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. Cookie Policy And her court testimony is reduced to nothing more than her husbands scriptas Famiglietti calls itfor destroying his hated rival. We would have looked like two tin cans. According to testimony later provided by Carrouges and Marguerite, she heard a knock . In his alibi, Le Gris himself cited the narrow window of time available for his alleged visit, strictly during daylight hours. 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. On the one hand, the punishment for rape, if proven, meant death for the culprit and dishonor for the rapists family. Family and marriage. 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. Ben Affleck co-wrote the script with Damon and Nicole Holofcener and appears as a feudal lord and compatriot of both leading men. She was formerly known by her maiden name as Marguerite de Thibouville. Voltaire likewise, in his Histoire du Parlement de Paris, critiqued the brutality of the duel, as well as the fact that these duels, regarded today as an unpardonable crime were always carried out with the sanction of the laws and the Church. The 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. All who loved him were in a great fright, adds the chronicler in what is the narrative equivalent of a cinematic reaction shot. If her husband lost she would be found guilty of perjury. What happened to Marguerite de Carrouges after the duel? Are we seeing how others experience things?. According to Jager, Le Gris took an immediate liking to Marguerite when Carrouges introduced her to the court in 1384. Read more: The 23 Most Anticipated Movies of Fall 2021. The movie ends with Marguerite playing with her son, seemingly at peace with her life. This happened, she said, in the morning hours at the modest chteau of her widowed . If your husband hears of it, he may kill you. For me, why would a woman speak out and say this when her life was at risk? the actress says. In Jagers book, the detailed description of the duel between Le Gris and Carrouges, held on Dec. 29, 1386, was drawn from several sources. She was married to Jean de Carrouges (son of Jean de Carrouges and Nicolette Bouchard) about 1380. 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. Just in what they were wearing. 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. That was at the root of everything. Behind the Enlightenments exoneration of Le Gris were its arguments against the use of torture in judicial proceedings. "the Gray") (c. 1330s - 29 December 1386) was a French squire and knight who gained fame and infamy, and was ultimately killed when he engaged in one of the last judicial duels permitted by the Parlement of Paris after he was accused of rape by Marguerite de Carrouges, the wife of his neighbour and rival, Sir Jean de Carrouges. 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. Matt Damon as Jean de Carrouges and Jodie Comer as Marguerite de Carrouges in "The Last Duel." . 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. Does he truly believe his innocence at the end? Affleck reflects of Le Gris. Marguerite's husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, a reputedly jealous and violent manwhose once close friendship with Le Gris had soured in recent years amid court rivalry and a protracted dispute over landwas traveling at the time of the alleged crime. Marguerite de Carrouges (ne de Thibouville; 1362, Chteau de Fontaine-la-Soret (Eure) - c. 1419) was a French. 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. In real life, as in the film, de Carrouges has to first ask Count Pierre for a trial, which is obviously biased in favour of Le Gris. Since Le Gris had briefly served as a church cleric in his youth, he could choose whether he wanted a state trial or church hearing. 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 film does show that at the same time as Marguerite was pregnant, so was the queen. After a grueling battle . However, Scotts Duel only depicts half of Marguerites story. The earlier of the two is the Saint-Denis Chronicle, an official royal history by the monk Michel Pintoin probably written around 1400. And not just any death. 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). Within a few decades, period chroniclers disagreed about the duels details and disputed Le Gris guilt. Le Gris window arrived on January 18, when Marguerite happened to be left alone with just one maidservant. 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. Although now losing blood, Carrouges mounted a daring counterattack and fought on so stoutly that he managed to throw his opponent to the ground. He had gone to King Charles VI, seeking an appeal to the decision handed down by Count . 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. With the understanding that your truth may not be somebody elses truth. I would call that historically accurate, even though we dont have direct testimony that Marguerite did this or that at the time.. Le Gris was killed in the fight and therefore found guilty; nevertheless, he was afterwards found innocent by the culprit of the crime, who declared Le Gris innocent as he laid dying. (Le Gris and Carrouges both started out as squires and vassals to Count Pierre, but Carrouges was knighted for his military service in 1385.) Here are our top 10 picks, Super Mario Bros. Movie hits $1 billion, is No. Diderots Encyclopdie and Voltaires Histoire du Parlement de Paris used the 1386 affair to denounce the supposed ignorance and cruelty of the Middle Ages. 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. 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. Damon and Affleck took the dialogue directly from Jagers book. They were right Le Gris decried Marguerites accusations as false and inflammatory, and Count Pierre took his side, clearing him of the charges. But that was from research as well. 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. Greeting Marguerite, he declared that she was the lady of all the land, that he loved her the most and would do anything for her. 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. This tangled and still-controversial case leaves many tantalizing questions, not least of all why Jacques Le Gris did it, if indeed he did. 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. Very quickly, we recognized that the film has a clear point of view on whos telling the truth. Beneath him were three main ranks of nobility: barons, knights and squires. In his book Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France, R.C. The new historical drama starring Jodie Comer, Matt Damon and Adam Driver tells the story of Marguerite de Carrouges. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. 