History Literature / TristanAndIseult

The story has been retold by many different authors. Through from the beginning the setting was tangentially Arthurian, versions based on the 13th century Prose ''Tristan'' make Tristan one of the knights of the Round Table at King Arthur's court. Before this, prototypes of Tristan, Iseult and Mark appeared both separately and associated with each other in early Arthurian stories, though the overall picture at this stage is fragmentary - one of which may be an early version of the affair where everyone lives. The version as told by Gottfried von Strassburg became the basis of an [[Theatre/TristanUndIsoldeWagner opera]] by Music/RichardWagner. There have also been a few novelistic and cinematic treatments like the film ''Film/TristanAndIsolde''.

''Tristan and Iseult'' (their names have variations, like Tristram and Isolde) is a medieval ChivalricRomance of two StarCrossedLovers: Tristan, a Cornish knight and minstrel; and Isolde, an Irish princess. Tristan was tasked to escort Isolde to marry his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. Along the journey, however, they both drink a LovePotion, which starts an illicit romance, with very tragic results.

The story has been retold by many different authors, but versions based on the 13th century Prose ''Tristan'' make Tristan one of the knights of the Round Table in Myth/ArthurianLegend which the love story was a tangential part of from the beginning, through the setting. Even earlier, prototypes of Tristan and Mark appeared in early Arthurian stories before the love story with Isolde arose. The version as told by Gottfried von Strassburg became the basis of an [[Theatre/TristanUndIsoldeWagner opera]] by Music/RichardWagner.

The story has been retold by many different authors, but versions based on the 13th century Prose ''Tristan'' merge it with Myth/ArthurianLegend. The version as told by Gottfried von Strassburg became the basis of an [[Theatre/TristanUndIsoldeWagner opera]] by Music/RichardWagner.

%%* StarCrossedLovers: The eponymous couple.

%%Most of these tropes are going to be drawn from the version as told by Gottfried von Strassburg and completed by Ulrich von Türheim.

* AntiVillain: As sympathetic as Tristan and Isolde are portrayed, some versions of the story, like Gottfried von Strassburg's, also portray King Mark as an otherwise good man. When he eventually discovers that his wife Isolde is having an affair with his nephew, King Mark, by rights, could have killed them then and there since he caught them in flagrante delicto, and he continues to seek Tristan's death from that point onward. However, he does come to regret his actions when he discovers that Tristan's affair with Isolde is because of circumstances beyond their control.

* ArrangedMarriage: A political marriage is arranged for a young Irish princess Iseult and an old Cornish king Mark.

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Tristan and Isolde are guilty of horrible crimes by Medieval standards--sleeping with the king's wife is a blatant case of treason. Yet it is the barons of king Mark, who correctly suspects the adultery, whom the narrator refers to as "traitors"--all because they are loyal to their king and try to catch the protagonists for a crime they did and continue to do. Also, then the "traitors" demand that Isolde go through an ordeal to prove her innocence she avoids lying by a clever technicality (ExactWords) and God himself covers for her by miraculously letting her hold red-hot iron without hurting her hands.

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: After marrying Tristan (who was still preoccupied with thoughts of Isuelt the Fair), Iseult of the White Hands expects him to consummate the marriage, but she gets offended when nothing of the sort happens to her. Later, she was riding her horse when it accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing water into her robes and up to her groin. She then remarks how even that water is bolder than Tristan is because it touched her groin, while Tristan did not.

* LovePotion: One is prepared for Iseult in order to make her ArrangedMarriage to Mark work out. Tristan and Iseult end up drinking that potion, leading to total disaster.

* SexlessMarriage: Tristan's marriage to Iseult of the White Hands amounts to this essentially, not helped by him being preoccupied with Iseult the Fair. Iseult of the White Hands is not happy about his unwillingness to consummate their marriage.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: The names of the characters are spelled in various ways. For example, Tristan's name has been spelled as "Tristram" and "Tristain", Iseult as "Isolde" and "Isolda", and Brangaine as "Brangane" and "Brangwane".

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: After marrying Tristan (who was still preoccupied with thoughts of Isuelt the Fair), Iseult of the White Hands expects him to consummate the marriage, but she gets offended when nothing of the sort happens to her. At one point, she was riding her horse when it accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing water into her robes and up to her groin. She then remarks how even that water is bolder than Tristan is because it touched her groin, while Tristan did not.

-->--'''Gottfried von Strassburg''', Prologue from ''Tristan and Isolde''

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:In Ulrich von Türheim's completion of Gottfried von Strassburg's version of the story, Mark learns that Tristan and Iseult's love for one another came from drinking the love potion. He realises that he went after Tristan through no fault of his own and comes to regret his actions]]

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: After marrying Tristan (who was still preoccupied with thoughts of Isuelt the Fair), Iseult of the White Hands expects him to take her virginity, but she gets offended when nothing of the sort happens to her. At one point, she was riding her horse when it accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing water into her robes and up to her groin. She then remarks to herself how even that water is bolder than Tristan is because it touched her groin while Tristan did not.

