October 15, 2021 7:00 AM EDT. 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. By the early nineteenth century, the notion that it all had been a case of mistaken identity was firmly established, as typified in an 1824 retelling by Norman historian and politician Louis Du Bois, who explains the supposed miscarriage of justice by speculating that the actual rapist was a squire who doubtless bore some resemblance to the unfortunate Le Gris.. Gangsters in a patrol wagon, New York, c. 1935. And her court testimony is reduced to nothing more than her husbands scriptas Famiglietti calls itfor destroying his hated rival. Flawless Victory. 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. Thats the research we did and the legend of the story he thought he was in love with her and did not rape her. So in his deluded sense of pride, Le Gris could believe it was consensual. Advertising Notice She was born to nobleman Robert De Thibouville, who was notorious for siding AGAINST France in territorial. Marguerite de Carrouges - Wikipedia Marguerite, who married Carrouges in 1381, was the only daughter of Robert de Thibouville, who had once committed an act of high treason Jacques Le Gris Le Gris is most famous for being. Given the absence of any witnesses in her own favor, Marguerites accusations against Louvel were a gratuitous and risky addition to her testimony if her story of the attack and rape was indeed a deliberate lie. The theory of mistaken identity ultimately derives from two sources that began circulating more than a decade after the duel. Carrouges, without whom his wife could not even bring a case, resolutely rode off to Paris to appeal for justice to the king. 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. He saw the marriage as a chance to get the better of Le Gris as well, for Le Gris had been gifted by Pierre a parcel of land previously owned by Marguerite's father. By unequivocally believing Marguerite, the screenwriters offer that same sense of empathy to all women who follow her. Jean de Carrouges | Historica Wiki | Fandom We know that the historical Marguerite de Thibouville was the heiress of a venerable noble family of Normandy, was probably young when she became Carrouges' second wife, and was, after the. The forty-page story Le jugement de Dieu begins with throngs of excited, gossiping Parisians arriving at Saint-Martins field to watch the long-awaited duel. He strucks a belly of Le Gris's horse with his axe. Real History That Inspired "The Last Duel" Feels Very Timely Even in Le Gris' version, though, Marguerite's attempts to get away seem less flirtatious and more earnest. A bit of a crash courseon medieval France: At the top of society was the king, advised by his high council, the Parlement of Paris. A century and more after the philosophes had popularized the theory, it solidified as hard fact in authoritative encyclopedias. The knights victory saved both him and his wife, earning the formerly notorious couple wealth and prestige. Theres a certain arrogance rooted in that assumption. Marguerite de Carrouges : No. Although now losing blood, Carrouges mounted a daring counterattack and fought on so stoutly that he managed to throw his opponent to the ground. Jean de Carrouges was born in Saint-Marguerite-de-Carrouges, Normandy, France in 1330, a vassal of the . Carrouges, now in control, shouted one word at his enemy: Confess. Marguerite said no. When de Carrouges returns home he demands sex, but Marguerite refuses and tells him about the rape, fuelling de Carrouges' anger against his friend. 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. I will have justice!. Schools educate you, and religious services deliver sermons, and movies at their best can generate empathy and generate compassion, says Affleck. She gave birth to a son, Robert, shortly before Le Gris trial by combat. The True Story Of 'The Last Duel': Historians Still Debate Marguerite He had a witness. [4] The case dragged on for some months until ultimately Count Pierre was forced to visit his cousin King Charles VI to officially confirm his ownership of the land and his right to give it to whomever of the followers he chose. The duel took place on December 29, 1386, and was presided over by French king Charles VI. Or did he trip? As per the rules of the duel, whoever loses the battle would be proven guilty of his crimes. Now, the story of the 1386 trial by combat is the subject of a blockbuster film of the same name. And not just any death. Of course, the movie is about much more than just the duel, as is the true story so here's what went down. 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. The film adaptation traces the trios relationship from its auspicious beginnings to its bloody end. 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.. Unable to rise due to the weight of his body armor, Le Gris resisted Carrouges calls to confess, declaring, In the name of God, and on the peril and damnation of my soul, I am innocent of the crime. Enraged, Carrouges delivered the death blow, perhaps by stabbing Le Gris exposed neck or thighs. The screenwriters changed the scene to allow for more nuance. Scott and the films stunt coordinator used the outline of the actual combat to create something slightly more exciting for the screen. The Last Duel ending explained - how close is it to the true story of Despite the claims of naysayers and novelizers, Marguerites testimony suggests that she was almost certainly not mistaken about the identity of her attackers. Charles I, Duke of Elbeuf - Wikipedia Marguerite tells her story, and she knows that she needs to be extremely consistent, despite this absolutely horrific trauma that shes just gone through, says Skoda. Her father had sided against the king twice, and. By taking away the witness and some challenging details, like Le Gris stuffing his hat into Marguerites mouth, the filmmakers were able to more fully explore the notion that Le Gris believed his actions were just. A hush fell over the crowd, as they came to the solemn realization that a man had just died before their eyes. 