Quentin Durward

infobox Book |
name = Quentin Durward


author = Walter Scott
cover_artist =
country = Scotland
language = English, Lowland Scots
series = Waverley Novels
genre = Historical novel
publisher = Archibald Constable (Scotland) & Hurst, Robinson (England)
release_date = 17 May 1823
media_type = Print (Hardback)
pages =
isbn =
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Quentin Durward" is a historical novel by Walter Scott, first published in 1823. The story concerns a Scottish archer in the service of the French King Louis XI. First published "In Three Volumes".

Plot introduction

This romantic novel displays life as a Scottish mercenary under Louis XI of France. It follows a young Scot who fled his homeland, and searching for meaning in life, finds it at the court of Louis XI. The novel is backed by much historical fact and gives very accurate portrayals of historical figures such as the Duke of Burgundy and Cardinal Balue.

Plot summary

The plot centres on the rivalry between Louis XI of France and Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Louis incites the citizens of Liège to revolt against Charles, and, under the command of Louis's ally, William de la Marck, they seize and murder Charles's brother-in-law, Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège. At the time of the murder Louis is at Charles's camp at Peronne, hoping to fool him with a false display of friendship. Charles, though, sees through his pretence, accuses him of instigating the uprising, and has him imprisoned. Louis's superior coolness of mind permits him to allay Charles's suspicions and to regain his liberty. In a sub-plot, the Burgundian heiress Isabelle de Croye takes refuge at Louis's court when Charles attempts to give her hand in marriage to his odious favourite Campo-Basso. Louis, in turn, resolves to give her in marriage to the bandit-captain William de la Marck, and sends her to Flanders under the pretence of placing her under the protection of the Bishop of Liège. She is guarded on her journey by Quentin Durward, an archer, who has left behind poverty in Scotland to join the Archers of Louis's Scottish Guard. Quentin prevents the intended treachery and earns Isabelle's love. Charles, though, promises her in marriage to the Duke of Orleans (heir to the French crown) but she refuses, and, in anger, the Duke promises her to whoever brings him the head of de la Marck. This Quentin does with the help of his uncle, Ludovic Lesley, and wins Isabelle's hand.

Characters in "Quentin Durward"

*Quentin Durward - protagonist and archer
*Ludovic Lesley, "le Balafré" (the scarred) - maternal uncle to Durward
*Louis XI - King of France
*Charles the Bold - Duke of Burgundy
*William de la Marck - The freebooting "Boar of the Ardennes", and Louis's supporter
*Isabelle de Croye - the Burgundian heiress

Discrepancy

A fact that must be noted here is that de la Marck's killing of the Bishop of Liege is said to occur two years before the historical massacre, which took place in 1482. It appears that Sir Walter Scott made the killing contemporaneous with the Liege Uprising, in order to hasten the pace of the tale and lend it more historical credibility.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The novel was adapted into at least three other forms:
* a movie: The Adventures of Quentin Durward (1955). See imdb title | id=0048528 | title=The Adventures of Quentin Durward .
* a TV series: Quentin Durward (1971). See imdb title | id=0233096 | title=Quentin Durward .
* an illustrated novel, drawn by the Portuguese artist Fernando Bento and first published in the Fifties in the boy's journal «Cavaleiro Andante».

External links

*Gutenberg|name=Quentin Durward|no=7853
* [http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/works/novels/durward.html "Quentin Durward"] at [http://www.walterscott.lib.ed.ac.uk/ Walter Scott Digital Archive] , the University of Edinburgh library