The actor continues, Its an anti-chivalry movie in some sense because the great illusion of chivalry is that it was about [protecting] the innocent female. He had a witness. I dont want your money! Marguerite replied. Rape Crisis Scotlands helpline number is 08088 01 03 02. While this should have added weight to Marguerite's claim, it did not. Fatality. I thought I was going to suffocate, and soon I couldnt fight them anymore. This cruel error moved the Parlement to systematically reject all appeals for the duelThis was the end of judicial combat., A similar story is retailed by the famed eleventh edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica (191011), which likewise gives the erroneous date of 1385 and has the rapist attacking the lady by night, although here in the guise of her husband as she awaits his return from the Crusadesan implausible bed trick recalling the story of Martin Guerre. The pair of men tied Marguerite down and physically beat her. As noted in the 1850s by the Norman historian Alfred de Caix, one of the few to credit her story, Marguerites testimony is impressively circumstantial and detailed. Certain details in her account raise serious problems for the mistaken-identity theory. Marguerite de Thibouville (a very different character from Comer's Villanelle in Killing Eve) was the only daughter of Robert de Thibouville, a wealthy Norman lord viewed as a traitor for siding against the French king in territorial disputes with England. Her husband is abusive what would be the consequences of this? I will not be silent, she responds, teary-eyed but defiant. Image via 20th Century Studios. Warning, The Last Duel spoilers follow. The origins of The Last Duel begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. They took the idea of damnation seriously. [Jager] does a pretty meticulous description of it, but its a decidedly uncinematic duel, Damon notes. And yet he raped her so brutally in history, in the truth, so badly there would be no doubt. 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. Eric Jager is a professor of English at UCLA and the author of four books, including The Last Duel and Blood Royal. Strictly's Karen Hauer teases future judging role, Creed 3 star talks building intimacy with co-star, EastEnders reveals big twist in Eve and Suki story, Emmerdale star shares future of Paddy's dark story, Sims 4 Growing Together 28% off in pre-order deal, Spider-Man spin-off star joins Nosferatu film, Pokmon Detective Pikachu sequel moves forward, Creed 3's strongest elements come from anime, GoT's Peter Dinklage lands next movie role, Ant-Man 3 actor responds to film's bad reviews, Andy Serkis on his darkest role yet in Luther film, New Alien film casts Batman, Shadow and Bone stars, The Batman gets special edition Steelbook release, Why Super Mario makes big Princess Peach change. Upon hearing of the encounter, the outraged Carrouges summoned his circle of courtiers and friends, including his mother and most of Marguerite's family, and a council was convened where Marguerite repeated her account of the rape. They leave, with the crowds cheering for de Carrouges. 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. Popular historical fiction abetted the theory of mistaken identity, exploiting its shock effect. 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. 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. We would have looked like two tin cans. On December 29, 1386, before a crowd presided over by French king Charles VI, Carrouges and Le Gris eyed each other warily. At the time of the attack, Jean de Carrouges was away on a trip to Paris from which he would return a few days later. 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. Wife of Sir Jean De Carrouges IV, Chevalier d'Honneur. Meilan Solly Centuries later the story of the innocent Le Gris falsely accused and forced to defend himself in a barbaric and unjust trial by combat was further popularized by Enlightenment thinkers. Louvel then,. Note: The following article contains discussion of rape that some readers may find upsetting. And in fact it was a code, a manner of behavior that denied womens basic humanity.. The two combatants sat their horses very prettily, writes Froissart, for both were skilled in arms. More, On the use and misuse of civility. Marguerite remained silent of her ordeal for several days, until her husband's return on the 21 or 22 January. Really embracing the kind of freedom that gave her. The duel itself was very violent, as it was in the film. Much like Jagers book, the film doesnt offer a sympathetic portrayal of either of its leading men. Instead, Elema explains, authorities overseeing trials typically imposed a settlement after the fighters had exchanged a few blows. 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. Get our L.A. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission. She continued shouting for help, she says, until silenced by Le Gris hood. 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. If Carrouges won the duel, the couple would go free, their claims vindicated. 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. But the overwhelming likelihood is that she was telling the truth. 