Family and marriage. After Marguerites rape, Carrouges petitions the French court to try Le Gris through judicial combat. Ben Affleck co-wrote the script with Damon and Nicole Holofcener and appears as a feudal lord and compatriot of both leading men. Initially, Carrouges brought Marguerites case to Count Pierre. For me, why would a woman speak out and say this when her life was at risk? the actress says. Jean Le Coq, Le Gris lawyer, stated in his private notebook that Carrouges suffered the first wound, writing that Le Gris attacked his adversary very cruelly. This statement is also supported by Jean Froissart, a member of Count Pierre dAlenons court, and an unnamed monk who wrote Chronicle of the Monk of Saint-Denis. So in his deluded sense of pride, Le Gris could believe it was consensual. They truly believed God would make happen whatever was the fair thing to happen, so it would . Not understanding the effect they were having on someone else. A seasoned warrior with more fighting experience than Le Gris, Carrouges quickly rebounded from his injury, gaining the upper hand and pushing his opponent to the ground. 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. . The Reprimand, by Jean-Georges Vibert, 1874. 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. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission. A similar report with a significant difference of detail appears in Jean Juvnal des Ursins Histoire de Charles VI, written no earlier than the 1420s and perhaps closer to 1430. According to Marguerite, Le Gris (played in the film by Adam Driver) traveled to her familys chateau in Capomesnil where she was staying on January 18, 1386 and raped her. 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 duel took place on December 29, 1386, and was presided over by French king Charles VI. 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. He opted for the former, against the advice from his lawyer church trials rejected violence, and were deemed to have less dangerous outcomes. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. 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. While some touched by scandal may resurrect their lives and reputations, others never will: what happened, or is said to have happened, may follow them even through the pages of history. The True Story Behind The Last Duel and History's Attempt to Erase It The Last Duel Ending Explained: Who Won The Duel, And What It Means For Real History That Inspired "The Last Duel" Feels Very Timely I thought I was going to suffocate, and soon I couldnt fight them anymore. Her father had sided against the king twice, and though to many she would seem unmarriageable, for de Carrouges who desperately needed land, wealth and an heir she was a good match. The offense took place on January 18, 1386, while she was still in Paris, alone at her mother-in-laws chateau with one other maidservant. The book, exhaustively compiled from existing documents and records, recounts how Carrouges wife, Marguerite, accused Le Gris of rape, leading to the pair fighting to the death with Marguerites own life on the line if it was decided she had lied. A Note to our Readers And for him to have to invoke that at the moment of his death and to protest his innocence [is interesting]. The REAL story behind 'The Last Duel': How warring knights fought The theory of mistaken identity ultimately derives from two sources that began circulating more than a decade after the duel. (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. Marguerite (Thibouville) de Thibouville (abt. 1360 - abt. 1424) - WikiTree By unequivocally believing Marguerite, the screenwriters offer that same sense of empathy to all women who follow her. How accurate is the account of the events leading up to and - Reddit 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. 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. Scott rightly ends The Last Duel on a triumphant note. (Le Gris and Carrouges both started out as squires and vassals to Count Pierre, but Carrouges was knighted for his military service in 1385.) We knew who this woman was generally by the way she spoke out in the time in which she was living in.. Rather than this idea of somebody, through the lens of their own experience and acculturation, not understanding their behavior. Medieval law treated rape as a horrific crime on par with other capital offenses. Then gently, he asked Marguerite to tell them what had happened. Eric Jager is a professor of English at UCLA and the author of four books, including The Last Duel and Blood Royal. Marguerites accusations carried serious ramifications for medieval French society. Marguerite was the daughter of Robert de Thibouville. 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 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. Scott and the films stunt coordinator used the outline of the actual combat to create something slightly more exciting for the screen. When Marguerite accuses Le Gris of rape, Jean de Carrouges challenges him to a trial by combat. ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. I will not be silent, she responds, teary-eyed but defiant. 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. [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. lavish Arnou-le-Faucon estate, which had once been owned by Marguerites father. Jean de Carrouges | Military Wiki | Fandom Like, I couldnt have gotten there. The historical record tends to favor men, so not much is known about the real Marguerite beyond her familys legacy and her role leading up to the duel. 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. 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. Known as the judgment of God, these ordeals were thought to have a divinely ordained outcome, with the loser proving his guilt by the very act of defeat. Does he truly believe his innocence at the end? Affleck reflects of Le Gris. . Marguerite de Carrouges was married to the knight Jean de Carrouges. Let's break down what happened and how the movie left its audience. Holofcener adhered to historical fact in terms of how Marguerite spoke, what she did and how she behaved, but the rest is a dramatization. Or did he trip? . In short, yes. 