Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott is a classic novel that combines history with fiction to create a truly engaging tale of chivalry and oppression. The contention between the Normans and the Saxons creates a spellbinding story that ultimately ends in the acceptance of the Norman King Richard in lieu of a Saxon ruler. Simultaneously, Ivanhoe deals with regaining his father's acceptance after his disinheritance. Ivanhoe is a tale that is memorialized as one of the greatest novels ever written.

Ivanhoe occurs in twelfth century England during the reign of King Richard the Lion-Hearted, approximately one hundred years after the Normans seize control of England, subjugating the Saxon natives. The Normans have confiscated Saxon lands and even replaced the Saxon language with their own. The remaining Saxon nobles resent this treatment, causing the country to exist in a state of perpetual unrest. Cedric, a Saxon, disinherits his...