It is incumbent on us to be good people, to overcome that and to see more broadly and with empathy, Affleck says. Should Carrouges lose, Marguerite will be burned at the stake for perjury. Enlightenment thinkers Diderot and Voltaire favored Le Gris cause, decrying his barbaric and unjust trial by combat as an example of the supposed ignorance and cruelty of the Middle Ages, writes Jager. We knew who this woman was generally by the way she spoke out in the time in which she was living in.. We gave this great filmmaker the opportunity to dramatize the essence of it and make it compelling to an audience, rather than do literally what happened.. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. lavish Arnou-le-Faucon estate, which had once been owned by Marguerites father. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Smithsonian, Los Angeles Review of Books and Comment. According to Jager, Le Gris took an immediate liking to Marguerite when Carrouges introduced her to the court in 1384. A new film from Ridley Scott dramatizes the 1386 trial by combat of a medieval man accused of a horrific crime. Holofcener penned Marguerites section, and, given how little historical information there was from the Ladys side of the story, she drew from contemporary conversations about sexual assault and womens rights to imagine her perspective. The event marked the first meeting between Carrouges wifedescribed by a contemporary chronicler as beautiful, good, sensible and modestand Le Gris. The entire royal court was gossiping about the rape, the trial, and the likelihood of a duel. 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. In particular, Carrouges loses his claims to a lucrative estate called Aunou-le-Faucon to Le Gris. [10]" And yet there can only be one truth. (Rapists sometimes escaped punishment by marrying their victims.) In Jagers book, the detailed description of the duel between Le Gris and Carrouges, held on Dec. 29, 1386, was drawn from several sources. Its strange that so many authorities seem to have been untroubled by the obvious factual errors in these reports, their mutual inconsistencies, or the lack of any corroborating evidence. 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. 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.. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science, The new Tom Cruise just might be a London office worker with a taste for risk, Review: The natural horror of the biological Clock, and more movies to stream. The films version of the brutal fight is a more cinematic variation on what Jager reconstructed in his book, but its reasonably close to what may have transpired. More, The interrogation of Nikolay Bukharin.More. Charges against Le Gris were brought to Count Pierres court some weeks after the attack, but as the accused was a favorite of the Count, Carrouges and Marguerite were certain that they wouldnt be given a fair trial, and refused to attend the hearing. Le Gris attorney, the highly respected Jean Le Coq, kept notes in Latin that still survive, allowing us a glimpse into attorney-client discussions. Gossip is a sort of smoke that comes from the dirty tobacco pipes of those who diffuse it; it proves nothing but the bad taste of the smoker. By unequivocally believing Marguerite, the screenwriters offer that same sense of empathy to all women who follow her. And in fact it was a code, a manner of behavior that denied womens basic humanity.. She continued shouting for help, she says, until silenced by Le Gris hood. Get the latest History stories in your inbox? That was at the root of everything. Do you swear on your life that what you say is true? This question, posed to Marguerite de Carrouges (Jodie Comer), encapsulates the true history behind The Last Duel, director Ridley Scotts new film opening in theaters Oct. 15. All Rights Reserved. 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.. Carrouges views himself as a chivalrous knight defending his wifes honor, while Le Gris casts himself as the Lancelot to Marguerites Guinevere, rescuing her from an unhappy marriage. Marguerite is the most important and most heroic person in the story, make what happens to her after the duel . In 1386, her husband Jean returned from an expedition to Scotland. Jean and Marguerite de Carrouges rode, accompanied by hordes of cheering fans to Notre Dame de Paris to give thanks for victory. And her court testimony is reduced to nothing more than her husbands scriptas Famiglietti calls itfor destroying his hated rival. The earlier, more detailed account of the supposed confession, in Pintoins chronicle, not only differs from the other but also diverges sharply from Marguerites official testimony before the Parlement in ways that make its scenario clearly impossible. Because rape was viewed less as an act of sexual violence than a property crime against the victims husband or guardian, rapists often avoided harsh penalties by paying a fine to the man in question. She had the potential of suffering dearly and dying, but at that point she was just tired of having no voice., Below, everything thats known about Le Gris and Carrouges, Marguerites accusations, and the so-called last duel.. Carrouges left for battle in Normandy, and eventually married his second wife, Marguerite de Thibouville. (Writing for History News Network, Jager explains that the ferocious logic of the duel implied that proof was already latent in the bodies of the two combatants, and that the duels divinely assured outcome would reveal which man had sworn falsely and which had told the truth.) Marguerite, as chief witness in the case, will be executed if her husband loses the duel, thereby proving both of their guilt. By the time the