Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Walter Scott, first published in 1819. The novel or “romance” is a fanciful account of English life in the 12th century, during the time of King Richard I (Richard “Coeur de Lion”). The protagonist of the story is Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a knight returning home from fighting in the Third Crusade. His journey weaves together historical events, religious conflict, and Medieval folklore and explores themes of Chivalry as a Means of Legitimating Power; Hierarchies of Religion, Class, and Gender in Medieval Europe; and The Relationship Between History and Legend. The novel succeeded in reviving interest in figures from Medieval history and legend, including King Richard and Robin Hood, and has inspired numerous film, television, and even opera adaptations.

This study guide refers to the 2000 Penguin edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The novel features biased views on race, religion, class, and gender that were characteristic of the novel’s Medieval setting as well as Scott’s own time.

Plot Summary

With the English king Richard held captive by the Duke of Austria, his brother John rules in his stead, hoping to seize the throne with the support of his Norman confederates. During this period, a group of Norman knights and other ranking officials go to visit the Saxon nobleman Cedric, led to his estate, Rotherwood, by a Palmer (a religious pilgrim carrying a palm frond as a sign of having undertaken the journey to the holy land) coming back from Palestine. That same night, a Jewish lender, Isaac of York, also arrives at Rotherwood seeking hospitality. After dinner, the Palmer sees one of the Norman knights, a Templar called Brian de Bois-Guilbert, give orders to take Isaac hostage. Assisted by the swineherd Gurth, the Palmer helps Isaac escape. Grateful for his kindness and believing the Palmer to be a knight in disguise, Isaac repays the Palmer with a suit of armor and a horse that he can use to participate in the upcoming tournament at Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Officiating the tournament at Ashby is Prince John. Also attending are Cedric, his ward Lady Rowena, the Saxon nobleman Athelstane, and Isaac of York with his daughter Rebecca. On the first day of the tournament, a knight who styles himself only as Desdichado—interpreted by the spectators as the Spanish word for “disinherited”—wins every one of his jousting matches. Named as the day’s champion, he chooses Lady Rowena as the tournament’s Queen of Love and Beauty. Despite his success, the Disinherited Knight refuses to reveal his identity (it soon becomes clear, however, that the Disinherited Knight and the Palmer are the same person). On the second day of the tournament, the Disinherited Knight is nearly beaten in a melee but is rescued by another anonymous knight known only as “Le Noir Faineant,” or “The Black Knight.” After helping the Disinherited Knight, the Black Knight disappears. The Disinherited Knight is finally forced to unmask himself to be named champion, revealing himself to be Wilfred of Ivanhoe. This is the son of Cedric, who had been banished because of his budding romantic relationship with Rowena, whom Cedric was planning to marry to Athelstane. The disinherited Ivanhoe had followed Richard to the Crusades, distinguishing himself as a brave and skilled knight. As soon as his identity is revealed, Ivanhoe collapses from his injuries. Knowing Ivanhoe’s connection with his brother Richard, John becomes hostile and fearful, especially when he receives a message that Richard has been freed and is returning to England.

Cedric is shocked to recognize his son Ivanhoe and makes sure that he receives treatment for his injuries but does not go to see him personally and does not wish to reconcile with him. Ivanhoe disappears after he collapses; it is later revealed that Isaac and his daughter Rebecca, a competent healer, took charge of him. While Cedric and his party (including Rowena, Athelstane, Gurth, and Cedric’s fool Wamba) are returning home, they meet Isaac and Rebecca in the forest, where they have been abandoned by their bodyguards with the litter containing the injured Ivanhoe (though Cedric does not know it is Ivanhoe in the litter). Cedric allows Isaac and Rebecca to travel with him, but the whole group is soon captured by Maurice de Bracy, a supporter of Prince John who hopes to win the love of Rowena by pretending to capture her in the disguise of a yeoman so that he can “rescue” her as himself. Bracy receives help from Bois-Guilbert and another supporter of John, Reginald de Front-de-Boeuf, who locks up the captives in his castle, Torquilstone. While Bracy hopes to win Rowena, Bois-Guilbert has his heart set on Rebecca. Front-de-Boeuf plans to extract a huge ransom from Isaac. Gurth and Wamba, who manage to escape, enlist the help of Locksley and his band of outlaws, the “Merry Men.” The Black Knight, who has been staying with the Clerk of Copmanhurst (really Friar Tuck, one of Locksley’s men), agrees to help them free the captives.

Arriving at Torquilstone, Locksley and the Black Knight demand the hostages be freed. The captors request a priest to give Cedric the Final Sacrament. Pretending to accede to their demands, Locksley and the Black Knight send Wamba disguised as a priest. He takes Cedric’s place in the cell while Cedric escapes and gives the besiegers intelligence about the castle. As they launch an assault, the daughter of the castle’s original Saxon lord sets it on fire to avenge his death. Front-de-Boeuf dies, and Bracy surrenders to the Black Knight, who reveals himself to be King Richard and releases him. Bois-Guilbert flees with Rebecca, and the Clerk of Copmanhurst saves Isaac. Cedric saves Rowena and Richard rescues Ivanhoe. Athelstane receives a serious blow in the fighting and is presumed dead.

After the siege, Locksley hosts King Richard. Bracy tells Prince John that the King has returned, and that Front-de-Boeuf is dead. Bois-Guilbert takes Rebecca to a Templar preceptory, where the Grand Master rejects his love for her and subjects her to a trial for witchcraft. Rebecca manages to secure a trial by combat and writes her father to find a champion to engage in battle for her.

Cedric arranges a funeral for Athelstane, and during the funeral, the Black Knight reveals his identity to Cedric. As they speak, Athelstane suddenly emerges from his coffin alive. Pledging loyalty to King Richard, he tells Cedric to let Rowena marry Ivanhoe. Cedric agrees. Soon after the “funeral,” Ivanhoe receives a message from Isaac asking him to fight for Rebecca. He rides for many hours without rest to get to the castle on time, arriving exhausted and unlikely to win. He and Bois-Guilbert charge at each other with their lances, but Bois-Guilbert suddenly collapses and dies of natural causes, having misplaced his energy in selfish pursuits.

After the trial, Rebecca and her father decide to flee England for Granada to avoid persecution. Rebecca says goodbye to Rowena on the day of her wedding to Ivanhoe. Richard punishes John’s supporters and retakes the throne. Rowena and Ivanhoe have a happy marriage. Ivanhoe continues to serve in the military until Richard dies.