* ForegoneConclusion: Gottfried von Strassburg in his retelling of the story states outright that Tristan and Iseult the Fair will die in the end.

* MatchmakerCrush: Hearing of Iseult's revulsion for King Mark of Cornwall, Tristan acquires a love potion, which with the best of intentions he intends to use on her to make her fall in love with Mark. But she deftly ensures Tristan drinks it so he falls in love with her.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:In Ulrich von Türheim's completion of Gottfried von Strassburg's version of the story, Mark learns that Tristan and Iseult's love for one another came from drinking the love potion. He realises that he hated Tristan through no fault of his own and comes to regret his actions]]
* OhCrap: Brangane, Iseult's lady in waiting, has this reaction when she saw Tristan and Iseult drinking the love potion, and both of them thought they were drinking wine.

* StandardHeroReward: The King of Ireland offers his daughter, Iseult, in marriage to whoever saves his kingdom from a dragon. Tristan slays the dragon, but unusually, he does so not to win the princess for himself, but for his uncle King Mark. It's only after winning her hand and bringing her back to his uncle that Tristan falls for Iseult, and she for him, and [[StarCrossedLovers tragedy ensues]].

* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:In many versions, a hazel tree springs from Tristan's grave and a honeysuckle twines around it from Iseult's grave. Aww. (In some versions it's a briar and a rose--a trope of its own which echoes down through folksongs to the present day.)]]
* TragicMistake: Tristan and Iseult drink the love potion, thinking that it is wine. It gets worse from there.

* CourtlyLove: The story has the characteristics of the genre, such as Tristan doing valorous deeds to win the affections of Iseult, an adulterous affair with Iseult when she is married to Mark, love being a central theme...
* DeathByDespair: [[spoiler: Iseult after Tristan's death]].

* StarCrossedLovers: The eponymous couple.

* ForegoneConclusion: Gottfried von Strassburg in his retelling of the story that Tristan and Iseult the Fair will die in the end.

* YouKilledMyFather: When Iseult the Fair figures out that "Tantris" is actually Tristan, the same man who killed her uncle Morholt, she tries to get his revenge on him by killing him in his bath.

** Note that in some versions it's just the chime of the bell that will bring one happiness -- Iseult throws the bell into the sea for the above-mentioned reason but keeps the dog as a reminder of her beloved.

* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Tristan and Isolde are guilty of horrible crimes by Medieval standards -sleeping with the king's wife is a blatant case of treason. Yet it is the barons of king Mark, who correctly suspects the adultery, whom the narrator refers to as "traitors" -all because they are loyal to their king and try to catch the protagonists for a crime they did and continue to do. Also, then the "traitors" demand that Isolde go through an ordeal to prove her innocence she avoids lying by a clever technicality (ExactWords) and God himself covers for her by miraculously letting her hold red-hot iron without hurting her hands.

* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler:In many versions, a hazel tree springs from Tristan's grave and a honeysuckle twines around it from Iseult's grave. Aww. (In some versions it's a briar and a rose - a trope of its own which echoes down through folksongs to the present day.)]]

%%Most of these tropes are going to be drawn from the version as told by Gottfried von Strassburg and completed by Ulrich von Turheim.

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: After marrying Tristan (who was still preoccupied with thoughts of Isuelt the Fair), Iseult of the White Hands expects him to take her virginity, but she gets offended when nothing of the sort happens to her. At one point, she was riding her horse when it accidentally stepped into a puddle, splashing water into her robes and up to her groin. She then remarks to herself how even that water is bolder than Tristan because it touched her groin while Tristan did not.

%%* ForegoneConclusion: Gottfried von Strassburg in his retelling of the story that Tristan will die in the end.

* ArentYouGoingToRavishMe: After marrying Tristan, Iseult of the White Hands expects him to take her virginity, but she gets offended when nothing of the sort happens to her. Tristan, preoccupied with Iseult the Fair, claims that he made a vow that whenever he takes a wife, he must wait a year before taking her virginity.

* OneSteveLimit: There is another Iseult. [[spoiler: She marries Tristan and often brings about his death]]

* CourtlyLove: The story has the characteristics of the genre: Tristan doing valorous deeds to win the affections of Iseult, an adulterous affair with Iseult when she is married to Mark, love being a central theme...

%%* ForegoneConclusion: Gottfried von Strassburg in his retelling of the story that Tristan and Iseult both die in the end.

* OhCrap: Brangane, Iseult's lady in waiting in Gottfried's retelling, has this reaction when she saw Tristan and Iseult drinking the love potion, and both of them thought they were drinking wine.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Iseult's name has been spelled in too many ways to count. The most popular are probably "Isolde" and "Isolda".