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. Louvel then added a greeting from Jacques Le Gris, who he said greatly admired her and was eager to speak with her. An intensely personal rivalry, exacerbated by a series of failed legal cases brought by Carrouges, emerged between the onetime friends. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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 married Jean de Carrouges in 1380. A feature film based on The Last Duel is scheduled to be released in 2021. Which, to us, was more interesting and, to us, ultimately made it more about an examination of an entire system that was assaulting this woman from the moment she was born.. "Do you swear on your life that what you say is true?". 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. 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. The valuable estate of Aunou-le-Faucon, given to his rival Jacques Le Gris two years earlier, had been formerly owned by Carrouges' father-in-law, Robert de Thibouville, and had been bought by Count Pierre II of Alenon for 8,000 French livres in 1377. Sir Jean de Carrouges : I am risking my life for you! (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. A century and more after the philosophes had popularized the theory, it solidified as hard fact in authoritative encyclopedias. When her husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, heard of the crime, he . The duel took place on December 29, 1386, and was presided over by French king Charles VI. Although now losing blood, Carrouges mounted a daring counterattack and fought on so stoutly that he managed to throw his opponent to the ground. 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. He also had a reputation as a seduceror worse. Character description. Carrouges immediately began a lawsuit to recover the land-based on an assumed prior claim to it. That was really sad. We knew who this woman was generally by the way she spoke out in the time in which she was living in.. Part One of this article examined the famous judicial duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, which was held in Paris in 1386. 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.. 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-law's chteau by a squire (the rank below knighthood) named Jacques Le Gris, aided by one of his closest companions, one Adam Louvel. 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. And clearly it wasnt.. From a practical perspective, pulling back on the brutality of the moment was also essential for simply getting the audience to sit through the scene. Its also significant that the Parlement of Paris found Marguerites story credible enough to vacate Count Pierres official exoneration of Le Gris and to authorize the rare judicial duel, whose official purpose, however doubtful the procedure may seem today, was to determine the truth in cases where witness testimony and other evidence was insufficient for reaching a verdict. When the lady learned this and realized that the error was her fault, she retreated to a convent after her husbands death, vowing perpetual chastity.. But not for as long as you need me to. Tossing a sack of coins at the young woman, Le Gris taunted her, claiming that his friends would give him an airtight alibi. A large and powerful man, Le Gris was well educated and very wealthy, though from an only recently ennobled family. Furthermore, neither report has ever been independently corroborated, although the existence of two such reports, despite their differing details, may have allowed each to vouch for the other in the minds of those eager to believe them. The entire royal court was gossiping about the rape, the trial, and the likelihood of a duel. I'm married. The trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truthand thus whether she would live or die. No one really knew the truth of the matter. Nicole, in whose care Jean had left his wife, was also absent for part of the day in question, having been called away on legal business to the nearby abbey town of Saint-Pierre. Some have echoed Count Pierres dismissive decree, saying that Marguerite made it all up, perhaps to cover up an affair with another man. People tend to think of the Middle Ages being less sophisticated than they actually are, but theres this this huge, fascinating legal tradition thats the origin of pretty much all of Western legal tradition, Elema says. Still, the theory cannot plausibly account for Louvels having named Le Gris while in conversation with Marguerite. As she argues, Instead of a duel that was long and drawn out and involved many different weapons and a whole variety of exciting scenarios, it seems to have been a very short affair that shocked the audience., Two likely eyewitnessesthe author of the Chronicle of the Monk of Saint-Denis and Le Coqagree that Le Gris landed the first blow, piercing Carrouges thigh with his sword. 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. Ultimately, Carrouges victory was a result of Le Gris being literally unable to get up. I gave her the opportunity to go get a low-cut dress in the style of the queen, which she was later shamed for wearing. [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). She probably had strangle marks. Froissart says simply that Carrouges felled his opponent and, thrusting his sword into his body, killed him on the spot.. Birthdate: estimated between 1321 and 1381. 