Summary Quentin Dorward Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Quentin Durward
The action takes place in medieval France, amidst wars and complex court intrigues, the French King Louis XI, an intelligent and subtle politician, is fighting the mighty European rulers for the prosperity of France. Unprincipled and cautious Louis is the antipode of Charles the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy, the first enemy of the French monarch. Accepting the cautiousness of Louis for cowardice (unforgivable vice in that knightly era), reckless and warlike Karl does everything to conquer France. By the beginning of the novel, the mutual enmity between the two great sovereigns reaches its extreme limits.
Not far from the royal castle, fate unexpectedly reduces Quentin Durward, a young nobleman from Scotland, with a kind of modest townsman. On the same day, Quentin tries to save the life of the gypsy, because of which he himself hardly avoids the gallows. A tragic confluence of circumstances compels a young man to seek the protection of the
Guillaume de la Marque, nicknamed the Ardennes Boar, was to abduct Isabella from the monastery and marry her. Quentin did not know anything about this plan, and he certainly would die in a fight with the wild Veprm. So, Quentin and the beautiful ladies go on their way, and the King in the meantime makes the bold decision to make an open visit of friendship to Carl of Burgundy, if only it helps to avoid war.
At the very beginning of the path, the beautiful Isabella’s charms make the young Scotsman lose his head. To his delight, Quentin notices that the girl is also not quite indifferent to him. A courteous young man protects ladies in a chivalrous way, they can not help being fascinated by his company. Quentin’s squad consisted of only three soldiers and a conductor on the first part of the road. But looking closer to the conductor, Quentin discovers that this is the royal hangman, who once tried to hang Quentin himself. Unexpectedly, the detachment is overtaken by the riders and orders Quentin to hand over the women to them. In the battle that followed his refusal, Quentin stuns one of the opponents and tears off his mask. They are the younger brother of the king, the first prince of blood, Louis of Orleans. The Prince wanted to help his friend, a foolhardy nobleman, to capture such a rich bride. For this misdemeanor, both are waiting for imprisonment in a terrible prison on the orders of the king. After this incident, Isabel is imbued with tender gratitude to her savior.
In complete ignorance of his future the detachment continues the way. A new conductor causes Quentin a mixture of curiosity and mistrust. Gayradaddin was a gypsy, king’s spy and also a brother of a hanged gypsy, whom Quentin tried to save. From the very beginning, Guyraddin’s behavior to Quentin seemed suspicious. His fears were confirmed when the travelers reached a small monastery, where they wanted to spend the night. The Gypsy escaped the fence at night, and Quentin, unnoticed, followed him. Hiding in the branches of a large tree, he overheard the Gypsy’s secret conversation with a soldier of the Ardennes Boar, from which he learned that the conductor should betray them to Vepr. The young man is shocked by the baseness of the king and decides to reach the Liege monastery at any cost. Without saying anything to the gypsy, Quentin changes the route and avoids the Ambush,
Quentin denounces the gypsy in betrayal, but he promises to help the young man win the heart of a noble lady. The monastery was located next to the Flemish city of Liege, whose citizens defended their free city privileges and rebelled against the legitimate overlord – the Duke of Burgundy. Quentin and Isabella did not know that the proud Flemish people were ready to raise a new rebellion and their inspiration, the Vepr de la Marc, whom Isabel had promised as a rich bride. Suspecting nothing, Quentin goes to the city, where he gets acquainted with influential townspeople and learns from them about the impending uprising. He hurries to the monastery to warn of the danger of a good bishop, but nothing can be done. On the same night, the rebels led by de la Marque attack the monastery, taking unawares by its inhabitants. Quentin awakens a furious roar | besieging and screaming gypsy who burst into the room, who calls him to save the ladies. Quentin hurries down, where he finds two women under a veil. Thinking that these are both countesses, a brave youth takes them out of the castle and discovers a new deception