Harlequin (Cornwell novel): Difference between revisions

Harlequin
	First edition cover
Author	Bernard Cornwell
Language	English
Series	The Grail Quest series
Genre	Historical novel
Publisher	HarperCollins
Publication date	16 October 2000
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	384 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN	978-0-00-225965-1 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC	222757152
Followed by	Vagabond

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Harlequin (in the USA The Archer's Tale) is the first novel in The Grail Quest series by English author Bernard Cornwell, first published in 2000. The story takes place in the mid-14th century, during the Hundred Years' War.

Plot summary

Thomas grows up in the village of Hookton in Dorset, the illegitimate son of village priest Father Ralph. Thomas, a young man, has been training secretly with a bow, despite his father forbidding it. On Easter morning, 1343, Norman raiders led by French knight Sir Guillaume d'Evecque arrive. A mysterious man calling himself the Harlequin has hired them to steal a lance that Thomas's father claims is the one used by Saint George to slay a dragon. The Harlequin mortally stabs Thomas's father. Thomas kills four men, but the rest leave with the lance and captives. Thomas learns from his dying father that he is a French count who fled his evil family and that the Harlequin is Thomas's first cousin.

Three years pass. Thomas is in France with the English army, serving under Will Skeat, a successful mercenary leader. The English, commanded by William Bohun, Earl of Northampton, besiege the small city of La Roche-Derrien. However, a half dozen assaults have failed. Among the defenders is a beautiful woman who fights with a crossbow: Jeanette, the widowed Countess of Armorica. She inflicts a minor wound on an impoverished, ambitious English knight, Sir Simon Jekyll, and Jekyll vows revenge.

Skeat persuades the earl to try a new plan. Thomas has discovered a weak spot. The earl lets Thomas lead an assault. Things go awry, but Thomas and his men get into the city anyway and open the gates. Then the murdering, pillaging and raping begin. Jekyll attempts to rape Jeanette, but is stopped by the earl. The earl is obliged to give Jekyll Jeanette's property as spoils of war, but he places Jeanette and her young son under royal protection.

The earl leaves Skeat and his men to garrison the city. They guard Jeanette from Sir Simon, but she remains hostile. A French force based in Lannion under Sir Geoffrey de Pont Blanc presents the only threat, but neither side wants to fight on the other's terms. Jekyll, however, is eager for plunder, so he and his men formally battle Sir Geoffrey's force. After Jekyll loses, Skeat sets a trap, having some of his men pretend to flee in panic; Geoffrey is deceived, and his force is decimated by English longbows. Skeat lets Geoffrey go free, much to Jekyll's fury (at losing a ransom). Thomas tells Jekyll to "go and boil your arse".

Later that night, Thomas is beaten by Jekyll's men and about to have his own arse put into boiling water, but is rescued by Father Hobbe, a friend who constantly reminds him of his vow of revenge. Thomas enlists Jeanette's help to lure Jekyll into an ambush. Thomas kills Jekyll's squire and injures Jekyll, but Jekyll escapes.

Thomas and Jeanette flee to the Duke of Brittany, a close relative of her husband. The duke agrees to take care of her son, but believes lies about Jeanette and rapes her. Jeanette escapes with Thomas. She is severely traumatised, but Thomas nurses her back to health. The two then come upon an English army under King Edward III and his son, the Prince of Wales, which is about to assault the French city of Caen. Jeanette soon becomes the prince's mistress. Owing Thomas for the capture of La Roche-Derrien, the Earl of Northampton pays Jekyll to leave Thomas alone.

Thomas takes part in the successful assault on Caen. During the battle, he recognises the coat of arms of Sir Guillaume and wounds him. He also rescues a young woman named Eleanor from being raped. However, Jekyll sees him and has him hanged.

Half-dead, Thomas is rescued by Eleanor, Sir Guillaume's illegitimate daughter. Sir Guillaume reveals that he kept the lance because he was not paid the balance owed (a monk absconded with it). The Harlequin killed Sir Guillaume's family and severely injured him. Sir Guillaume and Thomas become friends with a common goal: to kill the Harlequin. Thomas is nursed back to health by a Jewish doctor named Mordecai. He learns a great deal about his family from a churchman. His father was a member of the infamous Vexille family - the former counts of Astarac and Cathar heretics. Thomas also learns that the Vexilles are rumoured to possess the Holy Grail.