* BadassBoast: When Tristan goes to face Morholt in an island, he lets his boat float off and says "one of us only will go hence alive, one boat will serve".
* CourtlyLove: Tristan doing deeds

* DidntThinkThisThrough: One version has Mark and Tristan agree to let King Arthur judge their case ([[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Mark]] knowing that Tristan only ran off with Iseult because he accidentally drank a LovePotion meant for her) and abide by his decision. Arthur's solution is to let each man have her part of the year, one when the trees have green leaves (i.e. spring and summer) and the other in fall and winter. Mark goes first, chooses the latter... only for Iseult to scream with joy because pines have green leaves all year, meaning she'll stay with Tristan all year. Bound by the terms of the judgement, Mark lets them go.

* LovePotion: One is prepared for Iseult in order to make her ArrangedMarriage to Mark work out.

* OhCrap: Bragane, Iseult's lady in waiting in Gottfried's retelling, has this reaction when she saw Tristan and Iseult drinking the love potion, and both of them thought they were drinking wine.

-->''"Why wouldn't a noble spirit suffer one evil for a thousand goods, one hardship for many joys? Those who have never experienced pain for love's sake have also never experienced love's joys. Joy and pain have always been inseparable in love. It takes both to win honor and praise, without them all is lost."''

''Tristan and Iseult'': the OlderThanPrint tale of two StarCrossedLovers, namely Tristan/Tristram, a Cornish knight, and Iseult/Isolde, an Irish princess. Although she is married to his uncle Mark, a series of mishaps generally involving a LovePotion cause them to fall hopelessly in love. Emphasis on hopelessly. Various shenaningans ensue until their eventual, inevitable and very tragic deaths.

There may have been a historical basis to the legend, but it was largely the invention of medieval [[ChivalricRomance romancers]], who also decided that Tristan should be a Knight of the Round Table, as this was the proper place for talented knights who had affairs with their queens (''cf''. Lancelot and Guenevere). There are numerous versions of the legend, almost none of which end happily. It has spawned poems, plays, [[Theatre/TristanUndIsoldeWagner opera]] and even a [[Film/TristanAndIsolde recent film]].

* AllWomenAreLustful: At least that's what Gottfried von Strasbourg believed. In his 13th-century retelling of the "Tristan and Iseult" legend, he even expresses his belief that women are ''inclined'' to do anything that they are forbidden from doing, tying into Isolde's adultery with Tristan.

* CourtlyLove: Everyone knows CourtlyLove just means rampant adultery!

* GarnishingTheStory: Random dragon-slaying usually occurs.

** Note that in some versions it's just the chime of the bell that will bring one hapinesss -- Iseult throws the bell into the sea for the above-mentioned reason but keeps the dog as a reminder of her beloved.

* LovePotion: One is prepared for Iseult in order to make her ArrangedMarriage to Mark work out. So of course Tristan drinks it by mistake, falling in love with Iseult.

* MeaningfulName: Tristan's name is explained in-story as derived from the French "triste", meaning "sad" or "sorrowful". In reality, it's derived from the Pictish name "Drystan" (latinized "Drustanus"), meaning "tumult."

** Mark also gets a rather literal one: after Tristan and Iseult have run off together, he tries to hang Tristan's dog.a

There may have been a historical basis to the legend, but it was largely the invention of medieval [[ChivalricRomance romancers]], who also decided that Tristan should be a Knight of the Round Table, as this was the proper place for talented knights who had affairs with their queens (''cf''. Lancelot and Guenevere). There are numerous versions of the legend, almost none of which end happily. It has spawned poems, plays, [[Theatre/TristanUndIsolde opera]] and even a [[Film/TristanAndIsolde recent film]].

!!This legend provides examples of:

There may have been a historical basis to the legend, but it was largely the invention of medieval [[ChivalricRomance romancers]], who also decided that Tristan should be a Knight of the Round Table, as this was the proper place for talented knights who had affairs with their queens (''cf''. Lancelot and Guenevere). There are numerous versions of the legend, almost none of which end happily. It has spawned poems, plays, opera and even a [[Film/TristanAndIsolde recent film]].

* InstantAwesomeJustAddDragons: Random dragon-slaying usually occurs.

* LoveTriangle: Fairly standard--Tristan, Iseult, his uncle.
** Although, include secondary characters in amorous pursuit of one or the other eponymous characters such as [[spoiler:Iseult White Hands, Palomides, Bellise, a Steward, Karhedins]], and you have yourself a LoveDodecahedron.

* OneSteveLimit: There is another Iseult. [[spoiler: She marries Tristan and often brings about his death]]

* TheLancer: Dinadan often acts as this for Tristan.

** Mark also gets a rather literal one: after Tristan and Iseult have run off together, he tries to hang Tristan's dog.
* KingArthur

* LoopholeAbuse: One version has KingArthur decide Iseult will be with Tristan when the trees bear leaves and with Mark when they don't (i.e. winter). Iseult then joyfully remembers the existence of evergreens.