Merlin- Sins of the Father S2 Ep8

Plot Summary

Season two episode eight of Merlin, “The Sins of the Father” starts with a mysterious knight coming into the castle and throwing down their gauntlet to challenge Prince Arthur to a dual to the death. Arthur accepts and the anonymous knight removes their helmet to reveal that they are a woman named Morgause. They dual the next day despite everyone’s hesitation. She fights fiercely and wins, rather than killing Arthur, she instructs him to find her in three days, at which time she will issue him challenge of her choice. Arthur gives his word and accepts the challenge. Despite King Uther’s aggressive attempts to stop him Arthur sneaks out of the castle with the help of Merlin, all the while bringing up the promise, he made to Morgause. Arthur has no idea where he was going but his horse led the way to her eventually. Merlin and Arthur arrive at a seemingly abandoned castle and see a sharp axe stuck into a tree stump. Morgause appears and issues her challenge: Arthur must place his neck on the tree stump while Morgause wields the axe. She spares him claiming he fulfilled his promise and proved to be a man of his word and offers for him to meet his mother. It then cuts to Uther attempting to find his son and making a rather ominous statement regarding Arthur’s birth. It then cuts back to Morgause summoning what appears to be the ghost of Arthur’s mother, Queen Igraine. Igraine then explains how Arthur came about with Uther making a faulty deal with a sorceress that resulted in Arthur’s birth and Igraine’s death. The ghost eventually leaves, while reaffirming her love for Arthur. Arthur and Merlin rush back to the castle, where Arthur then proceeds to run off and attack his father in private. Merlin and a miscellaneous knight come in at the nick of time and verbally talk down Arthur as Uther vows his

(Above) Shown is a screenshot from the episode
 showing just what Uther said to defend himself against
Morgause's claims (5).

 love for Igraine and his positive intentions surrounding Igraine, notably Uther does not actually argue against any of the actual claims made by this ghost but rather just argues his intent and love. Arthur nonetheless takes his vow at face value and assumes Morgause lied about  everything. 

The Myths that Inspired It

The first and one of the most visible moments of inspiration was the first scene where an anonymous knight of unknown origin arrives and issues a dual. This is a relatively common trope, appearing prominently in both Knight of the Cart (1) and Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight (2). This Green Knight comparison is by far the most prominent as later scenes become more an mor eon the nose. Morgause succeeds in the dual leading to her instructing Arthur to find her in time, very similar to the way the Green Knight instructs Gawaine to do the same in the Green Knight. Around this time in the episode Arthur also starts insisting on how if he doesn’t respond to the dual and later the challenge that that would be a strike on his honor, as he would be breaking an oath. Oaths appear again but, in this case, made by Gaius to Morgause’s mother and only further solidifies the power that oaths and promises have, connecting to Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a story that is all about vows and honor. The challenge that Morgause ends up issuing to Arthur when he arrives is to place his neck along a chopping block while she is holding an axe. This is relatively similar to the ending section of Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight, with both Arthur and Gawaine surviving not because they are strong but because they are honorable, and that they honor (or in Gawaine’s case more or less honor) their promises. Rewarding him, Morgause in a very round-about fashion reveals how Arthur was born because of magic. This is a parallel to the Le Morte D’Arthur (3), in which Arthur is born because of a trick Merlin plays to allow Uther to sleep with Igraine. In this the story is slightly tweaked to have Uther and Igraine already married but be infertile, leading to Uther making a deal with Nimueh. This also in its own way mirrors the way that in Le Morte D’Arthur Arthur is unaware of his royal heritage, therefore not being aware of certain aspects of himself, where Merlin’s Arthur was unaware of a piece of his birth, which is also a piece of himself. The last moment that is mythologically significant is at the tail end of the fight between Uther and Arthur when Uther makes a very misleading vow to Arthur that, if you weren’t aware of the context to made Uther seem entirely innocent when in fact the only thing, he was very innocent of was malicious intentions. This rung similarly to Isolde’s promises in The Romance of Tristan (4). These misleading vows serve to cast both characters in a very trickster light though one is a lot more sympathetic than the other in my eyes. It also seems to cast Morgause in a very similar light to Frocin in that story that is continuously calling Tristan and Isolde (or in this case Uther) out on their behavior but are continuously outmaneuvered, or ignored by the person who should be listening the most (King Mark and Arthur). 

Changes Made

(Above) Shown is screenshot from the
 episode, at the moment where it dramatically
 revealed the knight was woman (5). 

