Tristan

Performed by Christian Cuoco Sailing toward England. The Tristan of Thomas of Britain (or Brittany), from c. 1173 deals with themes of reason versus passion, kingship and secret love, and socio-political tension and crisis. The poem now exists in some 3300 lines in a series of eight fragments which may be put together from different manuscripts. "His work stresses the importance of emotion, but it is repressed emotion and hidden action in the face of society and authority." - The Longman Anthology of Old English, Old Icelandic, and Anglo-Norman Literatures. Thank you for watching. Share this Video ➳ https://youtu.be/Mbkrts-UGVo Watch more medieval performances ➳ http://mednar.org Transcription: For Tristan and Iseult each expect much from the other. They tell each other what is pleasing and what they desire Tristan and Iseult kiss and embrace and press each other closely. They talk to Brengain about their love. So much do they promise her, so much do they tell her that they pledge loyalty to one another and she consents to their desires. All their pleasures take place in secret, and their joy and their delight, as much as possible both day and night. Delightful is the happiness which includes solace in its grief. For it is the way of love that grief follows joy. Once Tristan and Iseult opened themselves to each other the more they kept apart from each other, the more they lost there. The lovers travelled in joy sailing straight across the high seas towards England at full sail. The ship's sailors saw the land. They are happy and joyous, except for Tristan in love. If he could have done whatever he wished, he would not have seen land for a very long time. He preferred to love Iseult out on the sea, to continue with his close coupling. Towards the land they go nevertheless. In the sight of everyone watching Tristan's ship is recognised. Before the ship came to port a young gentleman takes off on a swift horse to reach the king. The young courtier finds him in the woods to tell him that he saw Tristan's ship arrive. When the king hears this, he becomes very happy. King Mark makes the young gentleman a knight because he announced the news that Tristan and the young lady have just arrived at the shore. Then the king sends for his assembly of noblemen.