Rose Tremain

The Crossings of Herald Montjoy

Discussion exercises:
1. What do you know about Rose Tremain? Give the most important facts from her
biography. What are the key topics of her works?
Dame Rose Tremain (born 2 August 1943) is an English novelist, short story writer, and
former Chancellor of the University of East Anglia.
born London. Her paternal great-grandfather is William Thomson, who was Archbishop of
York from 1862 to 1890. She was educated at the Sorbonne (1961–1962) and the University of
East Anglia (BA, English Literature). She later went on to teach creative writing at the University
of East Anglia from 1988 to 1995, and was appointed Chancellor in 2013.
She married Jon Tremain in 1971 and they had one daughter, Eleanor, born in 1972, who
became an actress. 2 more marriages
Her influences include William Golding, author of Lord of the Flies, and Gabriel Garcia
Marquez's 1967 novel 100 Years of Solitude and the magical realism style.
She is a historical novelist who approaches her subjects "from unexpected angles,
concentrating her attention on unglamorous outsiders."
2. Recollect the plot of W. Shakespeare’s Henry V. Why could Rose Tremain possibly
choose this play as the basis for this short story? What did she change?
Soon after he becomes king, Henry V is considering making a claim to rule France as well as England.
He asks the Archbishop of Canterbury about how strong his claim is, but it's when the dauphin sends
Henry an insulting message that he makes up his mind and decides to invade France.
The king's former companions from his days in the Eastcheap tavern hear of the death of Sir John Falstaff from
Hostess Quickly. They take their leave of her and set out to join Henry's army.

IN FRANCE
Despite the dauphin's insistence that Henry is an unworthy opponent, the French king receives the
English ambassadors but finally rejects Henry's claim to the crown.
Henry's soldiers take the town of Harfleur.
Meanwhile, as her father gets his nobles ready to retaliate, Princess Katherine begins to learn English
with the help of her companion, Alice.
The English soldiers are in poor condition - disheartened by sickness and foul weather. They begin to
retreat, but Henry rejects the French Herald's offer of ransom and the two armies prepare to fight.

THE BATTLE OF AGINCOURT

The evening before the battle, Henry tours the camp in disguise, finding out what his men think. It
leads him to consider the heavy responsibilities of kingship.
In the French camp, by contrast, confidence is high. As battle begins, Henry rallies his troops and
places them all in God's hands.
A VICTORY AND A MARRIAGE
An English victory is confirmed, with miraculously small losses. As part of the subsequent treaty,
Henry woos and wins Katherine to ensure the linking of the two countries through marriage.
3. Give a general characteristics of Herald Montjoy. Why is he chosen to be the main
character of the short story? What is specific about his profession?
Inner conflict, his profession influenced hos lige, he had no personal opinion
Herold - public announcer, official representative
'A herald is a watcher. He oversees the conduct of armies, but doesn't really belong to them.
He's not a man-at-arms, but a man apart.'
4. In what way is the story structured? What do these two episodes from the life of
Herald Montjoy have in common?
October 1415.- April 1412.
Riding to the King for answer goes in parallel with riding to Cicile for answer
He was defeated and the army too (no happy end)
5. What is the task Herald Montjoy has to fulfill? How does he feel about this task?
 'Just tell the King to give himself up for ransom, all right, Montjoy? Then that sack of bones
he calls an army can go home and litter up Southampton.'
He's been told to ride fast, to return quickly.
he doubts very much, he does not consider it a matter of honor to kill a crippled army
6. What is the attitude of the main character to what is going on in both camps?
He is interested in the English more, they work and sing
He decides that two things keep these people from fleeing back to Calais: drink and the
presence of their King. (they respect the King)
In what way are the leaders of the two camps characterized?
The Dauphin is doing body-building exercises all the while he is talking. As Montjoy leaves the
tent, he hears him say to the Duke of Alencon: 'God, I'm fit.'
The Dauphin picks up a blackbird and bites it in half, crunching the little bones. He speaks
with his mouth full. 'Did you explain it properly? Five to one. Did you show him?'
-
King of England - Your Dauphin can believe in his certainty or not as he pleases. It makes no
difference to us. We will not be ransomed.*
Whom does the Herald sympathize with? Can you explain why?
King of England, he is brave and ready to fight
7. What story does Henry V tell Herald Montjoy? What is the message of this story
from your point of view?
When I was a boy, I kept a stag beetle in an ivory box. I used to speak to it. And one evening,
it spoke back to me. Until that time, I'd been absolutely certain that a stag beede was unable to
talk.'
self-confidence not alwaus can not lead to good
8. Who is Cecile and what was her role in the life of the main character? Recollect
what things Herald Montjoy compares Cecile to. In what way do these comparisons influence
reader’s perception of this character?
His beloved one who married another man
He tried, on these journeys to and from her house, to decide what, if anything, she resembled
- in nature, or in man's inventions. He wondered whether he could compare her to a lake of water
lilies where silvery fish glimmered deep down. Or was she like a sundial, unerring, yet always
speaking, in her adoration of ephemeral things, of time's passing?
Во время этих поездок в ее дом и обратно он пытался решить, на что она была похожа - в
природе или в изобретениях человека. Он задавался вопросом, может ли он сравнить ее с озером
кувшинок, где глубоко внутри мерцали серебристые рыбки. Или она была похожа на солнечные
часы, безошибочная, но всегда говорящая в своем обожании эфемерными вещами, о прошедшем
времени?
9. There are a lot of the symbols the story. The most important are: a stag beetle in an
ivory box, (hidden danger)
a pair of crimson shoes. (love)
What do they mean from your point of view? Can you find more symbols?
Forest – a huge number of thoughts, fear, confusion in front of a place where you can get lost
Mist – uncertainty, it is difficult to predict what awaits behind the fog, ambiguity, danger
10. At the end of the story Herald Montjoy explains his nephew the essence of his
profession. Find this quote and be ready to reproduce this explanation in your own words.
He's a herald. Heralds ride in the vanguard of events, diey announce. They watch and
assess. They bring the expected after them. But not him. Despite his eminence, despite his
optimistic name, the unimaginable follows him like a shadow.
Он вестник. Вестники едут в авангарде событий, они объявляют. Они смотрят и оценивают.
Они приносят за собой ожидаемое. Но не он. Несмотря на его величие, несмотря на его
оптимистичное имя, невообразимое следует за ним, как тень.
11. What did the author want to tell the reader by placing the word ‘crossings’ into the
title of the short story?
Motive of road (transition + from different states of a person)