The Romance of Tristan by Be’roul shows the predetermined, unavoidable relationship between Tristan (Yseut) and Tristan. Neither Tristan, Yseut or Mark can alter the couple’s relationship, which suggests that love is a choice. Frocin is another example of how one can change their fate if they know about it beforehand and try to prevent it. Uncontrollable fate dictates Tristan’s love life. The fate of an individual’s fate is a powerful factor in their lives, but the beliefs of the other characters are different.
Tristan and Yseut are unable to control their newly found love. They have lost the ability to choose and their actions show it. Tristan and Yseut are bound to meet their fates. Tristan, Yseut and the love potion are drank together. The narrator explains that both thought the wine was good. But neither knew that the potion would cause them to suffer a lifetime of hardships and eventually their death. (Be’roul 44). The love potion is what brings them together. Even though the potion has ended, Tristan & Yseut love each other and it is fate that brought them together. Yseut, now queen, returns to the forest while Tristan, who is still loyal to Tristan, returns to the forest. They continue to neglect their duties and they propose that fate controls both Yseut and Tristan. Tristan exclaims “What an irony!” Be’roul 152: What I have done for love! Tristan seems to believe that love is synonymous with destiny. He cannot control his desire for Yseut and he must serve it forever.
It becomes apparent that the romance of Tristan is not possible to interfere with Tristan and Yseut. The barons convince Mark to do this. Mark starts by hiding in a tree and then proceeds to chopping down two trees that “grew miraculously” from Tristan’s tomb. Yseut also has one. Their branches are intertwined above the apse (Be’roul 165). Mark’s three attempts to cut down trees failed. The trees grow back every time. The last line in the story, “Some Say It Was the Power of Love That Did This,” emphasizes the fate of their death and their subsequent burial (Be’roul 165). This is a symbol of both the powerlessness and destiny to either resist or change predestined love.
Except for Tristan’s predestined marriage to Yseut the fate of other events is not directly causal. Frocin, or the wicked dwarf, was an astrologer and “knew exactly what was going to occur in the future.” (Be’roul 54). Frocin is known for his cunning, manipulation and evil appearance. Frocin has been trusted by the barons to speak the truth. The characters also believed in fate. Frocin is able to predict the future, so it seems that there is no free will. However, fate can be predetermined. Frocin is capable of reading his own future. He decides to flee Wales to escape the threat posed by the king (Be’roul 56). Frocin’s flight suggests that one can alter their future if they know what the future holds. This is a challenge to the notion that fate cannot be changed. Although the free will example is possible, it doesn’t apply to Tristan’s and Yseuts’s circumstances or perhaps love in its entirety. As there is a lack of consistency among each character’s unique circumstances, it is difficult to believe that fate is universally inevitable in life.
Be’roul’s narration as well as Ogrin’s guidance provide context to the characters’ perceptions of fate. Orgin represents Catholicism’s views on adultery. Ogrin encourages Tristan and Yseut to repent when he meets them. Tristian claims their love is due the love potion, but Orgin still considers Tristan a sinner. This suggests that Christians don’t believe in fate. Ogrin continues to urge Tristan and Yseut that they repent, even three years after their reunion. Ogrin insists on them “thinking of some suitable lies” to cover their mistakes. This is strange coming from a religious figure like Be’roul 100. Ogrin believes that sins are possible to be forgiven and that one can alter their future, which is in direct contradiction to Frocin’s belief that everyone’s fate is determined by the stars before birth. This discrepancy further perpetuates uncertainty over fate’s immutability. These beliefs, along with Be’roul’s narrative, suggest that fate’s true role in a person’s life is still unknown.
The Romance of Tristan recounts the story of Tristan and Yseut’s love story that leads to their deaths. Yseut is unable to exercise freewill and make good decisions for the benefit of King Mark, Tristan, or Yseut. Tristan, Yseut’s fate can only be guessed because they were unable to live apart after their potion wore off. Mark and Yseut tried their best to do the right thing, but fell back into deception and lies because of their fate. This is clearly evident in Yseut’s utterly truthful oath in which she declares that “I swear, God and St Hilary: so help us God and St Hilary” (Be’roul 141-142). The Romance of Tristan doesn’t explicitly portray the role of fate, but it’s clear that Tristan’s, Yseut,’s love and lives reflect their inevitable fate.