of the gypsy: instead of Isabella, he saves the servant of the old countess, the accomplice of Gayraddin. Gypsy, it turns out, wanted to thank Kentin in this way, having obtained him a rich bride in the person of his aunt Isabella in love with him. In desperation, Quentin hurries back to the monastery, hoping that Isabella is still alive. He finds a girl and miraculously saves her from de la Marque, giving her away as the daughter of a respectable citizen, his friend. To the dismay of Quentin, the rebels execute the bishop. the brave youth takes them out of the castle and discovers a new deception of the gypsy: instead of Isabella, he rescues the servant of the old Countess, the accomplice of Gayraddin. Gypsy, it turns out, wanted to thank Kentin in this way, having obtained him a rich bride in the person of his aunt Isabella in love with him. In desperation, Quentin hurries back to the monastery, hoping that Isabella is still alive. He finds a girl and miraculously saves her from de la Marque, giving her away as the daughter of a respectable citizen, his friend. To the dismay of Quentin, the rebels execute the bishop. the brave youth takes them out of the castle and discovers a new deception of the gypsy: instead of Isabella, he rescues the servant of the old Countess, the accomplice of Gayraddin. Gypsy, it turns out, wanted to thank Kentin in this way, having obtained him a rich bride in the person of his aunt Isabella in love with him. In desperation, Quentin hurries back to the monastery, hoping that Isabella is still alive. He finds a girl and miraculously saves her from de la Marque, giving her away as the daughter of a respectable citizen, his friend. To the dismay of Quentin, the rebels execute the bishop. He finds a girl and miraculously saves her from de la Marque, giving her away as the daughter of a respectable citizen, his friend. To the dismay of Quentin, the rebels execute the bishop. He finds a girl and miraculously saves her from de la Marque, giving her away as the daughter of a respectable citizen, his friend. To the dismay of Quentin, the rebels execute the bishop.
Quentin and Isabella take refuge in the city where Isabella decides to return under the protection of Carl of Burgundy, since Louis only deceived and betrayed them. She asks Quentin Durward to accompany her to Burgundy. They manage to slip out of the city, reach the border with Burgundy, but here they are overtaken by the chase of de la Marça. But at this moment a detachment of Burgundian knights is shown. They turn the soldiers of La Marka to flight. To the delight of Isabella, the detachment is commanded by Count de Crevecoeur, her relative and noble man. He joyously welcomes his long-disappeared relative, but he is suspicious of Quentin, for he is a servant of the French king. The count always considered Isabella’s escape to be a stupid horse and, knowing his master’s wild temper, foreshadowed great trouble for the girl and her savior. The wave of anger caused in him news of the death of the Liege bishop of Liege, who was loved by all for his wisdom and decency. The Count swears to take revenge on the murderer Guillaume de la Marques, but while hurrying with this woeful news to Carl of Burgundy. Quentin Earl suspects of the incitement of the townspeople to revolt, although Isabella tries to assure him of the nobility of the young man. Exhausted road Isabella is left in the care of the venerable canoness of the nearby monastery, and Quentin and the Count de Crevecoeur continue the path to the court of the Burgundian duke.
Meanwhile, in the ducal castle events of extraordinary importance occurred. King Louis with a small retinue decided to pay a visit of friendship to his arch-enemy Duke of Burgundy, reminding all the mouse who came to visit the cat. In fact, the king, most of all in the world wishing to prevent a war with Burgundy, wanted to disarm his simple-hearted and quick-tempered rival such an act of trust and friendship. Charles was at first friendly and intended to observe the etiquette, having accepted the King of France, as befits a loyal vassal. In the soul of hating the king, he is holding back his anger with all his might, which, as is known, does not correspond to his temperament. But right now, during the hunt, the Count de Crevecoeur arrives and reports the tragic news of the Liege rebellion and the death of the bishop. He adds that the messenger of the French king was involved in these events, meaning Quentin Durward. This one hint is enough to cause the duke’s pent-up wrath with such difficulty.
