(no subject)
So - I've been reading Tristan (famous old love story of Tristan and Isolde) for Medieval Studies, which I'll be taking next semester. And I'm not sure I really buy into the whole thing. The poet, Gottfried Von Strassburg (I love his name!) tells the story of this undying love, that transcends all sorts of legal and practical problems, and creates its own law. It ends in badly, as these things do, and Gottfried makes it into a deep tragedy. Fine, I guess, but I have a hard time dealing with tragedy if it starts in complete incompetence.
In the first place, this 'eternal love' between the two of them only starts in the first place because they mistake a love potion for wine. Gross incompetence! Are we to believe this eternal love started in accident? That had the maid happened to have been in the room to correct their mistake the whole book wouldn't have happened? Or that their love isn't really real?
Putting aside my general dislike for love philtres, I would also point out is that the lifelong tragedy that the two of them experience is that Isolde is married to King Mark, Tristan's pal. They continue their relationship as best they can in secret, and when Mark gets suspicious they find themselves in various sorts of trouble. And this is a great tragedy? For Mark, maybe it is, but for the two of them it just sounds like the result of some really bad planning. Yes, over the course of 10 years your husband will get kind of curious why you spend half of your nights somewhere else. Isn't that just common sense? You could, you know, have tried to explain the situation at the beginning. Or given up Tristan at the beginning of the book. That would have been much worse.
And why does Gottfried stick in so many other Tristans and Isoldes? There's Isolde the fair, Isolde the Elder, and Isolde of the White Hands. Then there's Tristan and Dwarf Tristan (two separate people, and I'm not sure, but I don't think dwarf Tristan is a midget. What does it do other than confuse the audience? Why? Whyyyyyyyyyy?
Ok - gonna go do something less frustrating with my life. Like look at plane tickets online! Yes!
In the first place, this 'eternal love' between the two of them only starts in the first place because they mistake a love potion for wine. Gross incompetence! Are we to believe this eternal love started in accident? That had the maid happened to have been in the room to correct their mistake the whole book wouldn't have happened? Or that their love isn't really real?
Putting aside my general dislike for love philtres, I would also point out is that the lifelong tragedy that the two of them experience is that Isolde is married to King Mark, Tristan's pal. They continue their relationship as best they can in secret, and when Mark gets suspicious they find themselves in various sorts of trouble. And this is a great tragedy? For Mark, maybe it is, but for the two of them it just sounds like the result of some really bad planning. Yes, over the course of 10 years your husband will get kind of curious why you spend half of your nights somewhere else. Isn't that just common sense? You could, you know, have tried to explain the situation at the beginning. Or given up Tristan at the beginning of the book. That would have been much worse.
And why does Gottfried stick in so many other Tristans and Isoldes? There's Isolde the fair, Isolde the Elder, and Isolde of the White Hands. Then there's Tristan and Dwarf Tristan (two separate people, and I'm not sure, but I don't think dwarf Tristan is a midget. What does it do other than confuse the audience? Why? Whyyyyyyyyyy?
Ok - gonna go do something less frustrating with my life. Like look at plane tickets online! Yes!