At a time in history when kings ruled countries and knights in shining armor protected the lands, there was one feeling that everyone shared that feeling was love. From the Serfs to the Lords, love was something people shared. In the romance Tristan love is the key ingredient to the legendary tale of heroes, romance, and adventure. In this tale Tristan the main character falls in love with Isolde, who is married to his uncle, King Mark. This starts a love triangle between them all resulting in a conflict. Isolde is married to Mark, but in love with Tristan. Throughout all of this Tristan is still able to show his love for Isolde through the laws of love, courtly love, and physical attraction.
Many of the rules of love are seen throughout this novel. Out of all of the rules of love many are shown by Tristan. One of these rules, from the work of Andre the chaplain, from the book The Troubadours and courts of Love, is a true lover never desires the favors of anyone but his own lady-love, out of real affection. This means that he does not need anyone else but his love, Isolde. Tristan even marries a women who has the same name as his love, because due to marriage, he can not have the true women for whom he really loves. "And because her name was Isolde, whenever he let his eyes go out to her he grew so sad and joyless at the name that you could read his heart's pain in his face, yet he cherished this pain and held it in tender regard-it seemed sweet and good to him" (290-91). This quote means that he thinks of Isolde, he is thinking of her through this other women who has the same name as his true love. .
Another law of love is that marriage cannot be pleaded as an excuse for refusing love. Tristan and Isolde continue to have a relationship while she is married to King Mark. They sneak around and are still able to be together. Although they are not married, they are in love and that is the strongest thing to them.