Triston and Isolt

The concept of love has been around through the entire history of mankind. Whether true love exists, the idea has been a constant topic in movies, poems, music and stories such as, The Romance of Tristan and Isolt. Throughout this tragic story, there are many symbols that represent more complex ideas of love and depict a love stronger than any human force can stop.

Before the romance of the Tristan and Isolt began, they were enemies. Isolt was originally meant to wed King Mark, so they could gain alliance with Isolt’s homeland of Ireland. Only when Brangien, Isolt’s maid, serves the two enemies a love potion by mistake, do they develop a deep and infinite love for one another.

The most important symbol in the story arguably would have to be that of the love potion. Once the lovers, Tristan and Isolt, confess their feelings for one another they consummate their feelings. In the twelfth century and act like this is considered deplorable, and often sinful as virgins were to stay that way until marriage. While the potion was originally intended for Isolt and King Mark, the man she was supposed to marry, it was accidently given to two people who were never destined to love each other. The purpose of this could toy with the idea that love finds a way to even the most unexpected lovers.

Marriage was often arranged and love typically was never a part of marriage for a couple of the twelfth century and I believe the love potion served as a way to enforce the idea that marriage did not equal an equation for love; that love simply happens unexpectedly.

Another important symbol that could further reinforce the power of love would be the grave trees at the end of the story. The two lovers meet an untimely end and King Mark, being so ‘honorable’, gives them both a respectable burial and placed them on opposite sides of the chapel. The King was determined to always keep the lovers separated, but loves power is stronger than human