The Reprimand, by Jean-Georges Vibert, 1874. These details are wholly at odds with Marguerites court testimony about her assailants daytime visit, whose timing (if not its specific allegations) was corroborated by her mother-in-laws departure that morning and her return a few hours later that same day. 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.. At this point Le Gris himself suddenly entered the chteaus hall (aulam, probably referring to the main chamber or great hall where guests were typically received). Drivers final line, where, as Le Gris, he declares his innocence, is in the historic record. Sir Jacques le Gris (lit. The Chteau de Carrouges is a chteau, dating partly from the 14th century, located in the commune of Carrouges, in the Orne department, Normandy, northern France.It is unusual in its combination of an austere fortress with a comfortable residence. 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. 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. Barred from bringing a case against Le Gris herself, Marguerite had to rely entirely on her husband to mount legal action. | While the films version, which only involves Le Gris, is brutal to watch, the reality was far rougher, leaving Marguerite with tangible marks of the crime. The denouement, too, echoes the Grande dictionnaire: Not long after, a criminal arrested for some other offense confessed himself to be the author of the outrage. A feature film based on The Last Duel is scheduled to be released in 2021. But the doubts greeting Marguerites scandalous story, the initial rejection of her claims in court, and the shadow cast over her reputation by the later chronicle accounts are not so different from the skepticism and prejudice faced by more recent victims of sexual assault. That meant that Holofcener had to create Marguerites world and inner life from scratch. The newly-minted Count Pierre took an immediate liking to the charming Le Gris, which strained the latters friendship with Carrouges. Carrouges choice to pursue a duel also put Marguerite in danger. Note: The following article contains discussion of rape that some readers may find upsetting. It also fascinated writers in future centuries, with authors such as Voltaire and Diderot seeing Le Gris as an innocent man wronged by a barbaric system. But whats so amazing about Nicole and what Nicole has brought to the piece is this sense of imagination. While the film might appear to be Hollywood fiction, it is actually based on accounts of what happened following a heinous assault on Carrouges' wife. But that was from research as well. If the film missteps, it is because it does not allow Comer, and consequently Marguerites narrative, more screen time. According to Eric Jager's book The Last Duel, the alleged rape of Jean de Carrouges' wife Marguerite happened on January 18, 1386. To this day, historians are divided on the truth of the case. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. Jean strode over to his proud, weeping wife, bowed and clasped her to him as the crowd roared its approval. 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. 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. In his own defense, Le Gris claimed that Nicole had found nothing amiss upon her return and didnt believe her daughter-in-laws later allegations. With the duel concluded, Froissart continues, Jacques Le Gris body was delivered to the executioner of Paris, who dragged it to Montfaucon and hung it there. For months afterward, at the great stone gibbet on the infamous hilltop outside the citys northern gates, this grisly sight greeted any townsman or traveler passing by. Carrouges wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer). I will have justice!. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. The combat was decreed on December 29, 1386 in Paris.[3]. According to Marguerites testimony, Le Gris and Adam Louvel, a squire in the royal court, conspired together to assault her. I think the film makes the right choice [in portraying her story]., Comer agrees. The two men seized her by the arms and legs, she testified, and dragged her up a nearby stairway, while she struggled and shouted for help. Dr. Ariella Elema, a historian who specializes in trial by combat, analyzed differing accounts of the duel, which appears to have been a very short affair that shocked the audience.. the latter was accused by Carrouges wife of having made an attempt on her honor. They took the idea of damnation seriously. Unable to rise due to the weight of his body armor, Le Gris resisted Carrouges calls to confess, declaring, In the name of God, and on the peril and damnation of my soul, I am innocent of the crime. Enraged, Carrouges delivered the death blow, perhaps by stabbing Le Gris exposed neck or thighs. Just in what they were wearing. DArgis account did not grapple with whether Marguerites testimony was valid, but instead chose to emphasize the duels injustice towards Le Gris and the futility of Le Gris prayers. When Marguerite told Le Gris that he must not speak to her in this way, he seized her by the hand, forced her to sit down beside him on a bench, and told her that he knew all about her husbands recent money troubles, offering to pay her well. Le Gris and Jean had once been close friends, but their relationship turned to rivalry over a dispute regarding land Marguerites family owned. She probably had strangle marks. Two separate alibis are harder to disprove than one. In particular, Carrouges loses his claims to a lucrative estate called Aunou-le-Faucon to Le Gris. 