From Romeo to Robin Hood: 7 Famous Love Stories
When it comes to the medieval and Renaissance world, there were many love stories that people enjoyed and lived through. Some of them are still famous to this day and continually reappear in pop culture. Here’s a snapshot of 7 of those famous or infamous medieval and Renaissance romances, from Romeo to Robin Hood. Some of these romances are tragedies, others have happy endings. Also, some are from fiction, while others were from real life.
For each romance or love story, you will see 1. whether it was fact or fiction (i.e. a story or real life), 2. whether it was a positive, neutral, or negative romance along with a general explanation of the ending, 3. the time frame that the story comes from or when the people lived, and 4. interesting details about the romance.
Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet
- Fiction
- Tragedy: Always ends in death
- Time Frame: 16th century
- Interesting Details: While Shakespeare’s version is the best known, there is a 1562 version by Arthur Brooke. His version predates Shakespeare’s version and was a likely source for the Shakespearean work. This version also includes a much longer timeline of months, rather than the play’s days in which the story occurs.
Tristan and Isolde/Iseult
- Fiction
- Tragedy: Almost always ends in death (Similar to Romeo and Juliet)
- Time Frame: 12th century
- Interesting Details: This story involves a love triangle between Tristan, Isolde, and Isolde’s husband. Tristan and Isolde were involved behind her husband’s back. Said relationship is usually started with a love potion. The kingly husband works very hard to end the illicit relationship and in most versions kills them off.
King Arthur and Guinevere
- Fiction
- Tragedy: Often ends in death (Versions will vary)
- Time Frame: 12th century but Guinevere/Lancelot stories are from the 13th century
- Interesting Details: Some of the stories in Arthurian legend give various reasons as to why Guinevere loves Lancelot. The recurring theme is that her affair with Lancelot ends Camelot. Some of the stories involve her joining a convent after Arthur dies or gets taken to Avalon.
Peter Abelard and Heloise d’Argenteuil
- Fact
- Negative: Separated and attacked but didn’t die due to the romance
- Time Frame: 12th century
- Interesting Details: Adelard was the tutor of Heloise and was 21 years older than her. They ended up getting separated due to her uncle and Adelards troubles with the church. He was accused of heresy. Both of them would live the religious life, Heloise as an abbess and Abelard as a monk.
Dante Alighieri and Beatrice Portinari
- Fact
- Neutral: One sided on Dante’s part
- Time Frame: 14th century
- Interesting Details: Dante loved Beatrice from afar, despite being married. He would write sonnets about her and would feature her heavily in his most famous work, the Divine Comedy. However, there is little mention of whether she reciprocated his feelings.
Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor
- Fact
- Positive: Got away with it
- Time Frame: 16th century
- Interesting Details: Mary Tudor was originally the 3rd wife of King Louis XII. After he died, she married Charles Brandon. They had to marry in secret as King Henry VIII had wanted to make the decision for Mary, and the court didn’t want Charles to get more power. Instead of Charles being executed, they ended up having to pay a large fine.
Robin Hood & Maid Marian
- Fiction
- Positive: They get together (usually a happily ever after)
- Time Frame: 16th century
- Interesting Details: While Robin Hood himself first appears in the 1370s, Maid Marian doesn’t really turn up until the 15th or 16th In fact, the stories of Robin Hood and Robin with Marian were two separate stories entirely until around 1598 with the Downfall and Death of Robert Earl of Huntington plays. Most modern versions end with Robin and Marian getting together, thus the positive story marker.
From Romeo and Juliet to Robin Hood and Maid Marian, there were many love stories across the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Some were fictional, while others were real life fairytales, but all give us a look into the world of medieval romance. Which of these stories did you already know about or have read? Let us know and also tell us which is your favorite tale or medieval love story in the comments below.
Image Notes:
Romeo & Juliet: Romeo and Juliet by Ford Madox Brown, In the Public Domain due to Author’s Life + 100 years
Tristan & Isolde: Tristan and Isolde with the Potion by John William Waterhouse, In the Public Domain due to Author’s Life + 100 years
Arthur & Guinevere: Lancelot and Guinevere by Herbert James Draper, In the Public Domain due to Author’s Life + 100 years
Abelard & Heloise: Abelard and Heloise surprised by Master Fulbert by Jean Vignaud, In the Public Domain due to Author’s Life + 100 years and being published before 1928
Dante & Beatrice: Dante Posthumous portrait by Sandro Botticelli, 1495
Charles Brandon & Mary Tudor: Wedding portrait of Charles Brandon and Mary Tudor by Jan Gossaert, 1515
Robin Hood & Maid Marian: Robin Hood and Marian in their Bower by Louis Rhead, 1912, In the Public Domain due to Author’s Life + 100 years and being published before 1928
