Erec and Enide (37-60)

The Romance of Tristan (14-19)

1. Yseut's vindication was my favorite part in the story. I had been curious as to why she had ridden the back of the leper, only to avoid getting muddy. At first I wondered why she would draw extra attention to the leper, making it possible that someone would recognize him to be Tristan. However, in her oath when she had said that no man had been between her thighs except the King and the leper she rode to the court, I realized how clever her initial plan was. Although Ysuet was speaking with a forked tounge, her plan gave technical truth to her oath, making the King and the people in the court believe her passionate words.

4. I think Tristan and Yseut must die at the end of the text to give it some sort of closure. It is a tragic love story, and in the greatest love stories for instance, the lovers who pursue forbidden love will inevitably die in the end. I feel that the only way Tristan and Yseut could find peace was to die, because the continuation of their lives would have been a constant struggle to be together and a cycle of pain. I feel that their love was unable to survive during their lives, but prevailed after death because of the intertwining trees that grew back even after being cut down three times.

The Romace of Tristan (7-13)

1. Tristan and Yseut's stay in the woods is terrifying for them both. They are constantly moving, and are unable to sleep deeply because they are always in fear of being found. Their clothes become worn and torn, and their skin turns pale because they are unable to consume proper nutrients; they eventually run out of bread and and rely soly on meat from Tristan's hunting. The significance of the lovers' struggles is obvious at this point because neither has ever lived an ordinary life. They were both used to lives of luxury and comfort, but they surrender all their material possesions to be together.

4. When the love potion wears off Tristan and Yseut have very different reactions. Tristan immediately drops to his knees and repents. He mourns the loss of his respect as a knight and nephew of King Mark, and yearns for his old life as a successful warrior. He thinks of the hardship he and Yseut endured, and recognizes the pain he has caused his uncle for commiting adultery with his wife. Yseut, however, has a rather selfish reaction and her revelation has to do with her current situation. She does not take responsibility for pursuing her husband's nephew, but blames the potion. She also complains about the way she had to live in the woods for three years when she was supposed to be living lavishly like a queen.

The Romance of Tristan (1-6)

1. Tristan is the most feared and accomplished knight. He is highly respected as the king's nephew, but earns that respect by demonstrating bravery in his conquests. He is an upper class citizen with strong values. He is similar to the stereo-typical "prince charming," and and "knight in shining armor," because he and Yseut share a forbidden love. Tristan's passionate love for Yseut conflicts with his devotion to his king, and finds his internal struggles are often as difficult as his external ones.

3. The message we obtain from the text tells us that love is uncontrollable. Tristan and Yseut drink the love potion, and become overwhelmingly obsessed with one another. The text displays the idea that the desire between them is irrevocable, because they continue their adultery despite their fear, and the possibility that it could be the death of them.