Tristan and. Isolde by Thomas Mann. Short summary

5 seconds

Tristan, heir to the King of Cornwall, and Isolde, an Irish princess, consider each other the epitome of the ideal, but the heroes are not destined to meet because they live in warring states.

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Tristan was the son of the king’s late sister and was his nephew. The Irish princess Isolde was the daughter of King Gurmun. They regarded each other as the embodiment of the feminine and masculine ideal.

Tristan was handsome, a skilful general and a brilliant knight, known for his military prowess. Isolde, on the other hand, had extraordinary spiritual perfection. Each carried the image of the other in their hearts and minds.

The heroes could not meet each other, for the princess lived in Ireland, and the knight in Cornwall. There was an old feud between the states, and wars broke out regularly. Ireland even had a law that every Cornishman who landed in its territory must be killed.

His uncle loved Tristan very much and decided to make him his heir. The knight had many envious enemies, who began to weave intrigues against him. As a result, Tristan had to go on a perilous venture to Ireland.