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. However, Voltaire only acknowledged Marguerite insofar as he claimed all these fights were fought for women. Neither DArgis nor Voltaire mentioned Marguerite by name. Of the judicial duels that actually took place, few ended in death. 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. The challenge did not lead directly to a duel, however, but marked the start of a formal investigation by the Parlement, which would authorize a duel only if unable to reach a verdict on the basis of the available evidence. When he leaves he says she should tell no one, especially her husband because he might kill her if he finds out. An elaborate example appeared in 1829, just a few years after Du Bois conjecture that the accused squire had been mistaken for a look-alike, in Lhistorial du jongleur, an anonymous collection of medieval tales. 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. If Carrouges won the duel, the couple would go free, their claims vindicated. 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. Le Coq seems to have had some doubts about his clients truthfulness, while admitting that this was the thorniest of he said, she said cases. Carrouges III was an influential man in lower Normandy, being a vassal of the Count of Perche and a veteran soldier in his service. The origins of The Last Duel begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. The event marked the first meeting between Carrouges wifedescribed by a contemporary chronicler as beautiful, good, sensible and modestand Le Gris. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? The knights victory saved both him and his wife, earning the formerly notorious couple wealth and prestige. 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. And clearly it wasnt.. All who loved him were in a great fright, adds the chronicler in what is the narrative equivalent of a cinematic reaction shot. 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. She adds, If theres any gap between the act and making people aware [of it], that raises huge questions.. The real-life "Last Duel" between Le Gris and de Carrouges that inspired Ridley Scott's The Last Duel was a famous incident that captivated fourteenth-century France. 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. Le Gris and Louvel forced Marguerite into the bedroom, where Le Gris raped her while Louvel helped hold her down. Diderots Encyclopdie and Voltaires Histoire du Parlement de Paris used the 1386 affair to denounce the supposed ignorance and cruelty of the Middle Ages. They still spoke out, and they still fought against the grain.. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in Smithsonian, Los Angeles Review of Books and Comment. The synopsis of the film lays out the basis for what would be the final (official) duel in French history, but as with most 'based on a true story' stories, there are always gaps between reality and fiction. He also had a reputation as a seduceror worse. Say nothing, and I will keep quiet, too. Marguerite appeared to agree, but after Le Gris tossed her a small leather bag of coins, she replied: I dont want your money! All Rights Reserved. If there are reasons for believing in the possibility of Le Gris innocence, the doubtful story of a belated confession by another man certainly is not and never has been one of them. However, by the time Marguerite's side plays out, there is no question about what happened. Long hair in women, between the time when Paul wrote and the time of The Last Duel, was a critical marker of difference. She has nothing to gain. Let's break down what happened and how the movie left its audience. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. Behind the Enlightenments exoneration of Le Gris were its arguments against the use of torture in judicial proceedings. A large and powerful man, Le Gris was well educated and very wealthy, though from an only recently ennobled family. If her husband lost she would be found guilty of perjury. 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. If Carrouges lost, then Marguerite would be burnt at the stake for perjury. Ben Affleck co-wrote the script with Damon and Nicole Holofcener and appears as a feudal lord and compatriot of both leading men. I fought him so desperately, she claimed, that he shouted to Louvel to come back and help him. 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. ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. From the start, Le Gris had an advantage in the trial. Holofcener adhered to historical fact in terms of how Marguerite spoke, what she did and how she behaved, but the rest is a dramatization. Of course, the movie is about much more than just the duel, as is the true story so here's what went down. 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 . Anything that . The film splits its focus between Le Gris, Jean, and Marguerite, with Le Gris and Jeans portions of the story written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and Marguerites written by Nicole Holofcener. Pierre favours de Carrouges' friend Le Gris, and the friendship between the men begins to deteriorate. Your Privacy Rights That was at the root of everything. Marguerites claim that Louvel mentioned Le Gris by name is especially telling, for it is hard to fit this detail into a plausible scenario in which she is genuinely mistaken, as many have claimed she was, about the identity of her assailants, particularly Le Gris. If Carrouges had lost, she wouldve suffered her own consequences according to Jager, this wouldve meant being burned alive at the stake. The contest between Carrouges and Le Gris would turn out to be the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Paris. We would have looked like two tin cans. He doesnt even recognize it. Despite how much Marguerite de Carrouges tale resonates today, we must keep in mind L.P. Hartleys words: the past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.. He had gone to King Charles VI, seeking an appeal to the decision handed down by Count . In his personal life, Le Gris had a reputation as a philanderer. What does she have to gain from that? 