Tristan and Isolde
Tristram
and Iseult, better known as Tristan and Isolde is said to have before even
Lancelot and Guinevere. There are lots of different variations to the story,
but it is more or less along the lines of this:
Tristan lives with his uncle, King Mark. He is
sent to bring Isolde, an Irish princess to his uncle as a wife. On the way back
to Cornwall,
Tristan and Isolde drank a love potion accidentally (and in some yet, Isolde
gave it to Tristan on purpose) and they fell in love. Isolde marries the king,
but has an affair with Tristan behind Mark's back. Mark finds out eventually
and sentences Tristan to death and Isolde, banishment. Tristan escapes to Brittany and marries
Iseult of the White Hands, due to her name and beauty (according to the Once
and Future King by T.H. White, Tristan sleeps with her accidentally, thinking
she is Iseult, his lover.)
There is a 2006 movie called "Tristan +
Isolde", whose plot is somewhat different. In the film, Tristan and Isolde
fall in love of their own account when Tristan washes up on Irish shore and
Isolde nurses him back to health. Soon, Tristan goes back to England to his
guardian, Mark. Meanwhile, The Irish king sets up a tournament for the hand of
his daughter, the princess. Mark sends Tristan to play in the tournament on
behalf of Mark. Tristan wins and then finds out the princess he had won for his
uncle was Isolde. Mark marries Isolde, unaware of her and Tristan's history.
Tristan becomes depressed and moody watching Mark being affectionate with
Isolde and knowing that she is not his. Then, he and Isolde start to have an
affair.
