The Romance of Tristan

The romance of Tristan, developed by Beroul in the twelfth century, is an epic poem that has helped historians receive a further understanding of life in the 11th and 12th centuries. The poem explores many of the relationships that were prevalent in this time period. One relationship that is dealt with in this story is the bond between a lord and his vassal. This can be seen through the interactions of King Mark and Tristan. The Romance of Tristan shows that the bond between lord and vassal was very complicated, and it was a relationship formed out of trust and admiration, as well as self-interest. In this paper I will explore the common roles in society for a knight and a king, and I will show how Tristan and King Mark show similarities to what many believe is a normal lord-vassal relationship. I will make detail on how this single relationship would effect society as a whole, and note how this bond influences other people. Finally, I will explain how this traditional story is very helpful for historians to paint a picture on how life really was in the 11th and 12th centuries, and share my views on interpreting this poem.

“On the social and political levels, medieval men

. . .
Some common words found in the essay are:
King Tristan, King Mark, Romance Tristan, Mark Tristan, Tristan Yseut, Mark Trust, king mark, 11th 12th, 12th centuries, 11th 12th centuries, Yseut Tristan, romance tristan, king tristan, story king, romance tristan bond, mark tristan romance, relationship lord, story examples, bond lord, relationships possibly, tristan romance tristan, life 11th 12th,
Approximate Word count = 1481
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)