
a resultof his continuedchivalricirresponsibility. It is ominous
thatRebecca,who seemsto represent theidealsofthepastthatare
reallyworthpreserving, leavesEnglandbecausethe nationis not
preparedto nurturetheseideals.Beforedeparting, she explainsto
Rowenathat"thepeopleof Englandare a fiercerace,quarrelling
,everwiththeirneighbours or amhong themselves."
It is onlythe surfaceand the paddingof lvanhoethatprovide
the romanticboy'sadventurestory.Scott'smain concernin this
novel,as in his best Scottishnovels,was with the difficult but
necessarytransition froma romantic,heroicera to a compara-
tivelydrabberperiodof unity,peace, and progress.Despite the
manyinaccuracies in Scott'streatment ofhistoricalfiguresand the

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300 Nineteenth-Century
Fiction
medievalsetting, he had a firmgraspofa fundamentalproblem
duringa criticalperiodofEnglishhistory.
He recognized
thatthe
reconciliation
ofSaxonsandNormans wasa permanentcontribu-
tion;buthe alsorecognized thattheimpingementofthepaston
thepresent,as in Richard'sirresponsible
heroism,couldhaveseri-
ous consequences. Ivanhoe,farfrombeingmainlyjuvenileand
romantic,is essentiallyantichauvinistic, and anti-
antichivalric,
romantic.

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