Historical Introduction:
Tristan et Iseult is a romance story originating in the 12th century. The story of Tristan et Iseult is one retold numerous times, throughout several centuries, in a sundry of cultures and languages. The early editions of this legend originate from France in the 12th century. There are two principal French versions of this tale by poets Thomas of Britain and Béroul, respectively. The particular version relevant to this analysis is Béroul’s Tristan et Iseult. Little is known about Béroul other than the great chance that they were culturally Anglo-Norman, and resided on the continent somewhere in what is known today as France. The story was written in the second half of the 12th century. The existence of the base tale of Tristan existed in an oral version long before it was written. While it is known to have existed during the Middle Ages, it is unknown where exactly the story originates from. It was been speculated to have originated in several places from Western Asia to Ireland. It is generally accepted that this tale parallels the Arthurian romance of Guinevere and Lancelot and is more than likely influenced by it. The earliest versions Tristan include the rock references to King Arthur and his constituents. By some it was considered a morally superior version of the Arthurian romance, accounting for its widespread popularity.
The common narratives of this tale fall into two sorts of ‘classes’ that the Tristan narratives fall into: one is the “version commune”, thought of as the more rough, raw version, and the “versin courtoise”, that is more refined in detail. Béroul’s Tristan et Iseult is categorized as a “version commune”. This categorisation tends to be problematic as it implies the version commune is not artistically comparable to the version courtoise. in reality, it is likely that this classification stems from the “version commune” typically including perceived negative plot points and being “crisis driven,” while the “version courtoise” features a romantic, idealized depiction of love and emotion.
The basis of the legend is a love story between Tristan who has defeated an Irish night Morholt, thus having the ability to travel to Ireland and retrieve the beautiful, fair Iseult as a duty to his uncle. During the journey, they come across a love potion, which they drink,causing them to fall deeply in love. In the “version courtoise” the potion is said to last a lifetime, however, this is not the case in the “version commune,” as the effects of the potion dissipate and they eventually fall out of love. Iseult eventually marries King Mark of Cornwall, Tristan’s uncle, and the two lovers are left longinge for a partnership loss. In some versions, the potion makes it impossible for them to live without seeking each other out for the duration of their lives. The story has taken many forms since then, in various cultures and languages. IBecause Tristan et Iseult is widely accepted to be heavily impacted by Arthurian Legend, it does not directly reflect a socio-political climate of the time it was penned. What we can observe is the ideological influence of common medieval thought derived from theology rooted in Medieval Catholicism. The narrative is littered with reactionary devices to confront the reader’s perception of sin. Béroul utilizes Tristan and Iseult’s inability to escape religious deviance in the face of situational temptation and blatant disregard Medieval Christian values as a parodic tool to confront the reader. In some regards, Béroul is satirizing the entire genre of romance relevant to the time it was written. Common moral values of the 1300’s are repeatedly challenged throughout Béroul’s version. The characteristic of numerous moral dilemmas and tragedy causes this manifestation to be considered a “version commune.”