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. Many skepticsincluding chroniclers, historians, partisans, and even historical novelistshave cast doubt on the official verdict. At the heart of The Last Duel lies a historical mystery, still not definitively solved over 600 years later: was the noblewoman Marguerite de Carrouges raped by the squire Jacques Le Gris? 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. After Marguerites rape, Carrouges petitions the French court to try Le Gris through judicial combat. It was really trying to understand those types of dynamics and her place within the home and in society.. Its a moment that underscores the timely nature of the films message: that we cannot be blind to the perspectives of others. Should Carrouges lose, Marguerite will be burned at the stake for perjury. She refuses his advances, after which he rapes her. 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. And not just any death. 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. This tangled and still-controversial case leaves many tantalizing questions, not least of all why Jacques Le Gris did it, if indeed he did. 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. Recognizing the courtier, who claimed to have come to ask a favor and warm himself by the fire, she allowed him to enter the house, at which point he turned the conversation to Le Gris, saying, The squire loves you passionately, he will do anything for you, and he greatly desires to speak to you. Alarmed by the sudden shift in tone, Marguerite attempted to rebuke Louvel, only to turn around and see Le Gris, whod snuck in through the unlocked door. In the film, it is revealed mid-trial that if de Carrouges loses at the hand of Le Gris, Marguerite will also be killed by being stripped naked, put in an iron collar and set on fire. Enraged, Jean rode to Paris and appealed to King Charles VI, challenging Le Gris to a duel, an uncommon way for nobles to settle capital offenses. Prey star Amber Midthunder lands next movie role, The Super Mario Bros Movie hits huge milestone, Emily in Paris' Lucien Laviscount lands movie role. As she tried to admonish the squire, Le Gris appeared, having snuck in after Louvel entered. 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). 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. 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. What it doesn't detail is that while Marguerite gave birth to a healthy boy, the queen's son was sickly and died not long after he was born. Marguerites fate is unknown, though later historians convinced of the falsity of her claims suggested she retired to a convent out of shame. Despite the threat of public humiliation and potentially deadly outcome of disclosing ones rape, women like Marguerite spoke out, perhaps as a way of working through their trauma or simply refusing to passively accept [what had] happened to them, says Skoda. 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. The Last Duel (Spoilers for Duel Outcome) To say that this event was a spectacle would be selling it short. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. Carrouges was born in the late 1330s in the village of Saint-Marguerite-de-Carrouges as the eldest son of knight and minor noble Sir Jean de Carrouges III and his wife Nicole de Buchard. The story tells of the 29 December 1386, trial by combat (duel) in which the Norman knight Jean de Carrouges dueled squire Jacques Le Gris. 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.. 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. No one really knew the truth of the matter. According to testimony later provided by Carrouges and Marguerite, she heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Louvel. Matt Damon as Jean de Carrouges and Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges in "The Last Duel." . Ultimately, that [would have been] a movie about a courtroom evidence drama, Affleck explains. Marguerite claimed that Nicole took with her nearly all of the household servants, including a maidservant whom Jean had specifically instructed never to leave Marguerites side, thus leaving Marguerite virtually alone.. Not understanding the effect they were having on someone else. In all fairness, they were significantly tame compared to what actually happened. Marguerite herselfnow pregnant, perhaps as a result of the rapecame to Paris and testified in great detail about the alleged attack by Le Gris and his accomplice. Much like Jagers book, the film doesnt offer a sympathetic portrayal of either of its leading men. Scott rightly ends The Last Duel on a triumphant note. But if Marguerites story is true and Le Gris was guilty as charged, why did the squire increase his risk of being found out by bringing an accomplice in the first place? The Last Duel stars Jodie Comer, Matt Damon and Adam Driver as three people who changed the course of French history. It finished when de Carrouges pulled back the visor of le Gris and fatally stabbed him. 