This Thesis approved hy V THL BACKGROUND of’ "THE LADY OF THE LAKE”' ■% » by C.PP.S, * A THESIS 4 Submitted to the Faculty of the Creighton University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements ' for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of English ii Omaha, 1933 Introduction............. .Page 1 Chapter I The Author. ...................... .Page 3 Sir Walter Scott................... Page 5 Chapter II Historical Background............ ..Page 8 Geographical Background......... .Page 11 Chapter III Subject Matter..................... Page 16 The Chase......... Page 16 The Island....................... Page 17 The Gathering..... ............. .Page 18 The Prophecy..................... Page 19 The Combat....................... Pag© 20 The Guard Room................ .Page 21 Chapter IV Time of the Action.......... .page 23 Bate of the Story..................Page 24 Place of the Story................. Page 25 Chapter ¥ Literary Analysis of the Poem..... Page 26 Style of Composition............. Page 26 Its Meter........................ Page 31 Its Plan........ Page 32 Its Source....................... Page 33 Its Literary Excellences......... Page 33 Chapter VI Character Study .......... Page 36 Ellen................... Page 36 Fitz-James....................... Page, 38 Roderick Bin?. .................... Page 39 Chapter VII Details of the Poem............... Page 41 Pictures..................... ..Page 41 Delineati1?«................ .Page 41 Nature Pictures................ Page 43 Sounds........... Page 44 Figures of Speech....... Page 46 Similes.................... .Page 48 Metonymy.... ................. .Page 49 Personification........... .Page 50 Colors..... ................. .Page 51 The Manners and Customs of The Highlanders.......... .Page 52 Chapter 7111 Explanatory Notes Page 61 Chapter IX Supplementary Work*...... ......... Page 65 Suggested Assignments....... .Page 65 Theme Subjects................... Page 67 Tests and Questions for Intensive Study............ Page 67 Questions on the Pofm in General.Page 72 Tests.............. Page 74 Recognition........ .page 75 Short - Answer..................... Page 77 Completion............. .Page 77 Outline........ Page 79 3 V lot.......... ...> ............ .Page 80 Conclusion.... ................... .Page 82 V Bibliography...................... .Page 83 \ -1- INTBODUCTION The advantage, to both teacher and high school pupil, to be derived from having easy access to the data and material for a study of Scott’s r,The Lady of the Lake", has urged the author of these pages to assemble this information. Inasmuch as the understanding of the story of the poem is difficult to young students, the chapter containing tfce subject matter has been inserted to clarify the story. The compact facts presented in the treatment i' of the various phases of the poem have been culled from reliable authors. Teacher and pupil desiring more details will have no difficulty in finding * ' them in the references‘indicated. Although the poem offers endless possibili­ ties for study and pleasure, the high school fresh­ man or sophomore for whom this study has been plan­ ned, will benefit adequately for the present, and / will, it is hoped, have a basis for future work along the same lines. The author desires to acknowledge grateful- ly her obligations to the Library of the University of Edinburgh, to the Creighton University Library, 4:5481 -2- to the Omaha Public Library, and to the St. Louis Public Library for services that have made this work possible. Especially is the author deeply indebted and sincerely grateful to all who have so unstintingly aided her in this undertaking, par­ ticularly to Prof. H. F. Fore of the Department of English, the Creighton University, for his pains­ taking reading of this work, almost every page of which owes something to his keen and thoughtful criticism. * -3- ‘Chapter I THE AUTHOR 'SIR WALTER SCOTT Sir Walter Scott, "Wizard of the North" and "Creator of the Historical Novel", was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1771. There he went to school and college. This boy, singularly active in mind and ima­ gination, was physically weak, and his parents sent 4 I him to sandy Knowe, the home of his grandparents, to grow strong and healthy. Here he learned to love the stories of the past which his grandmother told him, and thus received the inspiration for many of his literary productions. From this period we may date thosfe early verse creations whose read­ ing forms one of the greatest pleasures of youth. At Abbotsford, his large country home, Scott wrote his long list of historical novels through which he will live as long as the English language is spoken. These interesting novels are mostly classified as historical novels, the plots being based on historical facts which purport to be true to the "spirit"of history. -4- Scott’s love for supernatural agencies, which figure in many of his stories, his fondness for adventure, for mystery, for the rush of battle, for oolor and sharp contrast, and his love of the past are traits which mark him as a romanticist. Although there is not much development of character in his pages, Scott is unsurpassed in the variety of his creations. Each new character called into existence by this past master’s pen is an original one. There is no repetition of persons. Jeanie Deans, Anne of Geierstein, Meg Merrilies, Rebecca, and Amy Robsart are eaoh as different as the people met in every-day life. Even the dogs and horses, from Eangs to Bayard, that figure so interestingly in Scott, bear tp-is same stamp of individuality. 