criminal trial was underway in the summer of that year, Marguerite was noticeably pregnant. Pierre favours de Carrouges' friend Le Gris, and the friendship between the men begins to deteriorate. I will have justice!. Marguerite had no one who could confirm her story: her husband Jean de Carrogues (played by Matt Damon) had set out on a journey to Paris to collect some desperately needed funds and the servants were out for the day with Marguerites mother-in-law. The latter explanation is the very one that Le Gris put forward in his own defense, and it has been echoed by at least one modern historian as recently as 1992. Also, after the sudden deaths of his wife and only son and heir, Carrouges marries again to a younger woman, the heiress Marguerite de Thibouville. A 1306 royal decree based on ancient precedent allowed the duel as a last resort for nobles involved in capital casese.g., murder, treason, and rapebut by now judicial duels were extremely rare. After many preliminary ceremonies decreed by tradition (an arms inspection, a series of solemn oaths, the requisite dubbing of Le Gris as a knight to make the combatants equal in rank, etc. He doesnt even recognize it. There [wasnt] going to be a settlement without one of them losing their reputation., After hearing both parties testimony, the Parlement of Paris agreed to authorize a duelFrances first trial by combat for a rape case in more than 30 years. Early life. Although Jean won the duel and succeeded in defending Marguerites honor, the event would take on a controversial life of its own in the following centuries. Like today, sexual assault and rape often went unpunished and even unreported in the Middle Ages. Magazines, Digital He opted for the former, against the advice from his lawyer church trials rejected violence, and were deemed to have less dangerous outcomes. [4], Marguerite de Carrouges accused Jacques Le Gris of rape,[5][6] leading to one of the last judicial duels permitted by the French king and the Parliament of Paris (the actual last duel occurred in 1547[7] opposing Guy Chabot de Jarnac against Franois de Vivonne). He had a witness. Marguerites accusations carried serious ramifications for medieval French society. The trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truthand thus whether she would live or die. 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. All who loved him were in a great fright, adds the chronicler in what is the narrative equivalent of a cinematic reaction shot. News back then traveled, archival research has shown, at the rate of an average days journey by horseback: about thirty miles per day. A woman's long hair, meanwhile, "is her glory.". (Jager offered feedback on the films script, suggesting historically accurate phrasing and other changes.) From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. There is this paradox of the human experience where oftentimes different people come away from the same situation with different impressions of that. 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. If the film missteps, it is because it does not allow Comer, and consequently Marguerites narrative, more screen time. When would she choose to speak out in this way? 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). Some argued that shed falsely accused Le Gris, either mistaking him for someone else or acting on the orders of her vindictive husband. de Carrouges, whose wife and son died of an unknown illness, eventually marries Marguerite, a wealthy but reputationally damaged young woman. Le Gris and Carrouges were once very close. Beneath him were three main ranks of nobility: barons, knights and squires. 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. | READ MORE. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Last Duel. I think the film makes the right choice [in portraying her story]., Comer agrees. The duel itself was very violent, as it was in the film. In the six centuries after the quarrel ended, however, the moral that was to be derived from it changed considerably. 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 . (Image credit: 20th Century Studios) . Other accounts provide more technical detail, even suggesting that Le Gris slipped on his opponents blood. The nonfiction work catalogs the events leading up to Frances last government-sanctioned trial by combat, held between Jean de Carrouges and his former friend, Jacques Le Gris. They met in the household of Count Robert dAlenon, where the two served as squires to the count. Jean Froissart, writing after the duel, describes Marguerite praying as she watched the fight, adding, I do not know, for I never spoke with her, whether she had not often regretted having gone so far with the matter that she and her husband were in such grave danger., Elemas interpretation of the sources differs from Jagers comparatively colorful recounting. In his book Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France, R.C. The combat was decreed on December 29, 1386 in Paris.[3]. The film, set amid the brutality of the Hundred Years' War, is divided into three chapters the "truth" according to Carrouges (played by Damon), Le Gris (Adam Driver) and finally, Marguerite (Jodie Comer). So the mistaken-identity theory has in its favor Marguerites relative unfamiliarity with Le Gris physical appearance at the time of the alleged rape in January 1386, over a year after Marguerite had first met and seen Le Gris at Crespins. Schools educate you, and religious services deliver sermons, and movies at their best can generate empathy and generate compassion, says Affleck. If youd rather experience the film first, please save this to read after watching. I want justice! Jean de Carrouges believed the land - the estate of Aunou-le-Faucon - was rightfully his due to the fact that Marguerite's father, Robert de Thibouville, promised to include it as part of de Carrouges' dowry. How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! In the film, however, Pierre is still dismissive of him and Le Gris is still the favourite, which only angered de Carrouges more after their so-called reconciliation. He had been rewarded for his long military service in the Hundred Years' War . Are we seeing how others experience things?. Of the judicial duels that actually took place, few ended in death. From the start, Le Gris had an advantage in the trial. Very quickly, we recognized that the film has a clear point of view on whos telling the truth. Le Gris stock rose in the court, and he received special treatment and gifts from Count Pierre, including the lavish Arnou-le-Faucon estate, which had once been owned by Marguerites father. He likewise claims that Marguerite had been deceived about her attackers identity, although the supposed truth comes out under rather different circumstances: Later it was discovered that [Le Gris] had not really done it, but that it had been done by another, who died of illness in his bed and, at the moment of death, confessed before others that he had done the deed.. Carrouges immediately began a lawsuit to recover the land-based on an assumed prior claim to it. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. But beyond the mystery itself is the surprising way that Marguerites story was transformed and all but erased in the centuries after the events of the film, reinterpreted to serve intellectual agendas with little consideration for the life at the center of the tale. Some have echoed Count Pierres dismissive decree, saying that Marguerite made it all up, perhaps to cover up an affair with another man. It was a patriarchal and deeply misogynist [time]. If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, who work towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. He had gone to King Charles VI, seeking an appeal to the decision handed down by Count . . Voltaire likewise, in his Histoire du Parlement de Paris, critiqued the brutality of the duel, as well as the fact that these duels, regarded today as an unpardonable crime were always carried out with the sanction of the laws and the Church. The . However, Le Gris insisted on his right to testify before Parliament, leaving the door open for Carrouges to request a duel. A Note to our Readers We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Carrouges had accused Le Gris of raping his wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, ne de Thibouville, some months before. Skoda adds, Its all too tempting to talk about the Middle Ages as this horrible, misogynist, patriarchal, oppressive society, as a way of even implicitly just saying, Look how far weve come. Whereas to complicate what things looked like in the 14th century complicates what were doing now.. In an entry on duels, the Grand dictionnaire universel (186677), overseen by respected editor Pierre Larousse, describes the 1386 affair as one of the most remarkable in history, claiming that the wide belief in its injustice helped to bring the custom of trial by combat to a speedy end. And some, invoking the most popular theory, acknowledge the rape but say that Marguerite mistakenly accused the wrong man, an honest but tragic error that robbed Le Gris of his life, fortune, and good name. In the book, Le Gris does say he was in love with her, Holofcener says. Born in 1388, two years after the fatal duel, Juvnal, a bishop, wrote at an even greater remove in time and may have been influenced by Pintoins account. Despite the lack of witnesses, Le Gris certainly had motive and opportunity. She has to relive it over and over againand she gets it right.. Not understanding the effect they were having on someone else. The forty-page story Le jugement de Dieu begins with throngs of excited, gossiping Parisians arriving at Saint-Martins field to watch the long-awaited duel. The earlier of the two is the Saint-Denis Chronicle, an official royal history by the monk Michel Pintoin probably written around 1400. Though its unanimously agreed that Carrouges was victorious over Le Gris in the duel, there are various accounts to what took place on Dec. 29, 1386. This man who has done something horrible and doesnt understand it. According to Enlightenment scholar and University of Florida assistant professor of history Anton Matytsin, the Enlightenment sought the end to judicial torture, the abolition of the death penalty, and the institution of proportional and humane punishments that would deter people from committing crimes this is the main context in which they would have seen a duel: a barbaric way to settle a legal matter. Cesare Beccaria, a leading Enlightenment thinker, outlined how judicial torture primarily benefitted not those who were innocent and had nothing to confess but those whose physical constitutions would allow them to withstand pain., The Enlightenments celebration of Marguerite de Carrouges accused rapist challenges our notions of how history develops. Historical scandals, much like the contemporary ones filling our tabloids, news sites, and now-ubiquitous Facebook feeds, are built on a widely shared sense of certainty about what really happeneda feeling that often belies the elusive truth. . Much as Le Gris is said to have silenced Marguerite with his hood, a legion of clerics, historians, and partisans managed to muffle and stifle her story with vague rumors and inconsistent reports that have shrouded the matter almost to the present day.
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