The Last Duel by Eric Jager
Story of the duel to end all duels
In the story The Last Duel by Eric Jager, fourteenth century in medieval France, a knight by the name of Jean de Carrouges challenges a squire, Jacques Le Gris, to a duel. The reason for this trial by combat, a court-ordered duel intended by fate of God to determine the truth, was to seek vengeance for the sake of his own honor. The wife of Jean Carrouges was the "young, beautiful, good, sensible, and modest" Marguerite. She was expected to maintain a ladylike mannerism and remain loyal to her husband. When the couple traveled to Capomensil to visit Carrouges mother-in-law Marguerite stayed under her watch while Carrouges set out on a journey in desperate need of cash. While away on his journey Marguerite claims to have been raped by the knights old friend and squire Jacques Le Gris, and given the information throughout the story I believe it was true. To demonstrate my theory why Le Gris did brutally rape Marguerite I will take evidence from the historical material and explain my perception on this true story of the "duel to end all duels".
The beginning of the story introduces the characters, discussing their backgrounds and family history. The two men that participate in mortal combat were once friends, and now enemies due to jealousy, envy, and success. Jean de Carrouges was born into a family line of blood and violence, but from this blood "sprang a line of fierce warriors". Jean's rank of nobility started as a squire, but after returning from a six month French military expedition to Scotland, the only real prize he had to show was his new rank as a knight. Before he left on this expedition he set a quest to find a wife, and thats when he met and married an heiress named Marguerite. The young bride was well-bred, beautiful and loyal, but her only flaw was growing up "a traitor's daughter". Her father, Robert de Thibouville, was a Norman knight who was known for betraying the kings of France. This could
In the story The Last Duel by Eric Jager, fourteenth century in medieval France, a knight by the name of Jean de Carrouges challenges a squire, Jacques Le Gris, to a duel. The reason for this trial by combat, a court-ordered duel intended by fate of God to determine the truth, was to seek vengeance for the sake of his own honor. The wife of Jean Carrouges was the "young, beautiful, good, sensible, and modest" Marguerite. She was expected to maintain a ladylike mannerism and remain loyal to her husband. When the couple traveled to Capomensil to visit Carrouges mother-in-law Marguerite stayed under her watch while Carrouges set out on a journey in desperate need of cash. While away on his journey Marguerite claims to have been raped by the knights old friend and squire Jacques Le Gris, and given the information throughout the story I believe it was true. To demonstrate my theory why Le Gris did brutally rape Marguerite I will take evidence from the historical material and explain my perception on this true story of the "duel to end all duels".
The beginning of the story introduces the characters, discussing their backgrounds and family history. The two men that participate in mortal combat were once friends, and now enemies due to jealousy, envy, and success. Jean de Carrouges was born into a family line of blood and violence, but from this blood "sprang a line of fierce warriors". Jean's rank of nobility started as a squire, but after returning from a six month French military expedition to Scotland, the only real prize he had to show was his new rank as a knight. Before he left on this expedition he set a quest to find a wife, and thats when he met and married an heiress named Marguerite. The young bride was well-bred, beautiful and loyal, but her only flaw was growing up "a traitor's daughter". Her father, Robert de Thibouville, was a Norman knight who was known for betraying the kings of France. This could