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. Her father had sided against the king twice, and . Terms of Use . Meilan Solly Beyond the court the dispute was being spoken of as far as the most distant parts of the kingdom, according to the chronicler Jean Froissart. 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. 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. He also had a reputation as a seduceror worse. 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. Eventually, you have the two men on the ground, fighting with hand weapons rather than lances.. The Last Duel is told in three chapters, each of which was written by one of the writers, and told from the perspective of one of the main characters. 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. So there was just no doubt for me that this woman was telling the truth. 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. Ultimately, that [would have been] a movie about a courtroom evidence drama, Affleck explains. 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? Schools educate you, and religious services deliver sermons, and movies at their best can generate empathy and generate compassion, says Affleck. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. . Louvel then added a greeting from Jacques Le Gris, who he said greatly admired her and was eager to speak with her. According to court documents and testimony, Le Gris accomplice, Adam Louvel (Adam Nagaitis), participated in the rape. After dismounting, Carrouges and Le Gris fought on foot with swords, both very valiantly. But Le Gris managed to get within Carrouges defenses and wound him in the thigh. However, Voltaire only acknowledged Marguerite insofar as he claimed all these fights were fought for women. Neither DArgis nor Voltaire mentioned Marguerite by name. 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. 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. 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. Halloween Kills, the latest entry in the blockbuster horror franchise, and period drama The Last Duel face different fates in theaters this weekend. Some have echoed Count Pierres dismissive decree, saying that Marguerite made it all up, perhaps to cover up an affair with another man. I will have justice!. They took the idea of damnation seriously. And thats one of the things we didnt focus as much on: They truly believed God would make happen whatever was the fair thing to happen, so it would be Gods will. When de Carrouges returns home he demands sex, but Marguerite refuses and tells him about the rape, fuelling de Carrouges' anger against his friend. There is a brief coda that reveals Marguerite outlived her husband and never remarried. But whats so amazing about Nicole and what Nicole has brought to the piece is this sense of imagination. [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). We gave this great filmmaker the opportunity to dramatize the essence of it and make it compelling to an audience, rather than do literally what happened.. In short, yes. 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. She alleged that Louvel came to her door to ask for a favor, after which he made her uncomfortable by talking inappropriately about Le Gris, saying he was in love with her. Her husband is abusive what would be the consequences of this? Shortly before Jean departed for Paris, he and Le Gris confronted one another in the court of Count Pierre dAlenon (played by Ben Affleck); Le Gris learned around this time that Jean would be leaving Marguerite alone. She has to relive it over and over againand she gets it right.. de Carrouges, whose wife and son died of an unknown illness, eventually marries Marguerite, a wealthy but reputationally damaged young woman. They pinned me down and stuffed a capucium [a hood] over my mouth to silence me. My main issue with the movie is the characters were medieval archetypes more than characters. According to Jager, Le Gris took an immediate liking to Marguerite when Carrouges introduced her to the court in 1384. We gathered from research that she was really capable and educated, Holofcener says. Pierre favours de Carrouges' friend Le Gris, and the friendship between the men begins to deteriorate. 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. 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. Based on the 2004 book of the same name by literary historian Eric Jager, The Last Duel sheds light on the bout between Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon), which was waged over accusations that Le Gris raped Carrouges wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer), and resulted in Le Gris demise. Marguerite replied that she had no wish to speak with Le Gris, and that Louvel should stop his overtures at once. Only Le Gris alibi survives in the court records, but if Louvel had separate witnesses who placed him elsewhere at the time of the crime, their testimony would have exonerated Le Gris as well, just as Le Gris alibi would have helped exonerate Louvel. Let's break down what happened and how the movie left its audience. The contest between Carrouges and Le Gris would turn out to be the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Paris. 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. 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. By the time the criminal trial was underway in the summer of that year, Marguerite was noticeably pregnant. 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.. 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. 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. 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. Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Last Duel. Froissart portrays Marguerite, who had recently given birth to a son, praying to the Virgin as she anxiously awaits her fate. Le Gris was the counts favorite and his administrative right hand. 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. The face-off shown in Ridley Scotts The Last Duel may have been the final court-sanctioned judicial combat in France, but the conversation around the events that led to it is anything but finished. You have reached your limit of free articles. 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. 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. 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. A woman's long hair, meanwhile, "is her glory.". 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). He opted for the former, against the advice from his lawyer church trials rejected violence, and were deemed to have less dangerous outcomes. She was a noblewoman originally from an . 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. Marys University in Maryland. 