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. In his own defense, Le Gris claimed that Nicole had found nothing amiss upon her return and didnt believe her daughter-in-laws later allegations. Marguerites 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. Rape Crisis Scotlands helpline number is 08088 01 03 02. According to testimony later provided by Carrouges and Marguerite, she heard a knock on the door and opened it to find Louvel. Though the film portrays Jacques le Gris as guilty of raping Marguerite de Carrouges, this was never definitively proven and the facts of the case remain a topic of heated debate to this day. El ltimo duelo, la ltima pelcula de Ridley Scott, habla de muchas cosas, pero sobre todo de la vida de tres personas cuyo destino qued en manos del azar. I want justice! Matt Damon, Adam Driver and Jodie Comer star in Ridley Scotts return to historical epic form, written by Damon, Ben Affleck and Nicole Holofcener. 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. Adam Driver was 38 when he played Jacques le Gris, who was 56 at the time of his death. We read that the queen had pierced nipples and that the dress was almost low enough that you could maybe see them., Comer adds, There was one painting of her that, over time, was completely worn out, just because of time and everything else. He likewise claims that Marguerite had been deceived about her attackers identity, although the supposed truth comes out under rather different circumstances: Later it was discovered that [Le Gris] had not really done it, but that it had been done by another, who died of illness in his bed and, at the moment of death, confessed before others that he had done the deed.. 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.. Le Gris was the counts favorite and his administrative right hand. Ben Affleck co-wrote the script with Damon and. The origins of The Last Duel begin in January 1368, when Marguerite de Carrouges claimed she was raped by Jacques Le Gris, a squire. The two combatants sat their horses very prettily, writes Froissart, for both were skilled in arms. The True Story Behind The Last Duel and History's Attempt to Erase It [2][3], Shortly after his marriage, Carrouges revealed another motive for the union. As might be expected, the deadly trial by combat before the huge crowd of spectators unfolds with genuine drama and suspense. Cases had to meet four requirements, including exhausting all other legal remedies and confirming that the crime had actually occurred. What's Fact and What's Fiction in The Last Duel - Slate Magazine 2023 Smithsonian Magazine This happened, she said, in the morning hours at the modest chteau of her widowed mother-in-law, Nicole de Carrouges, on a remote Normandy estate known as Capomesnil, about twelve miles southwest of Lisieux. Like today, sexual assault and rape often went unpunished and even unreported in the Middle Ages. But a public accusation of rape, at the time a capital offense and often a cause for scandalous rumors endangering the honor of those involved, could have grave consequences for both accuser and accused, especially among the nobility. And two suspects are harder to convict than one, unless they can be turned against each other. Welcoming the Official (detail), by Leonid Solomatkin, 1867. A similar report with a significant difference of detail appears in Jean Juvnal des Ursins Histoire de Charles VI, written no earlier than the 1420s and perhaps closer to 1430. The dominant belief that women had to enjoy sex in order to conceive further complicated matters, leaving those impregnated by their rapists on even shakier legal ground. The squire then threw her onto a bed but could not hold her down without help from Louvel, who rushed back into the room on Le Gris orders to help his friend subdue and finally rape Marguerite. 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. 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. 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. By the union of Marguerite . A Judicial Duel, byLieven van Lathem, 1464. I gave her a friend, who ultimately betrays her. Its a moment that underscores the timely nature of the films message: that we cannot be blind to the perspectives of others. But we wanted to do it through the lens of this situation. Or did Carrouges according to one account grab him by the helmet and throw him down? While this should have added weight to Marguerite's claim, it did not. We wanted to examine that. 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. 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. On December 29, 1386, before a crowd presided over by French king Charles VI, Carrouges and Le Gris eyed each other warily. 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. 