In the beginning of the film, the relationship between Tristan and Isolde honors the chivalric code, but at the conclusion of the film, their relationship does not honor the chivalric code. Below is evidence of how Tristan and Isolde conformed to and broke the chivalric code:
- Evidence of conforming to the chivalric code:
- At the beginning of the film, Tristan respects the marriage commitment of Isolde to the king by leaving their sexual relationship in the past
- Tristan completes a quest to win Isolde's love for Tristan's king
- Evidence of breaking the chivalric code:
- Once Isolde joins Tristan and Tristan's King at their home, Tristan and Isolde eventually cannot contain their desire for one another and return to maintaining a physical relationship, which breaks the chivalric code
I believe the film depicts Tristan and Isolde's relationship in a sympathetic light because King Mark and Tristan have a father an son relationship that makes their secret love triangle very complex and sad. The scene where Tristan and Isolde are caught in the garden is very similar to the scene in Marie de France's "Equitan"where the two lovers are caught bathing.
Also, I believe the film depicts King Mark's predicament with Tristan and Isolde's love because Mark loves both Tristan and Isolde. His relatively calm response to the discovery of the affair is very "Hollywood" and much less dramatic than would have actually occurred in Medieval times. Had the events in this movie actually taken place in Medieval times, both Tristan and Isolde would potentially face death or extradition from their homeland.
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