SOURCE: Noble, Peter S. “The Lovers.” In Beroul's Tristan and the Folie de Berne, pp. 17-34. London, England: Grant & Cutler Ltd., 1982.

In the following excerpt, Noble discusses the characterization of Iseut and Tristran respectively, emphasizing their wit and resourcefulness in difficult situations.

One of Beroul's great strengths as an author is ability to depict character, not so much by outright description, of which there is very little in the text, but through his skill in making the characters come to life by their speech and their actions. Inevitably he is particularly concerned with the lovers, whose story after all this is and with whom he clearly sympathises. The portrayal of Iseut brings vividly to the audience this clever, forceful woman made ruthless by the demands of her love.

From the moment the fragment opens we learn something of her mettle:

Que nul senblant de rien en face. Com...