And her court testimony is reduced to nothing more than her husbands scriptas Famiglietti calls itfor destroying his hated rival. The movie presents two versions of the rape in Le Gris' version her protests have an edge of teasing to them, and hark back to a previous scene in which he chased a woman around the table before having consensual sex (sort of, given the power dynamic at play and the complete lack of agency women have in their world). Other accounts provide more technical detail, even suggesting that Le Gris slipped on his opponents blood. Or did he trip? Beyond the court the dispute was being spoken of as far as the most distant parts of the kingdom, according to the chronicler Jean Froissart. However, Le Gris insisted on his right to testify before Parliament, leaving the door open for Carrouges to request a duel. The Last Duel is now available to watch in cinemas. We dont have transcripts or historical records that say that on a given day [Marguerite] was doing this or something of that nature, but thats completely consistent with what such women did, the author confirms. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. Following the death of Carrouges first wife and son, he and Le Gris finally severed ties. The two combatants sat their horses very prettily, writes Froissart, for both were skilled in arms. The battle was drawn-out, bloody and spectacular. Mittwoch, 18:30 - 21:00 Uhr und Sonntag, 18:15 - 21:15 Uhr. They were right Le Gris decried Marguerites accusations as false and inflammatory, and Count Pierre took his side, clearing him of the charges. I would have had to have taken this many horses, and I didnt have time to get back. It would have become about whether or not it could have been him, or it must have been somebody else. The Last Duel Ending Explained: Who Won The Duel, And What It Means For Despite how much Marguerite de Carrouges' tale resonates today, we must keep in mind L.P. Hartley's words: "the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." John-Paul Heil is a Ph.D candidate in early modern history at the University of Chicago and an adjunct professor of history and the liberal arts at Mount St. Mary . Marguerite de Carrouges - Wikipedia Carrouges III had been rewarded for his long military service in . However, Voltaire only acknowledged Marguerite insofar as he claimed all these fights were fought for women. Neither DArgis nor Voltaire mentioned Marguerite by name. Schools educate you, and religious services deliver sermons, and movies at their best can generate empathy and generate compassion, says Affleck. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie stars Matt Damon as Carrouges, Adam Driver as Le Gris and Jodie Comer as Carrouges second wife, Marguerite. Women of that status, on these feudal estates, were in charge of a lot of things, especially when their husbands were away at war or on important business. But a public accusation of rape, at the time a capital offense and often a cause for scandalous rumors endangering the honor of those involved, could have grave consequences for both accuser and accused, especially among the nobility. That resonates. Warning, The Last Duel spoilers follow. Eric Jager is a professor of English at UCLA and the author of four books, including The Last Duel and Blood Royal. According to Jager, Le Gris took an immediate liking to Marguerite when Carrouges introduced her to the court in 1384. In accord with ancient tradition, she would be burned alive as a false accuser. Even in Le Gris' version, though, Marguerite's attempts to get away seem less flirtatious and more earnest. By taking away the witness and some challenging details, like Le Gris stuffing his hat into Marguerites mouth, the filmmakers were able to more fully explore the notion that Le Gris believed his actions were just. Medieval trial by combat: the real history behind The Last Duel Le Gris was killed in the fight and therefore found guilty; nevertheless, he was afterwards found innocent by the culprit of the crime, who declared Le Gris innocent as he laid dying. Their future was assured. Or did Carrouges according to one account grab him by the helmet and throw him down? de Carrouges knows that even the King is biased against him, and decides to ask for a trial by duel, in which God decides the outcome by letting the liar die. A bit of a crash courseon medieval France: At the top of society was the king, advised by his high council, the Parlement of Paris. By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. Enlightenment thinkers in the 18th century adopted this revision of Le Gris character to advance their own intellectual agendas. By the early nineteenth century, the notion that it all had been a case of mistaken identity was firmly established, as typified in an 1824 retelling by Norman historian and politician Louis Du Bois, who explains the supposed miscarriage of justice by speculating that the actual rapist was a squire who doubtless bore some resemblance to the unfortunate Le Gris.. Even a small mistake, such as misstating the day the attack happened, could result in the case being thrown out and the victim being punished for perjury. According to . While historians unanimously agree on that last part, everything else is muddled with contradictory evidence. By the union of Marguerite and Carrouges, de Thibouville hoped to restore his family's status[1] while Carrouges was hoping for an heir from the young Marguerite, whom contemporaries described as "young, noble, wealthy, and also very beautiful". This happened, she said, in the morning hours at the modest chteau of her widowed mother-in-law, Nicole de Carrouges, on a remote Normandy estate known as Capomesnil, about twelve miles southwest of Lisieux. de Carrouges also says that she must have sex with him, as Le Gris can't be the last person to have 'known' her Marguerite is, effectively, raped again. The greatest departure from Jagers book comes during the rape itself. They met in the household of Count Robert dAlenon, where the two served as squires to the count. . I fought him so desperately, she claimed, that he shouted to Louvel to come back and help him. If her husband lost she would be found guilty of perjury. Despite the claims of naysayers and novelizers, Marguerites testimony suggests that she was almost certainly not mistaken about the identity of her attackers. Jager chronicled how the former friends relationship devolvedand the woman and rape allegation at the center of the conflictin the 2004 nonfiction book The Last Duel. Carrouges choice to pursue a duel also put Marguerite in danger. In 1384, Carrouges and Margueriteencountered Le Gris at a mutual friends party. ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. The lawsuit reflected very poorly on Carrouges at the court in Argentan and resulted in his further estrangement from Count Pierre's circle. The fly in this ointment is another aspect of Marguerites testimony that has not been given due attentionnamely, the inclusion of Adam Louvel in the criminal charges. The True Story Behind Ridley Scott's The Last Duel - Film School Rejects Figures like Locke, Rousseau and Voltaireconsidered by some modern historians an early feministmade compelling cases for human rights, gender equality and the natural dignity of all peoples regardless of age, gender or race, which makes the Enlightenments widespread acceptance of the medieval narrative that Le Gris was innocent and refusal to consider Marguerites perspective all the more surprising and even hypocritical. I thought I was going to suffocate, and soon I couldnt fight them anymore. More, The interrogation of Nikolay Bukharin.More. After dismounting, Carrouges and Le Gris fought on foot with swords, both very valiantly. But Le Gris managed to get within Carrouges defenses and wound him in the thigh. And in fact it was a code, a manner of behavior that denied womens basic humanity.. But the count, infuriated by the accusation against his favorite, declared at a legal hearing that Marguerite must have dreamed it and summarily dismissed the charges, ordering that no further questions ever be raised about it.. [43] Jean and Marguerite de Carrouges then, with the crowd following in a great procession, rode from the abbey to the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, to give thanks for the victory. For Carrouges and Le Gris, whose dispute had sparked widespread interest across France, settling the case would have been viewed as either an admission of guilt or [a] false accusation, says Elema. Her story is detailed and persuasive, and she ran such a great risk to speak up at a time when women were supposed to keep silent about such things. While it is obvious now that Marguerites testimony deserved to be listened to, was wrongly downplayed in her own time and was ignored by later historians, for the Enlightenments intellectuals the story of Frances last duel was one of judicial injustice, not injustice towards women. (Rapists sometimes escaped punishment by marrying their victims.) When would she choose to speak out in this way? Cookie Settings, The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat, Historical European Martial Arts and Sports Community. Marguerite de Carrouges was a real woman who lived in 14th century France. Which, to us, was more interesting and, to us, ultimately made it more about an examination of an entire system that was assaulting this woman from the moment she was born.. Theres a certain arrogance rooted in that assumption. The Woman in Black | Lapham's Quarterly Some wrote, as Jager recounts in Laphams Quarterly, that Jean only won because Le Gris slipped on his opponents blood. Others wrote about a supposed deathbed confession by a felon who, having a last-minute change of heart, admitted that he, not Le Gris, had raped Marguerite. When Marguerite accuses Le Gris of rape, Jean de Carrouges challenges him to a trial by combat. On the one hand, the punishment for rape, if proven, meant death for the culprit and dishonor for the rapists family. As Damon tells the New York Times, this segment is kind of an original screenplay because that world of women had to be almost invented and imagined out of whole cloth., The gripping true story of the duel to end all duels in medieval France as a resolute knight defends his wifes honor against the man she accuses of a heinous crime. From the mechanics of trial by combat to the prosecution of sexual violence in medieval society, heres what you need to know about the true history behind The Last Duel ahead of the films October 15 debut. She has everything to lose. After The Last Duel's real-life story, Marguerite went on to have two more children and settled in Normandy and Paris, enjoying the celebrity status that she and her . But the overwhelming likelihood is that she was telling the truth. These events have gotten a cinematic depiction in Ridleys Scotts new medieval epic, The Last Duel, written by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener and now playing in theaters nationwide. On a freezing December day in 1386, at an old priory in Paris that today is a museum of science and technologya temple of human reasonan eager crowd of thousands gathered to watch two knights fight a duel to the death with lance and sword and dagger. Image via 20th Century Studios. From a practical perspective, pulling back on the brutality of the moment was also essential for simply getting the audience to sit through the scene. From an absolute philosophical point of view, nobody but Jacques Le Gris and Marguerite and those who were in the room know the truth, Jager says. The Last Duel True Story: What Ridley Scott's Movie Is About - Screen Rant The origins of The Last Duel begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. Here are our top 10 picks, Super Mario Bros. Movie hits $1 billion, is No. The original fortifications at Carrouges were besieged and destroyed by English forces during the Hundred Years War. Nevertheless, Carrouges, who believed his wife, stabbed the sword into the body underneath and made him die., While Jager and other historians may never know the truth, Affleck and The Last Duel writers feel strongly that Marguerites account is the accurate one. (Jager offered feedback on the films script, suggesting historically accurate phrasing and other changes.) Marguerite de Carrouges Marguerite, who married Carrouges