The Romance of Tristan and Iseult

Joseph Bedier's Romance of Tristan and Iseult weaves the surviving medieval fragments of the Tristan legend into a single continuous narrative. Tristan, nephew and vassal of King Mark of Cornwall, sails to Ireland to bring back Iseult as Mark's bride. On the voyage home, Tristan and Iseult unknowingly drink a love potion prepared for Iseult's wedding night and fall into a love neither can control nor escape. What follows is a secret affair conducted under constant threat of discovery: hidden meetings, narrow escapes, exile, and an anguished loyalty to a king Tristan still serves and loves. Bedier's 1900 French compilation, translated into English by Hilaire Belloc and completed by Paul Rosenfeld, remains one of the standard versions of the legend and a foundational text behind the Western idea of romantic love.