Jeanette turns the prince against Jekyll, and Jekyll is ordered to leave the army. He joins the French, entering the service of the Harlequin, later revealed to be Guy Vexille, Count of Astarac.

Thomas returns to the English army with Eleanor, who becomes his lover. He rejoins Will Skeat's band and helps the English escape the much larger French army assembled by King Philip VI of France by finding a river ford. The English defeat the French guarding the ford in the Battle of Blanchetaque.

Eventually, however, the English, hungry and tired, are forced to fight the Battle of Crécy. During the epic battle, the English achers, Thomas among them, play a major role; when they run out of arrows, they join the hand-to-hand fighting. Thomas spots the distinctive black lance of St. George, used by Vexille's right-hand man as a standard. The man is killed. When Thomas tries to get the lance, he encounters Jekyll. Jekyll quickly gains the upper hand and is about to dispatch him, but Sir Guillaume kills Jekyll. Sir Guillaume then spots a man he suspects is Guy Vexille, but has to be rescued by Thomas (from the English). Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is trapped under a fallen horse, with Vexille about to strike, so Thomas grabs the lance of St. George and desperately lunges at him. The ancient lance breaks apart when it strikes Vexille's armour, but it distracts him, giving others time to protect the prince. Vexille severely wounds Skeat in the head before fleeing with the rest of the French. Against everyone's expectations, the English have won a decisive victory.

Afterward, the Earl of Northampton sets Sir Guillaume's ransom: he is to take the unresponsive Skeat to Mordechai in the forlorn hope he can be healed. If he cannot be cured, the earl expects Thomas to take his place next spring.

Characters in Harlequin

Thomas of Hookton
Will Skeat - Thomas's friend and leader, a mercenary captain in the service of the Earl of Northampton
William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton - English nobleman and military commander
Guy Vexille, Count of Astarac
Sir Guillaume d'Evecque
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales - heir to the English throne
Edward III of England - King of England and father of Edward of Woodstock
Sir Simon Jekyll
Jeanette
Charles of Blois, Duke of Brittany
Eleanor
Philip VI of France - King of France
Ralph Vexille - Thomas's father and Guy's uncle

References

"Harlequin details". FantasticFiction. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
"Bernard Cornwell's biog". imdb. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
"Bernard Cornwell's official page on the title". bernardcornwell.net. Archived from the original on 25 December 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2008.

