The Anglo-saxons of Ivanhoe and Scottish Jacobitism
Open Access
- Author:
- Gebhart, Michele Kathleen
- Area of Honors:
- English
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Scott Thompson Smith, Thesis Supervisor
Lisa Ruth Sternlieb, Thesis Honors Advisor
Robert Lougy, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Jacobitism
Sir Walter Scott
Scotland
Ivanhoe - Abstract:
- In the wake of the Norman Conquest of 1066 many different ideas sprang up among the English glorifying the days of King Alfred and the Anglo Saxon monarchy. Writing in the early nineteenth century, Sir Walter Scott shared this romantic view of the past, which was very similar to his own opinion of Scotland's days before the union of the Parliaments. In his novel Ivanhoe, he examines how an Anglo Saxon can remain true to his heritage and yet still succeed in what has become a Norman world. This was a very relevant question for contemporary Scots,many of whom were wishing for the day that the Stewarts would return to power while still trying to make a living under English control. There has been a lot of attention paid to the role of the Jews in Ivanhoe, who are indeed prominent and important characters, but there has been less of a focus on the Anglo Saxons and their position in a world no longer their own. A close look at these characters reveals many parallels with the Jacobites of Scott's day and has proven to be a very fruitful way to approach the novel. This thesis will show that although the Anglo Saxons are presented as noble and honorable, under the surface there are troubling character flaws which complicate their simplistic view of the world. It will also show that their insistence on living in the past proves self destructive while those Englishmen who embrace the Norman leadership go on to prosper.