Tristan + Isolde

[muchabstracted]

lynnoxford and I went to see Tristan + Isolde. The first half was unremarkable; I was disappointed, in fact, because although I was certain they were getting everything wrong, I wasn't familiar enough with the story to know exactly what I could be mocking. Most of the time. There were a few moments I'm pretty sure I was right to mock

Comments

[jennaria]

From what I've read? Pretty much none of it. Not but what Tristan and Isolde was always a poor man's knock-off of Guinevere and Lancelot anyway, only with less dignity, pathos, and even common sense (and when you've got less common sense than Guinevere and Lancelot, you know you've got problems).

[muchabstracted]

I never liked Tristan and Isolde very much, so I wouldn't argue with that.

[fleurdelis28]

I'm not sure if you can have a "wrong" version of the story in that there are already at least a couple of versions (only one of two of which I know). One thing the traditional stories share is that on the trip back to Cornwall Tristan and Isolde plan a suicide pact and instead accidentally drink a really strong love potion that Isolde's mother gave her to share with King Mark, and that totally and permanently overpowers whatever common sense they might otherwise have had. There are probably good reasons for taking the potion angle out of the story - not the least that then you have to deal with everyone being driven by human emotions, which is more complex. But that erased history might be part of why Isolde can't tear herself away from Tristan even though Mark is awesome (which in most of the versions, he is)* - though I suppose it might make sense for her to love Tristan over Mark anyway just because she fell for him first

[muchabstracted]

Told you I didn't know the original(s)!

Anyway, there is definitely a version where Mark was unsympathetic, because that is the one lynnoxford had read.

[fleurdelis28]

Interesting. In both of the ones I know, he's almost superhumanly restrained, given that his trusted nephew is running around with his beloved wife behind his back. (And in at least one version, he Isolde later do drink the rest of the love potion together like they're supposed to*, so he's as besottedly in love with her as she and Tristan are with each other.) My chief thought throughout is always the hope that after their drama finishes playing out, he finds himself someone devoted to him and of the caliber he deserves

[fleurdelis28]

Actually, re-reading the scene for the first time in a long time, Mark's focus on Tristan's betrayal makes complete sense. Sort of like if your husband cheated on you with your sister, when you'd been widowed and content not to remarry and you sister had insisted that you find someone new and set the two of you up and in doing so brought unthought-of hope and happiness into your life. Cheating happens, but that level of betrayal of trust is sort of cosmic in scale. The weasely courtier who showcases their infidelity to Mark says that he has rescued the king's honor, and Mark's reaction is basically, "If my truest friend, the epitome of honor and virtue, has betrayed me, what is in your power to say that would fix that? If Tristan has betrayed me, what does loyalty even mean?" Tristan and Isolde, who've just been fantasizing about a blissful and united death, would probably have been infinitely happier had he just struck them down on the spot, instead of making them listen to the emotional consequences of their actions for others

[fleurdelis28]

Oh, and I don't think their love ever brings down any kingdoms, since Mark, even when despondent and wounded, is still eminently wise, stable and reasonable. He still needs to find an heir somewhere, though, which was how the whole problem originally got started.

[muchabstracted]

Mmm, well, in the context of this version, it was pretty implausible.

[muchabstracted]

Right! Right! I had forgotten. You'll have to mention it in your post, which you can't make until Thursday or so. *coughs*