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. Gross! Still, the theory cannot plausibly account for Louvels having named Le Gris while in conversation with Marguerite. An intensely personal rivalry, exacerbated by a series of failed legal cases brought by Carrouges, emerged between the onetime friends. Speak without regard for the consequences, and it is too late for silence when disaster strikes. The Last Duel stars Jodie Comer, Matt Damon and Adam Driver as three people who changed the course of French history. The earlier of the two is the Saint-Denis Chronicle, an official royal history by the monk Michel Pintoin probably written around 1400. In the film, it is revealed mid-trial that if de Carrouges loses at the hand of Le Gris, Marguerite will also be killed by being stripped naked, put in an iron collar and set on fire. Popular historical fiction abetted the theory of mistaken identity, exploiting its shock effect. Comer brought that sense of history into her performance as well, recognizing what was and wasnt acceptable for women of the time. When her husband, Sir Jean de Carrouges, heard of the crime, he . These events have gotten a cinematic depiction in Ridleys Scotts new medieval epic, The Last Duel, written by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Nicole Holofcener and now playing in theaters nationwide. According to Pintoin, Marguerite and her assailant dined together before the attack, and it was while showing him to his room for the night that he assaulted her. The writers and director of "The Last Duel" all confirm that - reddit The Last Duel, Part 2: Death by Sodomy | HROARR Warning: This post contains spoilers for The Last Duel. ), Whether Carrouges and Le Gris actually ended their quarrel at this point is debatable. He challenged Jacques to a duel to the death in the king's court. Just in what they were wearing. I would have had to have taken this many horses, and I didnt have time to get back. It would have become about whether or not it could have been him, or it must have been somebody else. 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. Carrouges died roughly a decade after the duel, falling in combat against the Ottoman Turks. The last judicial duel in France hinged on whether a woman could be believed. Ultimately, that [would have been] a movie about a courtroom evidence drama, Affleck explains. If the case is not proven, then [the woman] doesnt just get to walk away, says Skoda. 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. 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. The Last Duel starts on the day of the duel, but before it shares the results of Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris' fight, the movie shares the three perspectives at the center of why the . While it adheres closely to Jagers book, with the script using actual lines and passages from his writing, the filmmakers did make some alterations in order to better shine a light on the concepts of consent and perspective. Many skepticsincluding chroniclers, historians, partisans, and even historical novelistshave cast doubt on the official verdict. In his book Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France, R.C. That meant that Holofcener had to create Marguerites world and inner life from scratch. 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. In the end the city expelled the contagion, and the body politic was cleansed. The True Story Behind The Last Duel | Time El libro es una crnica milimtrica de los hechos construida como un gran reportaje, muy ricamente contextualizada desde la eterna guerra entre Francia e Inglaterra en aquella poca hasta el. DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. 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. He doesnt even recognize it. On the morning of 18 January 1386, Dame Nicole de Carrouges departed her chateau at Capomesnil for the neighbouring town of Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives where she had legal business to attend to. Really embracing the kind of freedom that gave her. (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. What does she have to gain from that? In Le Coqs words, his client attacked his adversary very cruelly and did it on foot, although he would have had the advantage if he had done it on horseback. By drawing blood, writes Elema for the Historical European Martial Arts and Sports Community, Le Gris prevented the king from halting the duel, as once the scales had tipped in one fighters favor, no one could stop the fight without the appearance of partiality.. The nonfiction work catalogs the events leading up to Frances last government-sanctioned trial by combat, held between Jean de Carrouges and his former friend, Jacques Le Gris. Knights were one step above squires, but men of both ranks often served as vassals to higher-ranking overlords. Yet Adam Louvel reportedly confessed to nothing, not even under torture. Later encyclopedia entries echoed this view, seemingly solidifying the question of Le Gris innocence. And for him to have to invoke that at the moment of his death and to protest his innocence [is interesting]. 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. In his alibi, Le Gris himself cited the narrow window of time available for his alleged visit, strictly during daylight hours. 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. Get our L.A. The greatest departure from Jagers book comes during the rape itself. 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. For Affleck and Damon, The Last Duel was an opportunity to not only depict a compelling historical event but to reflect on how traces of that system of patriarchy linger today. But then, just moments after Carrouges has killed Le Gris on the battlefield, a dusty courier rides up with the astounding news that another man has confessed to the crimenews that is now too late to save the innocent Le Gris. And then I was judged and shammed by my country. 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. More, On the use and misuse of civility. 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. She married Jean de Carrouges in 1380. Marguerite's story: the true tale behind The Last Duel The film does show that at the same time as Marguerite was pregnant, so was the queen. 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.