The Lady of The Lake: by Walter Scott

The Lady Of The Lake
by Walter Scott
Presented By:
CORREA, Rizalyn B.
English 2D
AUTHOR'S
BACKGROUND
Walter Scott
 Born: August 15, 1771
Died: September 21, 1832
 He was a Scottish historical
novelist, poet, playwright and
historian.
 Many of his works remain
classics of both English-
language literature and of
Scottish literature.
 Famous titles includes :
 Ivanhoe
 Rob Roy
Old Mortality
The Lady of the Lake
Waverley
 The Heart of Midlothian
The Bride of Lammermoor.
CHARACTERS
King James V of Scotland - the Knight of Snowdoun
Ellen Douglas - daughter of James Douglas
James Douglas - once the Earl of Bothwell, the mentor of
the youthful King James
Allan Bane - a bard
Roderick Dhu - the chief of Clan Alpine
Lady Margaret - the mother of Roderick Dhu
CHARACTERS
Malcolm Graeme - a young highland chief and
former courtier of King James, loved by Ellen
Brian the Hermit - a pagan prophet in the Druid
tradition
Duncan, a leading member of Clan Alpine who has
just died
Angus - the son of Duncan
Norman - a bridegroom and member of Clan Alpine
Mary - Norman's bride
Blanche of Devan - a lowland Scottish woman
SUMMARY
Canto I: The Chase
The poem begins with a rapid-moving hunt, chasing a stag in the
forests of the Trossachs. The stag outruns the hunt, exhausting all its
members until only one huntsman –- who, we later learn, is James Fitz-
James –- follows it until his horse falls down dead of exhaustion.
The huntsman blows his horn to try to contact someone, and wanders
to the shore of Loch Katrine where a young woman, Ellen Douglas,
rows across and picks him up in a skiff. He is then taken to a house,
which he suspects is a concealed hide-out of a Highland chief. The
huntsman blows his horn to try to contact someone, and wanders to
the shore of Loch Katrine where a young woman, Ellen Douglas, rows
across and picks him up in a skiff.
He is then taken to a house, which he
suspects is a concealed hide-out of a
Highland chief.There he is given dinner by
Ellen, the bard Allan Bane, and Lady
Margaret, and a bed for the night. That night
he dreams of Ellen, only to see her face
suddenly change to that of his exiled
enemy, James Douglas – leading him to
suspect that Ellen and James Douglas are
related.
Canto II: The Island
James Fitz-James departs the island first thing in the
morning. Ellen and Allan Bane discuss Roderick Dhu,
Malcolm Graeme, and James Fitz-James, agreeing
that the first is bloodthirsty and homicidal, but the
only person who would defend James Douglas, and
that James Fitz-James is an attractive person, but
may be a secret foe of their kinspeople. Roderick
Dhu, James Douglas, and Malcolm Graeme return to
the island.Roderick Dhu asks Douglas for Ellen's hand
in marriage.
James Douglas refuses, partly because he will not
force Ellen into a loveless marriage. Roderick Dhu
and Malcolm Graeme quarrel over Ellen, and are
about to draw their swords against each other,
but James Douglas declares that the first to draw
will be his foe. James Douglas also says that it is
an insult for an exile for his daughter to be the
spoil of a battle between two chiefs. Roderick Dhu
tells Graeme to leave his territory, which Graeme
does, refusing even to borrow a boat; Graeme
instead swims across Loch Katrine to the shore.
Canto III: The Gathering
Despite James Douglas' refusal to participate in
the uprising, Roderick Dhu decides to commence
the rebellion anyway. With a pagan prophet,
Brian the Hermit, Roderick fashions and sets
alight the fiery cross, and hands it to his
henchman, As Roderick Dhu is about to leave the
island, he overhears Ellen praying to the Virgin,
singing "Ave Maria." Roderick Dhu sadly realizes
that this is the last time he will ever hear Ellen's
voice, and then prepares to go off to battle.
Canto IV: The Prophecy
Malise and Norman discuss the upcoming battle.
Roderick Dhu has decided that the women and old
men should take shelter on the island in the middle
of Loch Katrine. When Norman asks why Roderick is
staying apart from the main body of the troops,
Malise says it is the result of a prophecy made by
Brian the Hermit.Blanche dies. James Fitz-James cuts
off a lock of Blanche's hair, mingles it amidst the hair
of her bridegroom, and imbrues it in her blood,
promising to imbrue the lock in the blood of Roderick
Dhu
Canto V: The Combat
On arriving at the border, they begin to fight, the
chieftain scorning to settle their differences any
other way. Though Roderick is stronger, he is less
skilful, and is badly wounded; when Fitz-James
stops to address him, the chieftain defiantly
seizes him by the throat; but he has lost too much
blood, and his strength fails him. Fitz-James wins
after a long struggle, and with his bugle summons
medical aid for Roderick Dhu before setting off for
Stirling, where a festival is taking place.
Canto IV:The Guard Room
The next morning, Ellen and Allan Bane enter the
guard-room at Stirling Castle, hoping to visit
Douglas in prison. Ellen is taken to a furnished room
upstairs to wait; Allan Bane is shown to the cell of
the gravely injured Roderick Dhu, who dies as Allan
sings him one last song. Meanwhile, leaning out of
the window, Ellen is startled and heartbroken to
hear the voice of Malcolm Graeme, singing in one of
the turrets. Soon afterwards Fitz-James arrives to tell
her that it is time for her audience with the king.
References:
 Oliver, Susan (29 August 2005). "The Lady
of the Lake". The Literary Dictionary
Company. Retrieved 30 September 2007.
 Ida E. Robbins "Reading and Literature" in
James E. Russell (ed.) Teachers College
Record: Elementary School Curriculum,
Fourth and Fifth Year, Columbia University,
1907.

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