Ivanhoe Principles Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

[Ivanhoe] descended into the lists, and commanded them to unhelm the conquered champion [Bois-Guilbert]. His eyes were closed – the dark red flush was still on his brow. As they looked on him in astonishment, the eyes opened – but they were fixed and glazed. The flush passed from his brow, and gave way to the pallid hue of death. Unscathed by the lance of his enemy, he had died a victim to the violence of his own contending passions.

"This is indeed the judgment of God," said the Grand Master, looking upwards – "Fiat voluntas tua!" (43.82-83)

Bois-Guilbert is such a conflicted character that it winds up literally killing him by the end of Ivanhoe. He dies in battle with Ivanhoe, but not because Ivanhoe is such a great jouster. He just happens to have a heart attack, or a stroke, at the moment they cross lances. Bois-Guilbert is so conflicted over his role in Rebecca's trial that he winds up dying almost spontaneously. Why do you think Scott chose to end the trial by combat this way? Why not just have Ivanhoe kill Bois-Guilbert directly? ("Fiat voluntas tua" means "Thy [God's] will be done," by the way.)