Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

In a world where words must be backed up with swords, what a character does is usually the most important indicator of his character traits. King Mark is an especially good example of this means of characterization. He flip-flops constantly about whether or not he believes Tristan and Yseut are having an affair, showing that he's kind of wishy-washy.

Mark often makes rash decisions based on his emotions. When his people beg him to give the lovers a fair trial, Mark refuses because he's too angry. Similarly, he ignores his barons' warning not to travel into the forest alone because his desire to take vengeance on Tristan and Yseut overwhelms him. His actions at this point reveal the extent to which he is ruled by emotion rather than reason.

Yseut reveals just the opposite character when she comes up with elaborate spur-of-the-moment ruses to hide her affair from Mark. She remains unfazed by fear or excitability, revealing herself to be even-tempered and quick thinking.

Direct Characterization

Sometimes The Romance of Tristan provides information about characters by describing them directly. It tells us that the dwarf, Frocin, and Mark's barons are "wicked," for example.

Most often, though, we learn about characters because of what other characters say about them. Gawain describes the three barons as "villains," while Evain tells the court that Denoalan thinks of nothing but "making accusations" and "knows how to make a fool out of the king" (14.125).

By contrast, the people of Cornwall describe Tristan as a "noble knight" and Yseut as a "noble, honoured queen" whose equal cannot be found in any land—certainly not in Brittany, where poor White Hands lives (4.66). This form of characterization is closely linked to actions, since it's through their actions that characters build the reputations that are then repeated by other characters in the story.

Names

Tristan's name, which comes from the French word triste, means "sadness" or "sorrow." He receives this name because his mother dies giving birth to him. He is therefore a child born in sorrow. Given how much Tristan suffers for love, though, his name is appropriate in more than one way.

Governal, Tristan's tutor, is a wise, clear-headed man. His name means "mastery," which is exactly the trait he possesses when it comes to learning and wisdom.

Finally, the two Yseuts share a name, a fact that indicates their similar positions. They're both princesses who are given to Tristan, both of whom become romantically attached to him. Yseut the Fair's name signals her great beauty. Yseut of the White Hands's name indicates her nobility, since clean, white hands are a symbol of an aristocratic birth and upbringing.