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. Their future was assured. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Just in what they were wearing. However, by the time Marguerite's side plays out, there is no question about what happened. Marguerite de Carrouges accused Le Gris of rape in 1386. 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. On the whole, however, the events follow history. de Carrouges, whose wife and son died of an unknown illness, eventually marries Marguerite, a wealthy but reputationally damaged young woman. When would she choose to speak out in this way? The Last Duel ending explained - how close is it to the true - Yahoo! 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, Scotts Duel only depicts half of Marguerites story. Eventually, you have the two men on the ground, fighting with hand weapons rather than lances.. The trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truthand thus whether she would live or die. What happened to Marguerite de Carrouges after the duel? Le Gris, a large and powerful man with a reputation as a womanizer, is too self-centered to acknowledge the unwanted nature of his advances and too self-assured to believe that, once the deed is done, Marguerite will follow through on her threat of seeking justice. There were three chroniclers who gave detailed accounts of the sword phase of the fight, and they have slightly different accounts of how Carrouges managed to get Le Gris on the ground, Jager says. 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. Marguerite de Carrouges was a real woman who lived in 14th century France. So there was just no doubt for me that this woman was telling the truth. Rather, it was the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Parisa decision possibly motivated by the decidedly unchivalrous nature of the event. The third and final section, written by Holofcener, is told from Marguerites point of view. 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. At the bottom of the social ladder were warriors, priests and laborers, who had limited rights and political influence. 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. 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. [10]" He had a witness. And yet there can only be one truth. So it wasnt so much about hewing fastidiously to historical truth, because that wouldnt have served the narrative needs we were as interested in, as much as illuminating the fact that the vestiges of the sexism and misogyny of the patriarchy we live with now come from a place that was Western civilizations codified value system.. The Real History Behind Ridley Scott's 'The Last Duel' | History What actually transpired was a battle of wants, customs, and legality that set the stage for the rivalry between de Carrouges and le Gris. Jean de Carrouges and the last French duel De Carrouges sued Pierre for the land and lost, which only put him further on the outs with the count. 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. 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. Le Gris and Jean had once been close friends, but their relationship turned to rivalry over a dispute regarding land Marguerites family owned. According to . Carrouges married her in hopes of an heir and attempted to use his newfound claim to his father-in-law's property to win back a piece of land from his rival . By subscribing to this BDG newsletter, you agree to our. But if Marguerites husband and champion lost, thus proving her accusation to be false, she too would be put to death. Only then did he greet his wife, in an emotional scene before the thousands of spectators. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Of the judicial duels that actually took place, few ended in death. Though the real duel was between Le Gris and Jean, the film portrays the true conflict as Marguerite de Carrouges versus the political mores of her day, as she struggles to convince those around her, from the Church to her family to the French king to the common peasant, that what she says is true. The movie follows the claim by Marguerite de Carrouges (Comer) that she is raped by her husband Jean's friend and squire Jacques Le Gris (Driver). The battle was drawn-out, bloody and spectacular. There is a brief coda that reveals Marguerite outlived her husband and never remarried. If your husband hears of it, he may kill you. 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. Which we talked about, but it just became so absurd., Affleck adds, It hinged on the weight on the armor and the fact that once you fell, you couldnt get up and you were like a trapped lobster. 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! The burden of proof lay almost entirely on victims, who had to prove theyd resisted the rapists advances while recounting their testimony in precise detail. In 1386, her husband Jean returned from an expedition to Scotland. Jean de Carrouges' wife was a controversial figure as the daughter of Robert de Thibouville, a Norman lord who had notably sided against multiple French kings in territorial disputes. The author would like to thank Eric Jager for his correspondence regarding this piece. If her husband lost she would be found guilty of perjury. Its a moment that underscores the timely nature of the films message: that we cannot be blind to the perspectives of others. 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. And not just any death. A woman's long hair, meanwhile, "is her glory.". 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.. 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. Meilan Solly is Smithsonian magazine's associate digital editor, history. Early life. The True Story of 'The Last Duel' - Carrouges-Le Gris 1386 Duel 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. 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. When Marguerite adamantly refused his offer, saying she had no wish for his money, the violence escalated. She continued shouting for help, she says, until silenced by Le Gris hood. 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". 