The Medieval Magic of Love
In Gottfried Von Strassburg’s, Tristan, the paradoxical nature of love is established when we’re told that prudency inspires Queen Isolde to brew “a love drink so subtly devised and prepared, and endowed with such powers, that with whomever any man drank it…[t]hey would share one death and one life, one sorrow and one joy” (192). Using oxymorons Gottfried is able to show that love creates contradictory conditions that are difficult to resolve. Appearing almost magical in origin, the intensity of love that arises from eros appears to inhibit reason and increase suffering in the absence of the object of desire. Thus, love prompts contemplation of the supernatural and undefinable as its command over individuals manifests in visibly detectable physical and mental symptoms. But what purpose does a magical love potion serve in the tragic story of Tristan and …show more content…
All of life ends with death but in Gottfried’s version, unlike Thomas’, Tristran, the lovers are left separated by the ocean with their deliberations and longing as their only solace. It is up to readers to decide which, a life of unabashed pleasure and pain or a moderate, well-tempered love, is more desirable. Gottfried illustrates various forms that love can take, such as Mark’s love, questionable and understandably suspicious because he is prey to his desirous attraction to his wife, but ultimately not to her refined character; or wildly passionate, loyal, and bearing verisimilitude in the common shared interests of language, music, and passion that occurs between Tristan and Isolde. Considering these variations, perhaps Gottfried is suggesting that each person chooses the shape that their love takes based on a complex of considerations that can’t be dictated by custom or belief. What remains is left to magic and magic simply can’t be explained no matter how eloquent the
In Gottfried Von Strassburg’s, Tristan, the paradoxical nature of love is established when we’re told that prudency inspires Queen Isolde to brew “a love drink so subtly devised and prepared, and endowed with such powers, that with whomever any man drank it…[t]hey would share one death and one life, one sorrow and one joy” (192). Using oxymorons Gottfried is able to show that love creates contradictory conditions that are difficult to resolve. Appearing almost magical in origin, the intensity of love that arises from eros appears to inhibit reason and increase suffering in the absence of the object of desire. Thus, love prompts contemplation of the supernatural and undefinable as its command over individuals manifests in visibly detectable physical and mental symptoms. But what purpose does a magical love potion serve in the tragic story of Tristan and …show more content…
All of life ends with death but in Gottfried’s version, unlike Thomas’, Tristran, the lovers are left separated by the ocean with their deliberations and longing as their only solace. It is up to readers to decide which, a life of unabashed pleasure and pain or a moderate, well-tempered love, is more desirable. Gottfried illustrates various forms that love can take, such as Mark’s love, questionable and understandably suspicious because he is prey to his desirous attraction to his wife, but ultimately not to her refined character; or wildly passionate, loyal, and bearing verisimilitude in the common shared interests of language, music, and passion that occurs between Tristan and Isolde. Considering these variations, perhaps Gottfried is suggesting that each person chooses the shape that their love takes based on a complex of considerations that can’t be dictated by custom or belief. What remains is left to magic and magic simply can’t be explained no matter how eloquent the