he tale of Tristan and Isolde has never been static. Like most -- if not all -- of the Arthurian Tales, different writers in different ages have adapted the tale to their own agendas. The characters in the story are therefore very vibrant, distinctive and diverse. Some Tristans, like Beroul's, are selfish, arrogant and immature, while in Wagner's opera we see a romantic, tragic lover. The text allows for great flexibility--an aspect which writers through the centuries have exploited.

ecause so many variations have evolved, I have chosen to outline the different texts separately by time period. Please refer to the Basic Tale for the standard form that I am working from. This standard is by no means a "true standard"--as evidenced by the vast amount of variations--but one must start somewhere.