'r * Many of Scott’s works deal with Catholic themes. Due to an unconscious prejudice and pos­ sible ignorance, this noted author fails to give the reader the finer, elevating side of.medieval Catholicity. Instead of presenting the worthy • churchman also, only the unworthy type finds a place in his pages in such persons as Friar Tuck, Prior Aymer, and the Black Priest of §t. Paul’s. Scott will always be loved because he is so noble and inspiring, so great and enduring. -5- Outline on the Author <for Study .SIR WALTER SCOTT 1. Born: Edinburgh, Scotland, August 15, 1771 Epithets: "Wizard of the North" "Creator of the Historical Novel" 2. Educated: a) Edinburgh High School b) Edinburgh University 3. Homes: a) Sandyknowe b) Ashestiel 4 c) Abbotsford 4. Works: a) Poetry: i 1. Lay of the Last Minstrel 2 . Marmion 3. The Lady of the Lake 4. The Minstresly of the Scottish Border 5. Rokeby .6* The Lord of the Isles b) Prose: 1 . Waverly 2. The Border Antiquities 3. Guy Mannering 4. The Field of Waterloo 5. The Antiquary 6. The Blaok Dwarf 7 . Old Mortality 8 . Harold the Dauntless 9. Rob Roy 10. The Heart of Midlothian 11. The Bride of Lammermoor 12. The Legend of Montrose 13. Ivanhoe \ 14. The Monastery 15. The Abbot 16. Kenilworth 17. The Pirate 18. The Fortunes of Nigel 19. Peveril of the Peak 20. Quentin Durward 21. St. Reman*s Well 22. Redgauntlet 23. The Betrothed 24. The Talisman 25. Tales of the Crusaders 26. Provincial Antiquities of Scotland 27. Woodstock 28. Life of Napoleon Bonaparte 29. Chronicles of the Cannon- gate 30. Tales of a Grandfather 31. Anne of Geierstein 32. The Doom of Devoirgoil 33. Count Robert of Paris 34. Castle Dangerous 5. Characteristics: a) As a Writer: 1 1. Excellent descriptive power 2 2. Vivid historical settings 3 3. Keen imagination 4 4. Glose observation 5 __________________ 5A_Humor_. 1. Charles Duke Yonge, Life of Sir Walter Scott, p, 52 John Veitch, The FeeXing for Nature in Scottish Poetry,___ ?y, Vol._______ II,, _pp.____ 184,_ 185, 201, 202 2. Hamilton Wright Mabie, Backgrounds of’Literature. p“. 259 1-------- Thomas Dickinson, Nineteenth Century English Pfose. pV 400 ---------- 3. Yonge, op.cit., p. 70 Richard H. Hutton, Sir Walter Scott. English Men of Letters, pp. 96. 97 4 Yonge, op.cit.. p. V? ^ 5 Hutton, op.cit.. p. 117 - „ -7- I" 6-. Character development lacking b) a s a personality: 2 1. Kindliness 3 2. Patriotism 4 3. Love of nature 5 ____________________a.nima;ls 12345 1. Hutton, op.cit.. pp. 107, 108, 118 2. John Gibson Lockhart, Life of Sir Walter Scott, Vol. I p. 130 3. Louise Schütz Boas, A Great Rich Man. The Romance of Sir Y/alter Scott, p. 5 4. *Veitch, op.cit». p. l03 and passim Hutton, op.cit.. p. 40 ff. 5. Yonge, op.cit.. pp. 45,143 * Stoddard, John L., Lectures, 10 vol., Vol. 9, p. 53 Brother Leo, English Literature, p. 432 "Scott gave us 2836 charadters in all including 37 horses and 33 dogs." >8- .Chapter 2 »a. .HISTORICAL BACKGROUND In the twelfth century Scotland became a fief of England. Under a number of patriotic leaders, such as , William Wallace, Robert Bruce, and Douglas, Scot­ land made heroic efforts to regain her independence, in the famous battles of Dunbar, Falkirk, Bannock­ burn, and Flodden, " The Battle of Flodden marked the death of lames IV of Sootland, the husband of Margaret Tudor, sister of Henry .Jill of England. James V, the only son of James IV and Margaret, survived and lives in the «Lady of the Lake« as James - Fitz James. • * * Margaret married Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus. The bitter enmity which already exist­ ed between the head of the Douglas clan and the other Scottish nobles was increased when Angus had the added dignity of being the husband of the ' aufiso_Efi«fiolj_.4Bsus_flsaua»ei-all_iJifi_auibQrits:___ 1. Larson, Laurence M, History of England. P.98 to 159 Green, History of the English People, Vol. I, pp. 169 to 364 Vol. 3, p .41 Hayes and Moon, Ancient and Medieval History, p. 596. Lingard, History of England. Vol. II, p. 153 to 558. Vol. IV, p. 370. Sir Walter Scott, History of England. Vol. I, p. 180 ff. of a regent and kept James under close guard while pretending to rule the realm in his name.1 The Douglas family had been exceedingly power­ ful ever since the great wars with England when James Douglas had been the chief friend of Bruce, the champion of national independence.