# King Mark — Idylls of the King character guide

> King Mark in Idylls of the King by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mark The Cornish King

**First appearance:** 0011-the-last-tournament

## Snapshot

The Cornish king whose jealousy of Tristram curdles a marriage and poisons the peace of the West.

## Who they are

Mark rules Cornwall and holds Isolt as his queen, but his suspicion of Tristram turns the household into a watchtower of spies and grudges. He is the wronged husband who becomes the wrong-doer, letting private jealousy feed the wider rot that Modred will exploit. His feud with Tristram shows how a single poisoned marriage can loosen the whole fabric Arthur has woven.

## In the story

### [Gareth and Lynette](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/chapters/gareth-and-lynette)

Sends a cloth of gold as tribute, but Arthur condemns him as a craven and refuses to knight him.

### [Merlin and Vivien](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/chapters/merlin-and-vivien)

The Cornish king who harbors grudges against Arthur and encourages Vivien to spy on the court.

### [The Last Tournament](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/chapters/the-last-tournament)

Mark is mentioned as having gone hunting, and Isolt fears his return; he is portrayed as craven and hateful.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/characters/mark
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/idylls_of_the_king_se/characters