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. 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. Carrouges was born in the late 1330s in the village of Sainte-Marguerite-de-Carrouges as the eldest son of the knight and minor noble, Sir Jean de Carrouges III, and his wife, Nicole de Buchard. After the fatal duel, the truth comes out: Sometime later, a criminal on the point of atoning for his other crimes confessed that he was guilty of the odious act of which Le Gris had been accused. They leave, with the crowds cheering for de Carrouges. Louvel then added a greeting from Jacques Le Gris, who he said greatly admired her and was eager to speak with her. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission. When her husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, heard of the crime, he . She was married to Jean de Carrouges (son of Jean de Carrouges and Nicolette Bouchard) about 1380. I mean, she was going to suffer. While the Enlightenment looks more familiar to modern eyes than the more distant Middle Ages, intellectual and cultural development is not a straight line. According to testimony later provided by Carrouges and Marguerite, she heard a knock . Family and marriage. A Note to our Readers The film is based on the true story of the last legally permitted duel (hence the title) fought in France. Jean and Marguerite de Carrouges can continue to be a family. 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. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? 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. Knights were one step above squires, but men of both ranks often served as vassals to higher-ranking overlords. 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. According to Jager, the court may have feared taking sides and arousing even more controversy, deciding instead to grant the knights request, authorize a duel and leave the whole perplexing matter in the hands of God., Five contemporary or near-contemporary chronicles offer accounts of what happened when Le Gris and Carrouges met on December 29, 1386. It states that Le Gris innocence was later recognized by all, for a man condemned to death by the law confessed to having committed the heinous crime. Eric Jager is a professor of English at UCLA and the author of four books, including The Last Duel and Blood Royal. 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. The view that Marguerite was lyinga conjecture unsupported by any evidence, apart from Le Gris dubious alibiholds either that she concocted the rape story herself, perhaps to cover an adultery, or that it was extorted from her by her opportunistic husband in order to avenge himself on his rival. If the mistaken-identity theory is wrong, that forces us back onto the sharp horns of a dilemma: Was Marguerite lying, or was she telling the truth? And one includes the ladys penitential retreat to a convent, while the other omits this finale. He had a witness. His scholarly work focuses on the intellectual history of virtue in Renaissance Naples. And in fact it was a code, a manner of behavior that denied womens basic humanity.. No institution could long survive so open a confutation, and it was annulled by the Parlement.. 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 1384, Carrouges and Margueriteencountered Le Gris at a mutual friends party. That was really sad. But when he returned a few days later and heard his wifes story, he angrily brought charges against Le Gris in the court of Count Pierre of Alenon, overlord to both men. But then, just moments after Carrouges has killed Le Gris on the battlefield, a dusty courier rides up with the astounding news that another man has confessed to the crimenews that is now too late to save the innocent Le Gris. But this was not included in the film. Froissart says simply that Carrouges felled his opponent and, thrusting his sword into his body, killed him on the spot.. You have reached your limit of free articles. As Jean Le Coq, Le Gris lawyer, wrote in his private diary, No one really knew the truth of the matter.. Only in the final section of the film, when Marguerite is allowed to speak for herself, does the truth of the mens personalities emerge: Carrougesa jealous and contentious man, in Jagers wordsis mainly concerned with saving his own pride. Theres a certain arrogance rooted in that assumption. Marguerite and her husband appealed the decision. According to . One identifies the supposed felon as a condemned man about to be executed, the other as a sick man on his deathbed. Queen Charlotte review: A Bridgerton triumph, Michelle Yeoh stars in trailer for new Poirot film, EastEnders announces eating disorder story for Ben, I'm a Celebrity airs trial twist for new campers, Deadpool 3 to bring back unexpected X-Force member, Robert Downey Jr's new movie coming to Netflix, Gran Turismo trailer release confirmed with teaser, Grange Hill reboot movie gets an exciting update, Steven Spielberg talks ET editing "mistake", New Exorcist movie confirms title and plot. In short, yes. While this should have added weight to Marguerite's claim, it did not. He had been rewarded for his long military service in the Hundred Years' War . 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! Instead, Elema explains, authorities overseeing trials typically imposed a settlement after the fighters had exchanged a few blows.
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