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 {{short description|2000 historical novel by Bernard Cornwell}}
-{{about|the Bernard Cornwell work|other novels|Harlequin (disambiguation)#Novels}}
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 ==Plot summary==
-Thomas grows up in the village of Hookton in [[Dorset]]. The formerly mad village priest, Father Ralph, is his father. Thomas, a young man, has been training secretly with a bow, despite his father forbiding it. On Easter morning, 1343, Norman raiders arrive under the command of Sir Guillaume d'Evecque, a French knight. A man dressed all in black who calls himself the Harlequin has hired Sir Guillaume to steal Hookton's [[relic]], a lance that Thomas's father brought with him and which he claims is the one used by [[Saint George and the Dragon|Saint George to slay a dragon]]. The Harlequin mortally stabs Thomas's father; Thomas learns from his dying father that he is a French count who fled his evil family and that the Harlequin is Thomas's first cousin, the son of Father Ralph's brother. Thomas kills four of the raiders, but the Harlequin and Sir Guillaume leave with the lance and various captives.
+Thomas grows up in the village of Hookton in [[Dorset]], the illegitimate son of village priest Father Ralph. Thomas, a young man, has been training secretly with a bow, despite his father forbidding it. On Easter morning, 1343, Norman raiders led by French knight Sir Guillaume d'Evecque arrive. A mysterious man calling himself the [[Harlequin]] has hired them to steal a lance that Thomas's father claims is the one used by [[Saint George and the Dragon|Saint George to slay a dragon]]. The Harlequin mortally stabs Thomas's father. Thomas kills four men, but the rest leave with the lance and captives. Thomas learns from his dying father that he is a French count who fled his evil family and that the Harlequin is Thomas's first cousin.
-Three years pass. Thomas is in France with the English army and seeking revenge on his father's killers. He serves under Will Skeat, a successful mercenary leader. The English, commanded by [[William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton|William Bohun, Earl of Northampton]], are besieging the small city of [[La Roche-Derrien]]. However, a half dozen assaults have been beaten back. Among the city's defenders is a beautiful woman who fights with a [[crossbow]]. She is Jeanette, the widowed Countess of Armorica and the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She inflicts a minor arm wound on an impoverished, ambitious English knight, Sir Simon Jekyll, and Jekyll vows revenge.
+Three years pass. Thomas is in France with the English army, serving under Will Skeat, a successful mercenary leader. The English, commanded by [[William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton|William Bohun, Earl of Northampton]], besiege the small city of [[La Roche-Derrien]]. However, a half dozen assaults have failed. Among the defenders is a beautiful woman who fights with a [[crossbow]]: Jeanette, the widowed Countess of Armorica. She inflicts a minor wound on an impoverished, ambitious English knight, Sir Simon Jekyll, and Jekyll vows revenge.
-Skeat persuades the earl to try a new plan. Thomas has discovered the northern approaches to the city are guarded only by rotted wooden stakes in a muddy swamp. The earl lets Thomas lead an assault, with Jekyll in nominal command. Things go awry, but Thomas and his men get into the city anyway and open the gates. Then the murdering, pillaging and raping begin. In his search for loot, Jekyll encounters Jeanette and attempts to rape her, but is stopped by the earl.
+Skeat persuades the earl to try a new plan. Thomas has discovered a weak spot. The earl lets Thomas lead an assault. Things go awry, but Thomas and his men get into the city anyway and open the gates. Then the murdering, pillaging and raping begin. Jekyll attempts to rape Jeanette, but is stopped by the earl. The earl is obliged to give Jekyll Jeanette's property as [[Looting|spoils of war]], but he places Jeanette and her young son under royal protection.
-The earl is obliged to give Jekyll Jeanette's property as [[Looting|spoils of war]], but he places Jeanette and her young son under royal protection. The earl leaves Skeat and his men, including Thomas, to garrison the city. Thomas and his men guard Jeanette from Sir Simon, but she remains hostile. As a reward for the capture of the city, Skeat and his men are allowed to pillage the countryside, enriching themselves. A French force based in Lannion under the command of Sir Geoffrey de Pont Blanc presents the only real threat, but neither side wishes to fight on the other's terms. Jekyll, however, is eager for plunder, so he and his men formally battle Sir Geoffrey's force. Jekyll loses, but Skeat sets a trap, having some of his men pretend to flee in panic; Geoffrey is deceived, and his force is mowed down by English longbows. Skeat lets Geoffrey go free, much to Jekyll's fury (at losing a [[ransom]]). Thomas' response is to tell Jekyll to "go and boil your arse".
