The Reversal of Courtly Love Tradition in Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur: The Case of Tristan and Isolde

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 168 - 187, 30.12.2018

Meriç Tutku Özmen Şafak Horzum

https://doi.org/10.29110/soylemdergi.479048

Abstract

Courtly love convention is a
medieval European concept of ennobling love which helped the shaping of the society
and in return which was shaped by the society during the Middle Ages. The
concept has its roots in many traditions such as classical literature, Hispano-Arabic
poetry and philosophy, Troubadour poetry, feudalism and Christianity. However,
there are also writers who were critical and suspicious of courtly love
convention. Sir Thomas Malory (c.1410-1471) presents a subtle criticism of the
concept in his Le Morte Darthur (1485),
the first collection that brings together all the Arthurian stories in English.
One-third of this work consists of a controversial love story, the case of
Tristan and Isolde. Therefore, Malory’s different treatment of the courtly love
tradition and the Tristan story will be illustrated with the critical information
on the Celtic sources of the legend and a comparative method to other
significant characters involved in the courtly love in this work.

Keywords

Courtly love, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Tristan, Isolde

Thomas Malory'nin Arthur'un Ölümü Eserinde Saraylı Usulü Aşk Geleneğinin Tersyüz Edilmesi: Tristan ve İsolde Meselesi

Abstract

Saraylı
usulü aşk, Ortaçağ Dönemi’nde toplumun şekillenmesine yardım etmiş ve karşılığında
toplum tarafından şekillendirilmiş, Ortaçağ Avrupası’na ait, aşığı yüceltici bir
aşk kavramıdır. Bu kavramın kökleri Antik Roma dönemi edebiyatı, İspanyol-Arap şiiri
ve felsefesi, Trubadur aşk şiiri, feodalizm ve Hristiyanlık gibi pek çok
geleneğe dayanır. Ancak, aynı zamanda bu kavrama karşı eleştirel olan ve şüphe
ile yaklaşan yazarlar da bulunmaktadır. Sör Thomas Malory (y.1410-1471) de
İngilizce yazılmış Kral Arthur hikâyelerinin ilk tam derlemesi olan Arthur’un Ölümü (1485) adlı eserinde bu
kavramı ustalıkla hicvetmiştir. Bu eserin üçte biri asırlardır tartışmalara
konu olan bir aşk hikâyesi içermektedir: Tristan ve İsolde’nin meselesini. Bu
sebeple, Malory’nin saraylı usulü aşk geleneği ile Tristan hikâyesine olan
farklı yaklaşımı, efsanenin Kelt kaynaklarıyla ilgili önemli veriler sunularak
ve eserdeki saraylı aşk yaşayan diğer mühim karakterlere kıyaslama yapılarak
verilecektir.

Keywords

Saraylı usulü aşk, Thomas Malory, Arthur’un Ölümü, Tristan, İsolde

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