Maurice de Bracy’s actions contribute to the book’s debate about chivalric virtue, too. On the one hand, some sort of knightly code prevents him from killing the wounded and vulnerable Ivanhoe on the spot when he discovers him. On the other, as a rival for Rowena’s hand, he feels no compunction about kidnapping Ivanhoe with what seems to be a half-formed idea of using him as leverage. His ambivalent actions suggest that while chivalry might provide a positive framework to channel the energies and ambition of young, bold noblemen, in practice, a knight’s chivalry tends to reflect rather than direct his natural inclination toward good or evil.