Swords have been used in many stories, often having quite a roll. Usually, swords hint at what type of story we are going to encounter and the fate of the characters introduced. In the classic romantic tragedy, The Romance of Tristan and Iseult, by Joseph Bedier, the sword symbolizes many things. In the following paragraphs two of these things will be discussed. .
One of the uses of the sword in the story is for chastity, but with little thought the word defense might be a better definition. After Tristan slays the dragon and wins Iseult for his old uncle, the sword is placed by Tristan between Iseult and himself while they sleep. Though they are future lovers, this use of the sword is a symbol of keeping the girl pure. Although it is meant that they did not fool around that night, there is reason to believe otherwise for the remainder of the trip. Also, on page such and such, King Mark finds the couple sleeping in a forest. Even after swearing avenge he observes that Tristan's sword is placed between them. Knowing what is meant by the position of the sword separating the two, they were spared.
Along with chastity and defense the sword also plays another huge roll in describing the power of a character. Tristan, a skilled knight who does not know the meaning of defeat in battle, damages his sword in the battle with Morholt. Which leads me to talk about the scene where Tristan is taking a bath without his sword, rendering him powerless to the young Iseult who threatens to kill him with his own sword after finding out that it was her uncle he defeated in the battle of Morholt. .
She was obsessed with his tool (sword) in that bath scene that the sword was portrayed in a phalluc/masculine way. And that after they make up she is going to fix his sword and make his tool whole again.
So, with all these uses of a sword in a literary text, we can now know the fate of the character. First, a disguise for adulterous love.