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 . Jager counts the film as at least 75 percent historically accurate, maybe more, noting that while evidence may not exist for specific moments, there is a general record that supports the re-creation. But other than that, I made up a lot. Charges against Le Gris were brought to Count Pierres court some weeks after the attack, but as the accused was a favorite of the Count, Carrouges and Marguerite were certain that they wouldnt be given a fair trial, and refused to attend the hearing. . 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. Because rape was viewed less as an act of sexual violence than a property crime against the victims husband or guardian, rapists often avoided harsh penalties by paying a fine to the man in question. Despite the claims of naysayers and novelizers, Marguerites testimony suggests that she was almost certainly not mistaken about the identity of her attackers. Carrougues went to King Charles VI and challenged Le Gris to a judicial duel, which were still lawful in the French court. Based on the 2004 book of the same name by Eric Jager, a professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles and a specialist in medieval literature, the film uses its titular eventthe last judicial duel in French history, held in Paris in December 1386to delve deeply into the Middle Ages complex politics of gender, female agency, religious morality and sexual ethics. We wanted to examine that. But this was not included in the film. The Last Duel stars Jodie Comer, Matt Damon and Adam Driver as three people who changed the course of French history. 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.. [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. 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.. Before the duel, Le Gris had asked in all the monasteries of Paris that God should pray for him. I fought him so desperately, she claimed, that he shouted to Louvel to come back and help him. Jean strode over to his proud, weeping wife, bowed and clasped her to him as the crowd roared its approval. While The Last Duel offers some vindication to Marguerite, all that came nextthe story of how her life was recorded and reshaped in the historical recordreveals both how easily marginalized voices can be removed from history even by historical figures we respect and how long it can take to restore those voices to their proper place. 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. (Spoilers ahead.). Carrouges III was an influential man in lower Normandy, being a vassal of the Count of Perche and a veteran soldier in his service. In the six centuries after the quarrel ended, however, the moral that was to be derived from it changed considerably. 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. The Last Duel ending explained - how close is it to the true story of Marguerite de Carrouges? French law stipulated that noblemen appealing their cause to the king could challenge the accused to a judicial duel, or trial by combat. She adds, If theres any gap between the act and making people aware [of it], that raises huge questions.. After months of futile investigation by the French courts, including Marguerites powerful testimony and a counter-witness by Le Gris, the courts had no other choice but to let the duel proceed, allowing God to decide the victor. Things come to a head when de Carrouges goes to Paris and his mother in law takes most of (if not all) the servants from the house with her, leaving Marguerite alone. Not understanding the effect they were having on someone else. More, The interrogation of Nikolay Bukharin.More. When would she choose to speak out in this way? 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. 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. According to Eric Jager's book The Last Duel, the alleged rape of Jean de Carrouges' wife Marguerite happened on January 18, 1386. A beautiful young noblewoman, dressed all in black and exposed to the crowds stares, anxiously awaited the outcome. The film is told in three chapters, from the perspectives of Carrouges (Damon), Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Marguerite (Jodie Comer). She has nothing to gain. Rather, it was the last judicial duel sanctioned by the Parlement of Parisa decision possibly motivated by the decidedly unchivalrous nature of the event. Sir Jacques le Gris (lit. 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. According to . 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. It was evident that it was going to be an exploration of the dynamics of power, roots of misogyny and survival in medieval France., Paramount+s 'Fatal Attraction' Series Follows The Movies Alternate Ending, 11 Photos Of The 'Fatal Attraction' TV Cast Vs. Their 1987 Movie Counterparts, Molly Ringwald Turned Down 'Pretty Woman' Due To An Early Script's Ick Factor, Zendaya Explained An Awkward Part Of Her 'Dune' Romance With Timothe Chalamet, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. 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. Readers in the US are encouraged to contactRAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673. 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. She married Jean de Carrouges in 1380. Jean Juvnal des Ursins, who was not present at the event, wrote that right before Carrouges delivered his deathly blow, he demanded to hear the truth from Le Gris. 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.. I did research about what women were like then and what they had to put up with And I really tried to imagine just how awful it was for [Marguerite] and how she dealt with the awfulness, Holofcener told The New York Times. 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. 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. Marguerite de Carrouges was married to the knight Jean de Carrouges. Carrouges, who was neglected by both the Count and Le Gris, grew increasingly jealous of his former comrade. The mistaken-identity theory was also embraced abroad, as by American historian Henry Charles Lea, who in his influential 1866 study of medieval law, Superstition and Force, stated as a matter of fact that Le Gris was subsequently proved innocent by the deathbed confession of the real offender. Lea even faulted Froissart for having omitted any mention of the confession. The trial by combat would decide whether she had told the truthand thus whether she would live or die. The Last Duel is now available to watch in cinemas. Froissart says simply that Carrouges felled his opponent and, thrusting his sword into his body, killed him on the spot.. I want justice! 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.
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