ing Rivalin of Lyonesse married Blancheflor, sister of King Mark of Cornwall in a love match. Blancheflor dies in childbirth and Tristan's name represents this loss (coming from the French triste meaning sadness). He is raised by a tutor, who become his best friend and together they travel to Tristan's uncle's court--King Mark of Cornwall. Tristan conceals his identity and tries to distinguish himself through his fighting, harping and hunting. He takes the challenge of fighting Morholt, who has come to demand tribute from King Mark for the King of Ireland, Isolde's father Anguish.

fter a long battle, Tristan defeats Morholt.  But because Morholt's weapons were poisoned, Tristan's wounds do not get better.  He travels to Ireland, seeking a cure for the poison.  He conceals his identity through the name Tantris and makes a slow recovery under Isolde's care.  He then returns to Cornwall -- speaking the praises of the beautiful Isolde who nursed him back to health.  King Mark desires to have Isolde brought to him to be his wife based on the blooming account that Tristan gives of her.

eanwhile, Anguish is plagued by a dragon.  He offers Isolde's hand in marriage to the knight who can slay the dragon.  Tristan travels to Ireland to slay the dragon and win Isolde's hand for King Mark.  He does indeed slay the dragon, but is overcome by the poisonous fumes.  King Anguish's steward then produces the head, claiming that he has defeated the dragon.  Isolde knows this cannot be true and despises the steward, so she goes out in search of the true dragon slayer. She finds Tristan and must nurse him back to health again.

t is during this time that Isolde notices that a piece of Tristan's sword is missing.   She has a piece of the sword that killed Morholt -- her uncle -- which was removed from his battered head.  She fits the piece from Morholt's head into the missing section of Tristan's sword and deduces that Tristan is Morholt's murderer.  Though she is angry that he killed her uncle, she must allow him to live to refute the steward's claim to her hand.

ristan does mend, and claims Isolde's hand for Mark.  Isolde is still angry with Tristan for the death of Morholt, but she still has to travel with him to Cornwall.  During the voyage she asks her maid, Brangwain, to make a potion that will poison Tristan.  Brangwain also deduces that Isolde wishes to drink the potion as well in order to end this coming marriage with Mark.  In addition to this, Brangwain is in love with Tristan and does not wish to see him dead.  She therefore makes a love potion rather than a death potion.

he couple, Tristan and Isolde, drink the potion and are forever in passionate love.  The couple consummate this love on the boat that night.

nce in Cornwall, Isolde must go through the wedding and then needs to disguise her loss of virginity.  She persuades Brangwain to sleep with Mark -- thereby sacrificing her virginity.  This marks the first of several deceptions that the lovers use to deceive Mark.

ut Mark's court is full of traitorous and envious courtiers.  They try again and again to capture Isolde and Tristan is compromising situations.  Eventually they succeed and the lovers are condemned to death.

ristan manages to escape.  He rescues Isolde from a group of lepers which she was given to as punishment.  She then swears a false oath in a trial by ordeal, but is banished with Tristan.  The two flee to the forest where they live in exile.

ife in the forest is very difficult and eventually the two decide to split.  Isolde returns to Mark's court and Tristan flees in exile.  During his wanderings he comes to Brittiany's court of King Howell.  Tristan does him many great services, thereby winning his daughter's hand.  He agrees to marry her because her name is also Isolde, Isolde of the White Hands.  He does not, however, consummate the marriage because his love for the true Isolde is so strong.

ristan aids his brother-in-law, Kaherdin, in a battle and is poisoned -- again!  He sends for the true Isolde to heal him, knowing that only she has to power to do so.  But when the ship comes into view, Tristan is too ill to leave his bed and asks Isolde of the White Hands to tell him the color of the sails.  Knowing that white sails mean Isolde of Ireland, her rival, is aboard and seeing those white sails, Isolde of the White Hands reports that the sails are black, signifying that Isolde is not on the ship.  Tristan dies of despair.

hen Isolde of Ireland comes into the room and finds her beloved dead, she too dies of grief.  The two are buried side by side.  From Tristan's grave a vine grows and from Isolde's a rose.  The two plants intertwine and grow together as a living symbol of their passionate love.