Black Knight: Richard I of England, ‘the Lionheart’, as depicted outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Scott is largely responsible for creating the appealing but unfortunately completely fictional image of Richard as a gracious, lordly King who brought peace between Saxon and Norman, and put to rights the abuses of his brother John and his barons.
Introduction
The Black Knight has liberated the wounded Ivanhoe and his friends from Torquilstone, the castle of wicked Norman baron Reginald Front-de-Boeuf. Assistance came from an outlaw and his band of merry men, and though the two heroes each suspect they have penetrated the other’s disguise, they agree to drop the potentially embarrassing subject.
“SIR Knight,” said the Outlaw, “we have each our secret. You are welcome to form your judgment of me, and I may use my conjectures touching you, though neither of our shafts may hit the mark they are shot at. But as I do not pray to be admitted into your mystery, be not offended that I preserve my own.”*
“I crave pardon, brave Outlaw,” said the Knight, “your reproof is just. But it may be we shall meet hereafter with less of concealment on either side. — Meanwhile we part friends, do we not?”
“There is my hand upon it,” said Locksley; “and I will call it the hand of a true Englishman, though an outlaw for the present.”
“And there is mine in return,” said the Knight, “and I hold it honoured by being clasped with yours. For he that does good, having the unlimited power to do evil, deserves praise not only for the good which he performs, but for the evil which he forbears. Fare thee well, gallant Outlaw!”
From ‘Ivanhoe’ (1820) by Sir Walter Scott.
The Black Knight is King Richard I ‘the Lionheart’ (r. 1189-1199), great-great-grandson of King William I (‘the Conqueror’), Duke of Normandy; the outlaw is the at least half legendary Robin Hood.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
In Walter Scott’s ‘Ivanhoe’ an anonymous ‘Black Knight’ forms a bond of mutual respect with a nameless ‘outlaw’. Each suspects he knows the true identity of the other, but they agree to refrain from further speculation, the knight remarking that when a powerful man chooses self-sacrifice rather than self-indulgence, he deserves to be twice praised. (55 / 60 words)
In Walter Scott’s ‘Ivanhoe’ an anonymous ‘Black Knight’ forms a bond of mutual respect with a nameless ‘outlaw’. Each suspects he knows the true identity of the other, but they agree to refrain from further speculation, the knight remarking that when a powerful man chooses self-sacrifice rather than self-indulgence, he deserves to be twice praised.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, despite, just, may, must, not, since, until.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Hit. Mystery. Unlimited.
2 Good. They. Your.
3 Part. Welcome. Which.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Shoot. 2. Just. 3. Mine. 4. May. 5. Well. 6. Present. 7. Hold. 8. Own.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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