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. Schools educate you, and religious services deliver sermons, and movies at their best can generate empathy and generate compassion, says Affleck. The story of the duel inspired Ridley Scott's 2021 film The Last Duel based on the 2004 book The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France by Eric Jager in which she was played by Jodie Comer. 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 . 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. I will have justice!. 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. 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? And yet he raped her so brutally in history, in the truth, so badly there would be no doubt. More, The interrogation of Nikolay Bukharin.More. Behind the Enlightenments exoneration of Le Gris were its arguments against the use of torture in judicial proceedings. She gave birth to a son, Robert, shortly before Le Gris trial by combat. And even if the assailant, as Pintoin claims, had actually (and contra the actual testimony) made his visit late in the day, its wholly unlikely that Marguerite, who must have been very familiar with her husbands complaints against the squire, would have offered a meal and overnight lodging to her husbands rival (or to a man she mistook for the same), especially during her husbands absence. If Carrouges lost, then Marguerite would be burnt at the stake for perjury. Advertising Notice Famiglietti claimed that Carrouges, after learning that Marguerite had been raped, resolved to turn the rape to his advantage and forced his wife to agree to accuse Jacques of having been the man who raped her. In this view, Marguerite accused the wrong man not in honest error but in knowing collusion (or fearful compliance) with her husband. 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. You know whether my cause is just and true. She replied, My Lord, it is so, and you can fight with confidence, for the cause is just. And so Le Gris trial by combat began. 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. 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. She claimed that one of her husband's former friends, Jacques le Gris, raped her when her husband was away. The entire royal court was gossiping about the rape, the trial, and the likelihood of a duel. Froissart portrays Marguerite, who had recently given birth to a son, praying to the Virgin as she anxiously awaits her fate. If Carrouges won the duel, the couple would go free, their claims vindicated. Carrouges immediately began a lawsuit to recover the land-based on an assumed prior claim to it. It was just the bare minimum description of who she was. 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. The original fortifications at Carrouges were besieged and destroyed by English forces during the Hundred Years War. From the start, Le Gris had an advantage in the trial. 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 . 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. I gave her a friend, who ultimately betrays her. If Carrouges had lost, she wouldve suffered her own consequences according to Jager, this wouldve meant being burned alive at the stake. One identifies the supposed felon as a condemned man about to be executed, the other as a sick man on his deathbed. 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). While this had no material bearing on the plot, it's an interesting detail given that in the film the queen was often panned to as the sole person to sympathise, however quietly, with Marguerite. No one really knew the truth of the matter. ), 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. When her husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, heard of the crime, he . Carrouges had accused Le Gris of raping his wife, Marguerite de Carrouges, ne de Thibouville, some months before. Meanwhile, Le Gris continued to rise in Pierre's esteem. Marguerite de Carrouges, descended from an old and wealthy Norman family, had claimed that in January of that year she had been attacked and raped at her mother-in-laws chteau by a squire (the rank below knighthood) named Jacques Le Gris, aided by one of his closest companions, one Adam Louvel. 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. Rape Crisis Scotlands helpline number is 08088 01 03 02. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. 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. Carrouges, who was neglected by both the Count and Le Gris, grew increasingly jealous of his former comrade. Affleck, Damon, Holofcener, Comer and Jager talked us through what is and isnt accurate in The Last Duel and why the filmmakers made the narrative changes they did. However, Voltaire only acknowledged Marguerite insofar as he claimed all these fights were fought for women. Neither DArgis nor Voltaire mentioned Marguerite by name. 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. Jager writes that following the assault, Le Gris was reported to have told Marguerite that if she were to tell anyone what has happened here, you will be dishonored. 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. If the film missteps, it is because it does not allow Comer, and consequently Marguerites narrative, more screen time. By now the case had become a cause clbre. He doesnt even recognize it. Beneath him were three main ranks of nobility: barons, knights and squires. 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. When de Carrouges returns home he demands sex, but Marguerite refuses and tells him about the rape, fuelling de Carrouges' anger against his friend. 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. In all fairness, they were significantly tame compared to what actually happened. She was the only daughter of Jeanne de Bois Hroult and the highly controversial Robert de Thibouville, a Norman lord who had twice sided against the French king in territorial conflicts. According to medical knowledge at . 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. Really embracing the kind of freedom that gave her. Did Le Gris stumble? She was formerly known by her maiden name as Marguerite de Thibouville. 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. 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. A feature film based on The Last Duel is scheduled to be released in 2021.

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