+The earl leaves Skeat and his men to garrison the city. They guard Jeanette from Sir Simon, but she remains hostile. A French force based in Lannion under Sir Geoffrey de Pont Blanc presents the only threat, but neither side wants to fight on the other's terms. Jekyll, however, is eager for plunder, so he and his men formally battle Sir Geoffrey's force. After Jekyll loses, Skeat sets a trap, having some of his men pretend to flee in panic; Geoffrey is deceived, and his force is decimated by English longbows. Skeat lets Geoffrey go free, much to Jekyll's fury (at losing a [[ransom]]). Thomas tells Jekyll to "go and boil your arse".
-Later that night, Thomas is ambushed by Jekyll's men, brutally beaten and about to have his own arse put into a cauldron of boiling water, but is saved by Father Hobbe, a friend who constantly reminds him of his vow of revenge. Skeat and his men attack Lannion, weakened by the loss of Geoffrey's force.
+Later that night, Thomas is beaten by Jekyll's men and about to have his own arse put into boiling water, but is rescued by Father Hobbe, a friend who constantly reminds him of his vow of revenge. Thomas enlists Jeanette's help to lure Jekyll into an ambush. Thomas kills Jekyll's squire and injures Jekyll, but Jekyll escapes.
+Thomas and Jeanette flee to the Duke of Brittany, a close relative of her husband. The duke agrees to take care of her son, but believes lies about Jeanette and rapes her. Jeanette escapes with Thomas. She is severely traumatised, but Thomas nurses her back to health. The two then come upon an English army under King [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] and his son, [[Edward the Black Prince|the Prince of Wales]], which is about to assault the French city of [[Caen]]. Jeanette soon becomes the prince's mistress. Owing Thomas for the capture of La Roche-Derrien, the Earl of Northampton pays Jekyll to leave Thomas alone.
-Thomas devises a plan to take revenge on Jekyll, with Jeanette's help. Jeanette lures Jekyll into an ambush. Thomas kills Jekyll's squire and injures Jekyll, but Jekyll escapes.
+Thomas takes part in the [[Battle of Caen (1346)|successful assault on Caen]]. During the battle, he recognises the coat of arms of Sir Guillaume and wounds him. He also rescues a young woman named Eleanor from being raped. However, Jekyll sees him and has him hanged.
-Thomas is guilty of murder, and Jekyll tortures Jeanette's servants until one "confesses" that she was the mastermind, so Jeanette seeks refuge with the Duke of Brittany, a close relative of her husband. The Duke agrees to take care of her son, but believes lies about Jeanette and rapes her. Jeanette escapes with Thomas. She is severely traumatised, but Thomas nurses her back to health. The two then come upon the English army under King [[Edward III of England|Edward III]] and his son, [[Edward the Black Prince|the Black Prince]], which is about to assault the French city of [[Caen]]. Jeanette soon becomes the Black Prince's mistress. Owing Thomas for the capture of La Roche-Derrien, the Earl of Northampton pays Jekyll to leave Thomas alone.
+Half-dead, Thomas is rescued by Eleanor, Sir Guillaume's illegitimate daughter. Sir Guillaume reveals that he kept the lance because he was not paid the balance owed (a monk absconded with it). The Harlequin killed Sir Guillaume's family and severely injured him. Sir Guillaume and Thomas become friends with a common goal: to kill the Harlequin. Thomas is nursed back to health by a Jewish doctor named Mordecai. He learns a great deal about his family from a churchman. His father was a member of the infamous Vexille family - the former counts of Astarac and [[Cathar]] heretics. Thomas also learns that the Vexilles are rumoured to possess the [[Holy Grail]].
-Thomas takes part in the [[Battle of Caen (1346)|successful assault on Caen]]. During the battle, he recognises the coat of arms of Sir Guillaume d'Evecque and shoots him in the thigh. He also rescues a young woman named Eleanor from being raped. As he leaves the house, Jekyll sees him and has him hanged.
+Jeanette turns the prince against Jekyll, and Jekyll is ordered to leave the army. He joins the French, entering the service of the Harlequin, later revealed to be Guy Vexille, Count of Astarac.
-Half-dead, Thomas is rescued by Eleanor, Sir Guillaume's illegitimate offspring. Sir Guillaume reveals that Harlequin refused to pay him the balance owed (a monk entrusted with the money absconded with it), so he kept the lance. The Harlequin later returned with his men, killed Sir Guillaume's family and severely injured him. Sir Guillaume and Thomas become friends with a common goal: to kill the Harlequin. Thomas is nursed back to health by a Jewish doctor named Mordecai. Meanwhile, Jeanette turns the Prince against Jekyll, and Jekyll is ordered to leave the army. Thomas learns a great deal about his family from a churchman Sir Guillaume has found in Caen. His father was a member of the infamous Vexille family - the former counts of Astarac and [[Cathar]] heretics. Thomas also learns that the Vexilles are rumoured to possess the [[Holy Grail]]. Thomas returns to the English army with Eleanor, who becomes his lover.
+Thomas returns to the English army with Eleanor, who becomes his lover. He rejoins Will Skeat's band and helps the English escape the much larger French army assembled by King [[Philip VI of France]] by finding a river ford. The English defeat the French guarding the ford in the [[Battle of Blanchetaque]].
-Meanwhile, Sir Simon Jekyll joins the French for a chance to take revenge on both Jeanette and the Black Prince. He enters the service of the Harlequin, later revealed to be Guy Vexille, Count of Astarac.