One of the first and most interesting change apparent in this episode is that the anonymous knight in the beginning doesn’t reveal themselves to be an already established honorable male knight but is instead a mysterious female knight. This change from every source material both plays into the themes in the source material while also adding a very modern twist, after all people back then would never make a knight a woman. At the same time as that modernness it also serves to play into the other world concept with her character. The green knight stands out is is othered due to his contradictory appearance and greenness and Morgause stands out because of her being a woman and a magical one at that. It is an extremely clever way of going about using period tropes while also twisting them into a shape a modern audience will enjoy. Something similar is also happening with the axe scene in the episode. They call upon cultural images of the Green Knight taking his swings at Gawaine, and you go into this scene thinking it will be a similar thing where it somehow doesn’t harm Arthur or by Merlin deflecting it with magic. Instead, it chooses to have that happen with Morgause instead placing the axe down, which serves to both show her intention of doing no real harm to Arthur as well as serving to call back to the original work. It makes an allusion that the people watching the show (mainly the British public considering it was aired on the BBC) would recognize only to subvert it. Then there’s Arthur’s magical birth. A story line more like the one within the myth involving Uther disguising himself would not play over well with modern audiences. Most people with even a small awareness of consent would see that as nothing short of rape. Keeping that would both alienate members of the audience who don’t like seeing or hearing about that while also adding nothing to Uther’s character beyond it reaffirming our already very low opinion of him. The backstory in the show softens that blow a bit, while also presenting Uther in a slightly more sympathetic light, especially after his confession to no malicious intentions. The story in the show adds complexity to a character that is barely present in the legends, while also explaining Uther’s motivations (as flawed as they were). There are also some other changes I want to talk about surrounding the character and the casting. First up, making mor of the character peasant is a pretty prominent change that only becomes more present as the series progresses. This a change I feel was necessary for modern audiences who are not by and large noble or royal, unlike the audience reading the original legends. This change allows modern audience to more closely sympathize with the characters, while also allowing us to sympathize with the peasant being killing by whatever monster of the week our character must face off against. This allows the stakes of these fights to feel just a bit higher. Then there’s casting. Overall, I really enjoy the casting, especially that of Guinevere. While she isn’t very prominent in this episode, I think the character they are attempting to portray (which is admittedly not very similar to the legendary one) is cast well with her actress. Guinevere being cast as a black woman is also an interesting but overall good choice. Having more diversity (even historically inaccurate (not that magic and insults like “prat” are very accurate) diversity) really welcomes a whole new group of people to this show, while also adding to the social-cultural conversation around many characters being changed to commoners. I feel like the casting of Arthur and Merlin is also on point, with both the actors having some great platonic chemistry. I was bit thrown off by Lancelot’s casting until I realized my only hang was that he wasn’t blond, and I got over it. Overall, I was very pleased with the way they constructed the story and the changes made to better suit a modern audience. 

A Defense of Adaptions and the Nature of Myths and Legends

I believe adaptations without changes are boring. Adaptions necessitate change and without them they often fall flat for their new audience and are never good enough for their old. Coming into any new piece of media with preconceived notions of what it should be is always a recipe for disaster and ultimately takes away from the experience of viewing something as its own thing. The phrase, “the book is always better than the movie” has been one that I have repeated in the past up until I realized how much it was ruining the experience of watching a movie and how it didn’t allow me to look at the movie in its own right. It didn’t allow me to see past the tip of my own nose and see the amount of love those adapting something I love also to love the source material. Adapting something, or even just creating something inspired by something else, is a labor of love and often illustrates a deeper understanding of the source material than most casual readers possess. The whole point of adaptation is for a story to be retold in a slightly new way to reach a new audience or even just recapture the hearts of an old one. This is very similar to the process with which legends and myths get passed down from generation to generation. A slight tweak or change here or there happening repeatedly over the course of possibly centuries changes stories in huge ways that often suit the audience they are told to much better while still allowing the myth to live on. There is a beauty to this process with generational gaps often being bridged via adaptations. While my dad doesn’t know what the show Merlin is, he does know Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This repeated adaption and rerepeated myth making fill the gaps that often appear as culture and myth erode with time. Yes, we will always have Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and Le Morte D’Arthur and I hope those stories will continue to be retold well into the future, but I also hope we will also get more Merlins and Legendborns as people see and love the stories that came before they did. Inaccuracy is, in my mind, a means to an end needed for myths and legends to live on. 

(1) De Troyes, Chrétien. “Lancelot, or Knight of the Cart,” Four Arthurian Romances: Erec et Enide, Cliges, Yvain, and Lancelot, edited by Wiliam W. Kibler, Wilder Publications, Inc, 2019.

(2) Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, edited by Keith Harrison, Oxford University Press Academic, UK, 2008.

(3) Malory, Thomas, and Helen Cooper. Le Morte d’arthur: The Winchester Manuscript. Oxford University Press, 1998.

(4) Béroul. The Romance of Tristan. Translated by Alan S. Fredrick, Penguin Books, 1970.

(5) YouTube. (2022). Merlin. YouTube. Retrieved November 7, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watchv=je4BlJ4djSk&list=ELBLeo0QJ_FXRnEmD8DTVJTw&index=8. 

Merlin: Season 3 Episode 4 "Gwaine"

 Episode Summary 

    BBC's Merlin, Season 3 Episode 4, titled "Gwaine" begins with Arthur and Merlin getting back from a day of hunting, and while Merlin is tired, Arthur finds that this would be a good opportunity for them to go and get a drink. So, both the main characters sit down to have a drink at a small village tavern, when some thugs, the leader of them, Dagr, demand some of the earnings from all already struggling tavern. This causes Arthur to jump into action, but the odds are not in their favor, as Merlin antagonizes Dagr, leading to him calling in reinforcements. Seeing the almost impossible odds for both Merlin and Arthur, one of the bars occupants, offers his assistance. With his help, the fight for the most part goes relatively smoothly, with him, Arthur, and Merlin being able to take out most of their opponents. While Merlin is attempting to sneakily use magic to take out his opponents, the helpful bar occupant introduces himself to Merlin as Gwaine. The bar fight ends with Arthur about to be injured by Dagr, when Gwaine get hurt saving him. With his injury being decently severe, