In reality, the duel would have been decided by two main factors: the weight of the fighters armor and how quickly these relatively old men grew tired. 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. Its a moment that underscores the timely nature of the films message: that we cannot be blind to the perspectives of others. By unequivocally believing Marguerite, the screenwriters offer that same sense of empathy to all women who follow her. The combat was decreed on December 29, 1386 in Paris. Far from echoing these Enlightenment-era assessments of Marguerites misguided intentions, the film adaptation of The Last Duel presents the noblewoman as its protagonist, the truth teller [whose account is] so much more resonant, strong and evident than her male counterparts, as Affleck tells GMA News. [2][3], Shortly after his marriage, Carrouges revealed another motive for the union. In January 1386 while Jean de Carrouges was away traveling, Marguerite claimed she . So there was just no doubt for me that this woman was telling the truth. HIP/Art Resource, NY. And then I was judged and shammed by my country. Wife of Sir Jean De Carrouges IV, Chevalier d'Honneur. Two aspiring knights stood side by side, one welcoming his first son and heir, the other acting as his godfathervirtually a family member, according to historian Eric Jager. (Jager offered feedback on the films script, suggesting historically accurate phrasing and other changes.) He challenged Jacques to a duel to the death in the king's court. Ultimately, that [would have been] a movie about a courtroom evidence drama, Affleck explains. For Affleck and Damon, The Last Duel was an opportunity to not only depict a compelling historical event but to reflect on how traces of that system of patriarchy linger today. 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. In court, he also claimed to have seen Marguerite only twice in his entire life: during the Parlements official inquiry, and also not less than two years earlier at a social gathering at the home of a mutual friend, Jean Crespin, where Carrouges and Le Gris apparently put aside their recent quarrels and Carrouges ordered his wife to kiss Le Gris as a sign of renewed friendship. Speak without regard for the consequences, and it is too late for silence when disaster strikes. | The J. PaulGettyMuseum, Los Angeles. 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. Pointing out that womens voices are actually loud and clear, albeit filtered through the court system and notaries, in many medieval documents, the historian explains, Its a really nice way of sort of flipping our stereotypes of the Middle Ages. Rather, it was the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Parisa decision possibly motivated by the decidedly unchivalrous nature of the event. Cookie Settings, The Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat, Historical European Martial Arts and Sports Community. Per historian Kathryn Gravdal, a register of crimes recorded in four French hamlets between 1314 and 1399 lists just 12 rape or attempted rape cases, as only virgins or high-status rape victimslike Margueriteactually had their day in court., Those who did report their rapes found the odds really stacked against them, with the onus on the survivor to make a big judicial issue of it as quickly as possible, says historian Hannah Skoda, author of the 2012 book Medieval Violence. The film adaptation traces the trios relationship from its auspicious beginnings to its bloody end. In real life, there was another complicating factor de Carrouges bought land and was forced to turn it over to Pierre, blaming Le Gris for it. Marguerite de Carrouges : My father told me my life would be blessed with good fortune. The lawsuit reflected very poorly on Carrouges at the court in Argentan and resulted in his further estrangement from Count Pierre's circle. 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. No institution could long survive so open a confutation, and it was annulled by the Parlement.. The first two chapters of the three-act film, penned by Damon and Affleck, draw heavily on Jagers research, recounting Marguerites rape and the events surrounding it from the perspectives of Carrouges and Le Gris, respectively. That July, at the old royal palace on the le de la Cit, the knight formally challenged the squire, throwing down the gauntlet, as witnessed by the young Charles VI, many other royals, and the magistrates of the Parlement of Paris, the nations highest court. Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's associate digital editor, history. El ltimo duelo, la ltima pelcula de Ridley Scott, habla de muchas cosas, pero sobre todo de la vida de tres personas cuyo destino qued en manos del azar. January 18th, 1386, Marguerite was left alone at her home, and a man named Adam Louvel arrived claiming that Le Gris was outside and wanted to see her. This biography of a French peer or noble is a stub. Marguerite is the most important and most heroic person in the story, make what happens to her after the duel . A large and powerful man, Le Gris was well educated and very wealthy, though from an only recently ennobled family. Death: Immediate Family: Daughter of Robert De Thibouville. The events leading to the duel were described at great length in Jean Froissart's Chronicles (a prose history of the Hundred Years' War written in the 14th century by Jean Froissart) though director Ridley Scott's screenplay was adapted from Eric Jager's The Last Duel book. 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. Of course, the movie is about much more than just the duel, as is the true story so here's what went down. Marguerites father, Robert de Thibouville, had once betrayed the king of France, and some may have wondered whether this traitors daughter was in fact telling the truth. Pierre favours de Carrouges' friend Le Gris, and the friendship between the men begins to deteriorate. The films shifting viewpoints underscore the thorny nature of truth in Marguerites case, which divided observers both at the time and in the centuries since. Marguerite replied that she had no wish to speak with Le Gris, and that Louvel should stop his overtures at once. Note: The following article contains discussion of rape that some readers may find upsetting. Many skepticsincluding chroniclers, historians, partisans, and even historical novelistshave cast doubt on the official verdict. (Le Gris and Carrouges both started out as squires and vassals to Count Pierre, but Carrouges was knighted for his military service in 1385.) What does she have to gain from that? Meet the real woman who inspired The Last Duel", "L'histoire vraie de Jean de Carrouges et Jacques Legris, hros du film "Le dernier Duel" de Ridley Scott", "Vivonne et Jarnac, le dernier duel judiciaire en France", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marguerite_de_Carrouges&oldid=1117212348, This page was last edited on 20 October 2022, at 14:07. Just in what they were wearing. Toward a history of creativity and beef. Carrouges, now in control, shouted one word at his enemy: Confess. [4] The case dragged on for some months until ultimately Count Pierre was forced to visit his cousin King Charles VI to officially confirm his ownership of the land and his right to give it to whomever of the followers he chose. Ben Affleck co-wrote the script with Damon and. "Do you swear on your life that what you say is true?". Nearly everyone believed then and believes now that Marguerite was raped. It was the equivalent of a kind of forensics case., Damon adds, It was the case about one very evil man doing something everybody recognized was evil. It was a patriarchal and deeply misogynist [time]. Marguerite, who found herself pregnant soon after the attack, largely left this fact out of her account, either due to uncertainty over the childs paternityhe may have been conceived before Carrouges left for Parisor an awareness that making this claim would weaken her testimony in the eyes of the court. Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie stars Matt Damon as Carrouges, Adam Driver as Le Gris and Jodie Comer as Carrouges second wife, Marguerite. If Carrouges won the duel, the couple would go free, their claims vindicated. Apart from the dubious, sketchy, and inconsistent reports in the two chronicles, no external evidence for this hazy legend has ever been offered in support of the oft-told tale of a last-minute confession by the true culprit. Froissart says simply that Carrouges felled his opponent and, thrusting his sword into his body, killed him on the spot.. Mother of Robert De Carrouges. And if the Parlement of Paris could not establish even the basic facts, theres little chance of our discovering hidden motives all of these centuries later. 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. I thought I was going to suffocate, and soon I couldnt fight them anymore. Thats the research we did and the legend of the story he thought he was in love with her and did not rape her. 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. All who loved him were in a great fright, adds the chronicler in what is the narrative equivalent of a cinematic reaction shot. Legal historian Ariella Elema, whose PhD research centered on trial by combat in France and England, says judicial duels were most common in cases where the evidence was really unclear and it was difficult to solve the [matter] by any other means. Such clashes had become increasingly rare by the late 14th century, with lawyers largely using the prospect of duels to incentivize individuals to settle cases out of court. Some have suggested that her husband forced the story out of her to avenge himself on Le Gris, his former friend turned rival at court. Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. A century and more after the philosophes had popularized the theory, it solidified as hard fact in authoritative encyclopedias. 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. While it adheres closely to Jagers book, with the script using actual lines and passages from his writing, the filmmakers did make some alterations in order to better shine a light on the concepts of consent and perspective. The article offers a garbled, error-strewn version where, in 1385, Le Gris was accused of attacking the lady by night, with his face masked, as she awaited her husbands return from the Holy Land. Louvel then,. In his book Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France, R.C. The moral was plain: Le Gris rose in the world and then suddenly fell, he dominated but finally was vanquished, he committed a crime in secret and was publicly exposed. 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. The last judicial duel in France hinged on whether a woman could be believed. We begin with Jean de Carrouges, who after successful war campaigns for the king of France, finds himself falling out of favour with Count Pierre (Ben Affleck). Image via 20th Century Studios. Goes Out newsletter, with the week's best events, to help you explore and experience our city. Le Gris final moments appear to have been grisly even by the standards of the day: The monk of Saint-Denis, who served as Charles VIs official historian, reported that Carrouges killed his enemy with great difficulty because he was encased in armor. In accordance with tradition, authorities dragged Le Gris body to the gallows and hung him as a final insult to his sullied reputation. 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Though Scotts film and its source text afford the fight the weighty title of the last duel, Le Gris trial by combat was far from the last duel to ever take place. But other than that, I made up a lot. Le Gris raped me., Le Gris countered with a detailed alibi for not just the day in question but the entire week, calling numerous witnesses to establish his whereabouts in or near another town some twenty-five miles away. 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. We gave Ridley, This is what took place. Because it was such a famous event, there was a record. Cases had to meet four requirements, including exhausting all other legal remedies and confirming that the crime had actually occurred. It was just the bare minimum description of who she was. In his alibi, Le Gris himself cited the narrow window of time available for his alleged visit, strictly during daylight hours. Cookie Policy Your Privacy Rights 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. News back then traveled, archival research has shown, at the rate of an average days journey by horseback: about thirty miles per day. In Jagers book, the detailed description of the duel between Le Gris and Carrouges, held on Dec. 29, 1386, was drawn from several sources. Drivers final line, where, as Le Gris, he declares his innocence, is in the historic record. The trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truthand thus whether she would live or die. The story is told three times, once from each character's point of view, so some events are repeated while others are only told once as the story is so close to the events of history as they were recorded, we'll only specify when those two things diverge (which they don't often do, except in the imaginings Scott and the actors create for the characters' internal lives). The majority of medieval rape victims lacked the means to seek justice. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Last Duel. There is this paradox of the human experience where oftentimes different people come away from the same situation with different impressions of that. In 1384, Carrouges and Margueriteencountered Le Gris at a mutual friends party. 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. Her father had sided against the king twice, and. (Rapists sometimes escaped punishment by marrying their victims.) Or did Carrouges according to one account grab him by the helmet and throw him down? 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. The duel took place on December 29, 1386, and was presided over by French king Charles VI. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. Thibouville was a Norman lord who had twice sided against the French king in territorial conflicts, betrayals he was lucky to survive, albeit in reduced circumstances. Jean de Carrouges (1330-25 September 1396) was a French knight who was best known for his 1386 duel with Jacques Le Gris (who was accused of raping his wife Marguerite de Carrouges) in the last judicial duel permitted by the Parliament of Paris; he was later slain at the Battle of Nicopolis. Really embracing the kind of freedom that gave her. Word of the scandalous affair spread far and wide via merchants, soldiers, itinerant clergy, and others who carried the latest tidings along the rutted roads to far-flung towns and villages. Yet Adam Louvel reportedly confessed to nothing, not even under torture. An intensely personal rivalry, exacerbated by a series of failed legal cases brought by Carrouges, emerged between the onetime friends. 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. Eric Jager is a professor of English at UCLA and the author of four books, including The Last Duel and Blood Royal. Meilan Solly Shes going to face some kind of penalty. Instead of being executed, however, most women on the losing side of rape cases endured custodial or financial [punishment], which in medieval terms is kind of the end of everything anyway, according to Skoda. Born into a noble Norman family around the 1330s, Carrouges met Le Gris, a lower-born man who rose through the ranks by virtue of his own political savvy, while both were serving as vassals of Count Pierre. Le Gris window arrived on January 18, when Marguerite happened to be left alone with just one maidservant. What was in the film was the pair's reconciliation, which took place in 1384 in which Le Gris and de Carrouges agreed to put the past behind them, and de Carrouges introduced Le Gris to his wife Marguerite. Two separate alibis are harder to disprove than one. In Marguerite's version, which the movie frames as 'the truth' (rather than the truth according to whomever) her protests are loud and clear as she screams for help. Jean de Carrouges stabbed him through the throat with a 6-inch blade, killing his arch-nemesis immediately. The mortal combat, set for December 29, promised to be the seasons highlight in the capital, as thousands of Parisians flocked to see it, and the young king and his court took their places in colorful viewing stands set up alongside the field at the monastery of Saint-Martin-des-Champs. El libro es una crnica milimtrica de los hechos construida como un gran reportaje, muy ricamente contextualizada desde la eterna guerra entre Francia e Inglaterra en aquella poca hasta el. Marguerites fate is unknown, though later historians convinced of the falsity of her claims suggested she retired to a convent out of shame. But Marguerite certainly made an impression on Le Gris, who likely still held a grudge against his litigious former friend: After running into the newly knighted Carrouges in January 1386, Le Gris sent a fellow courtier, Adam Louvel, to keep an eye on Marguerite, whod been left behind with her mother-in-law while Carrouges traveled to Paris. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
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