The interpretation of the medieval plot in M. Arnold's poem “Tristram and Iseult”

The article is devoted to the peculiarity of M. Arnold’s perception of the medieval romance. The work is complicated in form, the poem includes dramatic elements, the events are presented in inverted sequence. At the beginning of the poem Tristram on his deathbed recollects the episodes of his youth, the hero at the same time coexists in past and present. The originality of the pot’s interpretation is revealed in the character of mild and careful Iseult of Brittany whom the author evidently prefers to proud and haughty Iseult of Ireland. Both Iseults are loved by the hero, but with Iseult of Ireland he is connected with fiery passion, with his wife - with spiritual and tender feeling, they have children. The poem doesn’t end with Tristram’s and Iseult of Ireland’s death, its final part narrates of Iseult of Brittany who after her husband’s death wholly devotes herself to children. The import of the work is cleared out in comparison with Arnold’s small poems on two periods of human life denoted by the author as “youth” and “calm”. Fiery passions belong to youth, the period of calm comes with age and recollections of youth’s agitations. Two contrast female types are connected with these periods of Tristram’s life. But the author’s position is ambiguous. In “Tristram and Iseult” the poet condemns perilous stormy passions, but monotonous calm life seems to him similar to death. Iseult of Brittany in the poem coincides with the Victorian female ideal, whereas Tristram and Iseult belong to the past, they personify the concept of Celtic character which later will become the subject of investigation in Arnold’s work “The Study of Celtic Literature” (1865-1866).