Day 1

I would characterize them all as being the stereotypes of what was expected in that day and age. Tristan is the noble, loyal knight who would do anything for his king. he is very true to the king and is only disloyal in one way: his affair with Yseut. As the tragic hero who comes from nobility he is the best and bravest of all King Mark's knights, in contrast to the greedy barons. Yseut is the beautiful princess who is from another land and is loved by all her subjects even when she is guilty. She's so lovely that all pity her when she's going up to the pyre, and rejoice when she gets away. King Mark rules fairly and listens to his subjects, everything a good king is supposed to be. He gets fooled by Tristan and Yseut which would make him an idiot only, who wants to believe that their nephew and the wife that they love are having an affair? While it is unfair to have them sentenced to death without a trial, King Mark is deeply hurt and he does have to think about his pride. I think it was common and expected for men in those days to kill their wives if they were having an affair.


At this point, I feel bad for King Mark. Here he is, with his beautiful wife at his side and he believes that she is loyal and faithful to him and loves him just as much as he loves him and she's cheating on him. With the nephew that he loves an who is the only family that he has at court. I don't agree with his decision to sentence Tristan and Yseut to death but I do believe that I can understand the anger, pain, and jealousy that would bring him to that extreme. I have no sympathy for Tristan and Yseut because they are getting exactly what they deserve. They are swearing to God that they don't love each other anymore than they should, that its all the invention of the jealous barons and its all a lie. King Mark has done nothing more than show his love and favor to the both of them and they are betraying him.