preview

Ivanhoe Rebecca Quotes

Decent Essays
Open Document

The quote that Sir Walter Scott once proclaimed: “Success - keeping your mind awake and your desire asleep (1),” can be applied to the character Rebecca in the novel Ivanhoe. Ivanhoe: the novel, has two different yet lovely female characters named Rebecca and Rowena. Rebecca is Jewish, rich, and worldly while Rowena is Christian, Saxton, sheltered, and noble-born. The preceding quote slightly explains how Rebecca portrays herself, but how does Rowena portray herself? In the following essay we will dive deeper into who both of these charming ladies are by discussing the key differences between them, who the better woman was, and if Ivanhoe married the right woman. Personally, Rebecca is the better woman and she should have wed Ivanhoe. …show more content…

Why is this? Rowena and Ivanhoe’s love was not passionate, or sacrificial. True love is sacrificial love that forms you into a better person and Rowena and Ivanhoe did not have this. Ivanhoe strongly believed in romance and love; thus he had to have a lady to fight for. Ivanhoe desires a love interest, therefore he is using Rowena for this role. Their love is not true, but Ivanhoe and Rebecca’s love is true. Ivanhoe may not realize that Rebecca is better for him, but Rebecca, a smart girl, realizes he is for her. Rebecca and Ivanhoe’s relationship is passionate, suspenseful, and sacrificial unlike Ivanhoe and Rowena’s relationship. Rowena challenged Ivanhoe to be a better man through his actions: Ivanhoe sacrificed himself to fight Bois-Guilbert so that Rowena did not have to wed him. He sacrificed his life for Rowena’s life at the last minute, thus he must care for her in some way. Ivanhoe performed this selfless act for Rebecca, but Rebecca performed a selfless act for Ivanhoe as well. Rebecca was selfless in the way that she left Ivanhoe after he wed Rowena. Rebecca loved Ivanhoe, but let him be with the one who he believed made him happy. Not only did Rebecca leave, but she had a loving heart towards the woman whom Ivanhoe

Get Access