Gottfried von Strassburg (1170?-1220?) was a medieval German poet. His unfinished poem Tristan and Isolde is a masterpiece of German literature. In the poem, Tristan travels to Ireland to escort Isolde back to England where she will marry his uncle, King Mark. On the journey, Tristan and Isolde drink a magic love potion by mistake and fall in love. Isolde marries the king, but continues her love affair with Tristan. The affair ends with the death of the lovers.
In describing the tragic results of their passion, Gottfried gave sensitive psychological portraits of the lovers. While he did not excuse the lovers’ guilt, he exposed the hypocrisy of their enemies. Richard Wagner used the poem as the basis for his opera Tristan and Isolde.
Little is known about Gottfried except that he was a learned clergyman. He adapted his poem from a French tale by Thomas of Brittany.
