This essay traces the historical evolution of the story of Tristan and Isolde through three distinct phases, highlighting the transformation of the story from a feudal version to a post-feudal rendition infused with courtly love doctrines and notions of Christian love. It examines the early versions of the story by Béroul and Gottfried von Strassburg and discusses the shift in the portrayal of the relationship between Tristan and Isolde from one that decries disloyalty to one that is more sympathetic to their love. The essay also analyzes Richard Wagner's opera version of the story, which celebrates individual desire over duty or loyalty, and argues that it is a subversion of the moral and political conventions of the feudal world that originally developed the story. This essay raises the question of how a feudal legend could mutate into a celebration of private desire in violation of every feudal obligation and explores the role of feudal obligations of loyalty in the tale of Tristan and Isolde. It also explores the significance of the love potion in the story, which operates as a pharmakon - a cure that kills and a poison that cures. Overall, the essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Tristan and Isolde and its significance in different cultural and historical contexts.
","abstract_html":"<p>This essay traces the historical evolution of the story of Tristan and Isolde through three distinct phases, highlighting the transformation of the story from a feudal version to a post-feudal rendition infused with courtly love doctrines and notions of Christian love. It examines the early versions of the story by Béroul and Gottfried von Strassburg and discusses the shift in the portrayal of the relationship between Tristan and Isolde from one that decries disloyalty to one that is more sympathetic to their love. The essay also analyzes Richard Wagner's opera version of the story, which celebrates individual desire over duty or loyalty, and argues that it is a subversion of the moral and political conventions of the feudal world that originally developed the story. This essay raises the question of how a feudal legend could mutate into a celebration of private desire in violation of every feudal obligation and explores the role of feudal obligations of loyalty in the tale of Tristan and Isolde. It also explores the significance of the love potion in the story, which operates as a pharmakon - a cure that kills and a poison that cures. Overall, the essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of <em>Tristan and Isolde</em> and its significance in different cultural and historical contexts.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Persaud, Amanda"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (M.A.)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Harold Veeser","Andras Kisery"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2023,"date_issued":"2023-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2023-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:57:59Z","subjects":["Feudalism","Medieval","Pharmakon","Binary","Opera","Tristan","Other English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1083","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Harold Veeser","Andras Kisery"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Persaud, Amanda"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-05-08T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (M.A.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Feudalism","Medieval","Pharmakon","Binary","Opera","Tristan","Other English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1083"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This essay traces the historical evolution of the story of Tristan and Isolde through three distinct phases, highlighting the transformation of the story from a feudal version to a post-feudal rendition infused with courtly love doctrines and notions of Christian love. It examines the early versions of the story by Béroul and Gottfried von Strassburg and discusses the shift in the portrayal of the relationship between Tristan and Isolde from one that decries disloyalty to one that is more sympathetic to their love. The essay also analyzes Richard Wagner's opera version of the story, which celebrates individual desire over duty or loyalty, and argues that it is a subversion of the moral and political conventions of the feudal world that originally developed the story. This essay raises the question of how a feudal legend could mutate into a celebration of private desire in violation of every feudal obligation and explores the role of feudal obligations of loyalty in the tale of Tristan and Isolde. It also explores the significance of the love potion in the story, which operates as a pharmakon - a cure that kills and a poison that cures. Overall, the essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Tristan and Isolde and its significance in different cultural and historical contexts.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Dissonant History of Tristan and Isolde"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Harold Veeser","Andras Kisery"],"dc:creator":["Persaud, Amanda"],"dc:date.available":["2023-05-08T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This essay traces the historical evolution of the story of Tristan and Isolde through three distinct phases, highlighting the transformation of the story from a feudal version to a post-feudal rendition infused with courtly love doctrines and notions of Christian love. It examines the early versions of the story by Béroul and Gottfried von Strassburg and discusses the shift in the portrayal of the relationship between Tristan and Isolde from one that decries disloyalty to one that is more sympathetic to their love. The essay also analyzes Richard Wagner's opera version of the story, which celebrates individual desire over duty or loyalty, and argues that it is a subversion of the moral and political conventions of the feudal world that originally developed the story. This essay raises the question of how a feudal legend could mutate into a celebration of private desire in violation of every feudal obligation and explores the role of feudal obligations of loyalty in the tale of Tristan and Isolde. It also explores the significance of the love potion in the story, which operates as a pharmakon - a cure that kills and a poison that cures. Overall, the essay offers a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Tristan and Isolde and its significance in different cultural and historical contexts.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1083"],"dc:subject":["Feudalism","Medieval","Pharmakon","Binary","Opera","Tristan","Other English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["The Dissonant History of Tristan and Isolde"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (M.A.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:57:59Z"}