The Lais of Marie de France Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chevrefoil Summary

Chevrefoil Summary

Tristram loves the queen Isolde, and she him. King Mark, the queen's husband, banishes Tristram from the kingdom, but Tristram hides in the woods, hoping to catch a glimpse of his love. He takes a stick of hazel and carves his name on it, placing it near where he is hiding by a path in the woods. The queen sees the stick as she rides on the path and discovers Tristram awaiting her. She urges him to return to the kingdom. They weep when she has to leave him again. Tristram composes a lai to express the joy he felt at seeing his love again, calling it Chevrefoil, or "honeysuckle".

Chevrefoil Analysis

The legendary story of the love between Tristram and Isolde has been addressed in many works of literature. Here, Marie relates one short episode from their affair which she attributes to Tristram himself. Of interest is Marie's description in...
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