in 1381, was the only daughter of Robert de Thibouville, who had once committed an act of high treason. They were very religious. What happened to Marguerite de Carrouges after the duel? Note: The following article contains discussion of rape that some readers may find upsetting. Given the absence of any witnesses in her own favor, Marguerites accusations against Louvel were a gratuitous and risky addition to her testimony if her story of the attack and rape was indeed a deliberate lie. When Marguerite adamantly refused his offer, saying she had no wish for his money, the violence escalated. When Carrouges returned home three or four days after Marguerites rape, he found his wife sad and tearful, always unhappy in expression and demeanor, and not at all her usual self. She waited until the two were alone before revealing what had happened and urging her husband to seek vengeance against Le Gris. Her husband is abusive what would be the consequences of this? The more complicated her story, the more vulnerable it was to challenge; including Adam Louvel in the charges simply added to her burden of proof. One identifies the supposed felon as a condemned man about to be executed, the other as a sick man on his deathbed. The Last Duel tracks the real life events that led up to France's final legal duel between Sir Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) after the latter is accused of raping Marguerite de Carrouges (Comer), Jean's wife. One of the Enlightenments most scathing critiques of the Middle Ages was of its violence, particularly in capital punishment. The penalty for bearing false witness is that you are to be burned alive, an official tells Marguerite in the movies trailer. Carrougues went to King Charles VI and challenged Le Gris to a judicial duel, which were still lawful in the French court. And that this incredibly heroic character, Marguerite de Carrouges, had this story that deserved to be told, Affleck told The New York Times. After months of futile investigation by the French courts, including Marguerites powerful testimony and a counter-witness by Le Gris, the courts had no other choice but to let the duel proceed, allowing God to decide the victor. Marguerite was forced to watch from a wooden tower on the battlefield (also in view of the many spectators who came to watch) while chained to the floor, awaiting her potential death sentence. Carrouges had accused Le Gris of raping his wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, ne de Thibouville, some months before. (At this point, the two men were in their late 50s, which places Damon at close to the right age for his role but Driver a good generation off the mark. We read that the queen had pierced nipples and that the dress was almost low enough that you could maybe see them., Comer adds, There was one painting of her that, over time, was completely worn out, just because of time and everything else. Jodie Comers powerful performance not only does justice to the woman shes portraying, but also makes her a strong contender for this years awards season. Her life was pretty bad being married to Jean de Carrouges and so when she was violated, she had nothing to lose, really. Yet the case does reveal the way in which scandal, as a cousin to the word slander (both derive from the Old French escandle), ultimately resides in the spoken or written word, whether in the gossip of neighbors or the hearsay of the chronicler. Lady, on your evidence I am about to hazard my life in combat with Jacques Le Gris, Carrouges said to Marguerite in the moments leading up to the duel. But this was not included in the film. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Forced into an upstairs bedroom, she tried to escape by running through a door at the other end of the room but was blocked from doing so by Le Gris. According to testimony later provided by Carrouges and Marguerite, she heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Louvel. Skoda and Elema argue that Marguerites case exemplifies the complexity of medieval society, which is often painted in broad, reductive strokes. The Parlement ultimately failed to reach a verdict, and in September it officially ordered a trial by combat, wherein theoryGod would assure a just outcome. But other than that, I made up a lot. Given the counts strong relationship with Le Gris and combative past with Carrouges, he was quick to dismiss the claim, even arguing that Marguerite must have dreamed it. Undeterred, Carrouges raised an appeal with the king. Of course, as was likely true in real life as well, no one in the film seemed to care about Marguerite's fate; after all, a crime of rape against a wife was considered a crime against the husband, and a property crime at that since women were mere objects to be possessed. Jacques le Gris - Wikipedia The valuable estate of Aunou-le-Faucon, given to his rival Jacques Le Gris two years earlier, had been formerly owned by Carrouges' father-in-law, Robert de Thibouville, and had been bought by Count Pierre II of Alenon for 8,000 French livres in 1377. I will have justice!. The combat was decreed on December 29, 1386 in Paris.[3]. Knights were one step above squires, but men of both ranks often served as vassals to higher-ranking overlords. And the lords of France delighted to see it, for they had come to watch the two men fight. Besides the resolution to a deadlocked legal case, the duel also provided eagerly anticipated blood sport for the nobility. "the Gray") (c. 1330s - 29 December 1386) was a French squire and knight who gained fame and infamy, and was ultimately killed when he engaged in one of the last judicial duels permitted by the Parlement of Paris after he was accused of rape by Marguerite de Carrouges, the wife of his neighbour and rival, Sir Jean de Carrouges. On the whole, however, the events follow history. If Carrouges had lost, she wouldve suffered her own consequences according to Jager, this wouldve meant being burned alive at the stake. Marguerite also testified that Adam Louvel was the first to arrive at the chteau, and that he began his visit by urging her to ask her husband to extend the term of an outstanding loan for one hundred gold francs.
