Tristan and Isolde: Myth and Magic

This paper elaborates on the magic components at play in the novel Tristan and Isolde and how they do unchain the myth of love. It is shown that the inevitable illfated lovers' passion, constituting the core of the novel, is linked up with the symbolic and mysterious action of a magic filter. Two crucial mythical moments, suggesting the impasse and uncertainty of human love, are analyzed: Tristan and Isolde under the influence of the magic filter, and their separation and death.