Ivanhoe, Chapter 23 summary
Chapter 23 of 44 · 12 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 23, Maurice de Bracy demands that Lady Rowena marry him and threatens Wilfred of Ivanhoe and Cedric when she refuses. Her resistance gives way to distress, a horn interrupts the confrontation, and the narrator supports the scene’s plausibility with historical accounts of Norman oppression.
What happens
- Maurice de Bracy approaches Lady Rowena in elaborate clothes, but she rejects his courtesy as a disguise for violence.
- He declares that she cannot leave the castle unless she becomes his wife.
- He reveals that Wilfred of Ivanhoe is a prisoner and claims Front-de-Bœuf threatens Wilfred’s claim to his estate.
- De Bracy makes protection for Wilfred and Cedric depend on Rowena’s consent, and she breaks into tears.
- Rowena’s distress unsettles De Bracy, and a horn interrupts his uncertain attempts to comfort her.
- The narrator cites accounts of baronial cruelty and Princess Matilda’s protective religious dress to support the portrayal of oppression.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Ivanhoe: A Romance, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
In this chapter
What to notice
De Bracy turns his proposal into an explicit bargain under threat. Wilfred’s safety becomes the means of pressuring Rowena.
Quick check
Why does De Bracy say Front-de-Bœuf threatens Wilfred?
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Ivanhoe: A Romance, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today. USD 0.14 a day in the first year, then USD 0.27 a day.
200,000+ classics to read, hear and hold
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
