Ivanhoe Literary Elements

Historical fiction, romanctic tradition

England, about 1194

Third person limited omniscient

The tone varies between pathos and slightly jovial irony

Wilfred of Ivanhoe is the protagonist; Brian de Bois-Guilbert is a well rounded antagonist

There's a jousting rivalry between Ivanhoe (as the Disinherited Knight) and Brian de Bois-Guilbert, however the main problem is that Brian de Bois-Guilbert is infatuated with a young woman named Rebecca, daughter of a Jewish capitalist, who attempts to capture the family.

The climax of the book is a "trial by combat" in which the critically wounded Ivanhoe faces off against the redoubtable Brian de Bois-Guilbert.

When Brian remarks on Rebecca's beauty to King John, it foreshadows his attempt to act on his attraction.

Wamba, noting the richness of the Prior's dress and his luxurious manner of travel, the payment for which comes exclusively from gifts and tithes made by his followers, some of whom are very poor, says: "I did conceive that the charity of Mother Church and her servants might be said, with other charity, to begin at home."

Robert Locksley, the outlaw archer who performs so brilliantly at the tournament, is an old name for Robin Hood.

Weapon imagery predominates throughout the book. Brian's servants are described thus: "Silk and embroidery distinguished their dresses, and marked the wealth and importance of their master; forming, at the same time, a striking contrast with the martial simplicity of his own attire. They were armed with crooked sabres, having the hilt and baldric inlaid with gold, and matched with Turkish daggers of yet more costly workmanship. Each of them bore at his saddle-bow a bundle of darts or javelins, about four feet in length, having sharp steel heads, a weapon much in use among the Saracens, and of which the memory is yet preserved in the martial exercise called “El Jerrid”, still practised in the Eastern countries."

Brian is in love with Rebecca, who is on trial for witchcraft. If he wins the trial by combat, she will be put to death, but if he loses, he himself will die. For him, there is no way out.

The return of Wilfred to claim the hand of Rowena, setting aside his disguise, parallels the return of King Richard from the Crusades.

Prince John is distracted, at the tournament, by "a general exclamation of the crowd" in response to Cedric's activity.

The arrogance of the Knights Templar, as depicted by Scott, are personified in Brian de Bois-Guilbert, who accumulates great wealth (and chases women) in blatant defiance of the rules of his Order.