Charles orders to imprison Louis in the prison tower, where the ancestor of the king was once treacherously killed. The king embraces despair, and he dreams of taking revenge on his astrologer who predicted good luck on the trip. A cunning astrologer only miraculously manages to avoid the vengeance of a cruel monarch. He predicts that the hour of his death is separated from the death of the king himself only 24 hours, than terribly frightening superstitious Louis. Once in an almost desperate situation, the king tries to acquire as many supporters among the approximate nobles of Charles. He uses flattery and bribery for this. Fortunately, the nobles themselves were interested in preserving peace between the countries, as many owned land in France and did not want to lose them. The gold of France, too, has done its job. As a result, the Duke was persuaded to consider the case officially and fairly, for which the State Council should convene and invite the king to it. Crevecore promised to present on the advice of a witness who could confirm the innocence of the king, referring to Quentin Durward. Quentin, as a knight and a man of honor, was not going to testify against the helpless and abandoned king. He is grateful to Louis for taking him to the service in a difficult moment and ready to forgive the king for his betrayal. But the young man explains to Crevecoeur that, since Carl intends to call also the Countess Isabella, he needs to warn the girl about what she will have to keep silent about. Crevecer objects to their date and reminds Quentin what an insurmountable distance separates him, a pauper alien, from the most notable and beautiful bride of Burgundy. capable of confirming the innocence of the king, referring to Quentin Durward. Quentin, as a knight and a man of honor, was not going to testify against the helpless and abandoned king. He is grateful to Louis for taking him to the service in a difficult moment and ready to forgive the king for his betrayal. But the young man explains to Crevecoeur that, since Carl intends to call also the Countess Isabella, he needs to warn the girl about what she will have to keep silent about. Crevecer objects to their date and reminds Quentin what an insurmountable distance separates him, a pauper alien, from the most notable and beautiful bride of Burgundy. capable of confirming the innocence of the king, referring to Quentin Durward. Quentin, as a knight and a man of honor, was not going to testify against the helpless and abandoned king. He is grateful to Louis for taking him to the service in a difficult moment and ready to forgive the king for his betrayal. But the young man explains to Crevecoeur that, since Carl intends to call also the Countess Isabella, he needs to warn the girl about what she will have to keep silent about. Crevecer objects to their date and reminds Quentin what an insurmountable distance separates him, a pauper alien, from the most notable and beautiful bride of Burgundy. that he took him to the service in a difficult moment and is ready to forgive the king his betrayal. But the young man explains to Crevecoeur that, since Carl intends to call also the Countess Isabella, he needs to warn the girl about what she will have to keep silent about. Crevecer objects to their date and reminds Quentin what an insurmountable distance separates him, a pauper alien, from the most notable and beautiful bride of Burgundy. that he took him to the service in a difficult moment and is ready to forgive the king his betrayal. But the young man explains to Crevecoeur that, since Carl intends to call also the Countess Isabella, he needs to warn the girl about what she will have to keep silent about. Crevecer objects to their date and reminds Quentin what an insurmountable distance separates him, a pauper alien, from the most notable and beautiful bride of Burgundy.
On the advice of Charles intended to put Louis humiliating conditions for his release. The king would have to yield to the Burgundians territories and privileges, and most importantly, to agree to Isabella’s marriage to the brother of the king by the Prince of Orleans. Thanks to Quentin, the king manages to prove his innocence to the uprising in Liege. But when the duke announced his decision to betroth the prince and Isabella, the girl falls at the feet of the duke and begs him to take all her wealth, but to allow herself to dispose of her soul and let her go to the monastery. The Duke hesitates, and suddenly the arrival of the herald of the Wild Boar de la Marca is announced. They are a disguised gypsy Gayraddin, who informs the will of the self-proclaimed bishop to solely command the city of Liège, and to pay him the dowry of his wife, the countess Amelina de Croix, the extravagant aunt of Isabella. To these impudent demands, Karl and Louis meet with the order to hang the gypsy and decide to join forces against de la Marc. Before this, the Duke announces that Isabella will marry the one who will bring the head of de la Marque and avenge thus the death of the bishop, in which Isabella was indirectly guilty.
During a fierce battle with the forces of Liege, Quentin tries to make his way to Vepr and personally fight with him. But the fight was interrupted by a cry for help. It was the daughter of the townsman who helped save Isabella from the besieged monastery. For her, Quentin leaves his opponent and the victory goes to his uncle, also a Scottish shooter. He brings the head of de la Mark to the sovereigns, but, to the unspeakable joy of the young lovers, yields the precious prize to Quentin.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)