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. Soon after, de Carrouges went on a campaign to Scotland and though it was a military failure, he distinguished himself with his courage. Jager chronicled how the former friends relationship devolvedand the woman and rape allegation at the center of the conflictin the 2004 nonfiction book The Last Duel. I want justice! A Judicial Duel, byLieven van Lathem, 1464. I came in after Matt and Ben decided to do it this way, but they wanted to make it a little more gray. Two separate alibis are harder to disprove than one. This is when she is surprised by Adam Louvel (Adam Nagaitis) who asks her to open the door so he can wait, and when she does he reveals that Le Gris is also there to proclaim his love for Marguerite. In the six centuries after the quarrel ended, however, the moral that was to be derived from it changed considerably. Le 29 dcembre 1 386 se droula un duel d'honneur entre deux seigneurs normands", "Who is Marguerite de Carrouges? Marguerite also testified that Adam Louvel was the first to arrive at the chteau, and that he began his visit by urging her to ask her husband to extend the term of an outstanding loan for one hundred gold francs. We wanted to examine 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. What does she have to gain from that? Of course, Jean de Carrouges was destined for the life of warfare - this was the common fate for many nobles and their sons in medieval France. Just in what they were wearing. Cookie Policy When youre doing scenes where you really want to fight back with Carrouges and tell him what it is you really think, you have to go, Hang on a minute, would she do this? Comer recalls. All who loved him were in a great fright, adds the chronicler in what is the narrative equivalent of a cinematic reaction shot. 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. So there was just no doubt for me that this woman was telling the truth. The Last Duel ending explained - how close is it to the true story of Marguerite de Carrouges? 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). 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). 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. Just over a decade later, however, the two men,Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, met on a field in Paris for a highly publicized duel to the death. The accused was Jacques Le Gris, who was said to have raped Jean de Carrouges's wife, Marguerite . Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. (Rapists sometimes escaped punishment by marrying their victims.) It is incumbent on us to be good people, to overcome that and to see more broadly and with empathy, Affleck says. 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. [3] We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. 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. The film does show that at the same time as Marguerite was pregnant, so was the queen. This question, posed to Marguerite de Carrouges . You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. 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.. Despite the ladys many oaths, and those of the squire, he confided to his journal, No one really knew the truth of the matter.. Like, I couldnt have gotten there. Jager, for his part, tells Medievalists.net that he never would have embarked on writing this book if I had not believed Marguerite. Le Gris lawyer, Jean Le Coq, arguably summarized the case best, noting in his journal that no one really knew the truth of the matter.. 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. That testimony takes up nearly a thousand words of Latin in the Parlements official summary of the case, preserved today at the Archives Nationales, on the Right Bank, in the Marais, a short walk from the old priory where the battle unfolded on that cold winter day. In the book, Le Gris does say he was in love with her, Holofcener says. In Jean's absence, Jacques broke into Jean's castle and raped Marguerite in 1386. By unequivocally believing Marguerite, the screenwriters offer that same sense of empathy to all women who follow her. I do not know, he adds in a poignant aside, 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 dangerand then finally there was nothing for it but to await the outcome.. A Note to our Readers 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. But this was not included in the film. Initially, Carrouges brought Marguerites case to Count Pierre. There is still a trial, though, and just as in reality, Marguerite is now pregnant. From the mechanics of trial by combat to the prosecution of sexual violence in medieval society, heres what you need to know about the true history behind The Last Duel ahead of the films October 15 debut. Marguerite testified repeatedly under oath that on a certain day in January 1386Thursday the eighteenthshe was attacked by the two men, Le Gris and Louvel. In reality, instead of mourning, the King held a series of banquets and parties that culminated in the duel between Le Gris and de Carrouges. De Carrouges sued Pierre for the land and lost, which only put him further on the outs with the count. That meant that Holofcener had to create Marguerites world and inner life from scratch. 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. 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..