Ivanhoe is a long novel which contains elements of many genres, but it’s usually categorized as a combination of historical fiction, medieval Romance tale, and adventure novel. As historical fiction, Scott embeds Ivanhoe’s narrative within the fraught period of 12th-century England shortly after the Norman Conquest. Scott’s writing is almost obsessively detailed with historical tidbits and framing, giving the reader a strong sense of place and time. He also infuses the novel with a huge amount of the era’s political and social intrigue, such as the tension between the returning King Richard I and his brother Prince John, the cultural clash between Saxons and Normans, and the intricacies of feudal society where freedoms were very limited for all but the luckiest and wealthiest of men. The author’s detailed depiction of the period's architecture, clothing, and social customs are part of Scott’s attempt to recreate the era accurately for his readers, grounding the novel’s fictional events in the real historical context of Richard I’s interrupted reign.
The medieval Romance is a literary genre that celebrates chivalric ideals. It often features knights on impossible quests, damsels in distress, and acts of valor or courtly love which distinguish heroes from average people. These stories also often unfold in folkloric or mythical English and European landscapes, with an emphasis on adventure, honor, and sometimes magic or the supernatural. As a novel heavily inspired by medieval Romance, Ivanhoe centers ideas of love, loyalty, and the societal expectations of chivalry and honor. The romantic entanglements of characters like Ivanhoe, Rowena, Bois-Guilbert, and Rebecca provide a personal lens through which the reader can explore the moral nuances of chivalric behavior, including the challenges of forbidden love and sacrifices made in the name of honor and duty.
Finally, Ivanhoe unmistakably belongs to the adventure genre, as feats of strength and daring are the engine that drives its plot forward. Life is full of perils to overcome and scrapes to avoid, from the manufactured drama of jousting tournaments to the violent siege of Torquilstone castle. Characters embark on quests and solve problems that test their mettle and show the reader their moral fiber. These adventures often reflect the broader English conflicts between Saxons and Normans, as well as developing each character’s personal quest for identity and belonging within a country as divided as 12th-century England.