+Eventually, however, the English, hungry and tired, are forced to fight the [[Battle of Crécy]]. During the epic battle, the English achers, Thomas among them, play a major role; when they run out of arrows, they join the hand-to-hand fighting. Thomas spots the distinctive black lance of St. George, used by Vexille's right-hand man as a standard. The man is killed. When Thomas tries to get the lance, he encounters Jekyll. Jekyll quickly gains the upper hand and is about to dispatch him, but Sir Guillaume kills Jekyll. Sir Guillaume then spots a man he suspects is Guy Vexille, but has to be rescued by Thomas (from the English). Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is trapped under a fallen horse, with Vexille about to strike, so Thomas grabs the lance of St. George and desperately lunges at him. The ancient lance breaks apart when it strikes Vexille's armour, but it distracts him, giving others time to protect the prince. Vexille severely wounds Skeat in the head before fleeing with the rest of the French. Against everyone's expectations, the English have won a decisive victory.
-Thomas manages to rejoin Will Skeat's band and helps the English escape being trapped by the much larger French army assembled by King [[Philip VI of France]] by finding a river ford. The English defeat the French guarding the ford in the [[Battle of Blanchetaque]].
+Afterward, the Earl of Northampton sets Sir Guillaume's ransom: he is to take the unresponsive Skeat to Mordechai in the forlorn hope he can be healed. If he cannot be cured, the earl expects Thomas to take his place next spring.
-Eventually, however, the English, hungry and tired, are forced to fight the [[Battle of Crécy]]. Sir Guillaume, Sir Jekyll, and Guy Vexille are all present on the French side. During the epic battle, the English achers, Thomas among them, play a major role; when they run low on arrows, they join the hand-to-hand fighting. Thomas spots the distinctive black lance of St. George, held by Vexille's right-hand man as a standard. The latter drops it to defend himself, but is killed. Thomas goes to get it, only to encounter Jekyll. Jekyll quickly gains the upper hand and is about to dispatch him, but Sir Guillaume kills Jekyll. Sir Guillaume then spots a man he suspects is Guy Vexille, but has to be rescued by Thomas (from the English). Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales is trapped under a fallen horse, with Vexille about to strike, so Thomas grabs the lance of St. George and lunges at him. The ancient lance breaks apart when it strikes Vexille's armour, but does distract him, giving others time to protect the prince. Now outnumbered, Vexille severely wounds Skeat in the head before fleeing with the rest of the French. Against everyone's expectations, the English have won a decisive victory.
-Afterward, the Earl of Northampton sets Sir Guillaume's ransom: he is to take the unresponsive Skeat to Mordechai in the forlorn hope that he can be healed by Mordechai. If he cannot be cured, the earl expects Thomas to take his place next spring.
 == Characters in ''Harlequin'' ==
-* Thomas of Hookton - protagonist, illegitimate son of a priest, archer in the English army
+* Thomas of Hookton
-* Will Skeat - Thomas's friend and commander, a captain in the service of the Earl of Northampton
+* Will Skeat - Thomas's friend and leader, a mercenary captain in the service of the Earl of Northampton
 * [[William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton]] - English nobleman and military commander
-* Guy Vexille, Comte d'Astarac - Thomas's cousin, his father's murderer and the antagonist, the Harlequin
+* Guy Vexille, Count of Astarac
-* Sir Guillaume d'Evecque - French knight
+* Sir Guillaume d'Evecque
 * [[Edward, the Black Prince|Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales]] - heir to the English throne
-* [[Edward III of England|King Edward III of England]] - King of England and father of Edward of Woodstock
+* [[Edward III of England]] - King of England and father of Edward of Woodstock
-* Sir Simon Jekyll - Thomas's sworn enemy, a poor English knight
+* Sir Simon Jekyll
+* Jeanette
-* Jeanette - daughter of a rich Breton merchant, widow of the Count of Armorica
-* [[Charles I, Duke of Brittany|Charles of Blois, Duke of Brittany]] - Kidnapper of Jeanette's son
+* [[Charles I, Duke of Brittany|Charles of Blois, Duke of Brittany]]
+* Eleanor
-* Eleanor - Sir Guillaume's illegitimate daughter
-* [[Philip VI of France|King Philip VI of France]] - King of France
+* [[Philip VI of France]] - King of France
-* Ralph Vexille - Thomas's father and Guy's uncle, the priest in Hookton and a former madman
+* Ralph Vexille - Thomas's father and Guy's uncle
 {{reflist}}
@@ Line 82: / Line 79: @@
 [[Category:2000 British novels]]
 [[Category:Thomas of Hookton novels]]
-[[Category:Fiction set in the 1340s]]
+[[Category:Novels set in the 1340s]]
-[[Category:Novels set in the 14th century]]
+[[Category:Novels set in Dorset]]
-[[Category:Edward III of England]]
+[[Category:Novels set in France]]
+[[Category:Cultural depictions of Edward III of England]]
 [[Category:Edward the Black Prince]]
 [[Category:Books with cover art by Paul Bacon]]
 [[Category:HarperCollins books]]
+[[Category:Harlequin]]
+[[Category:Hundred Years' War literature]]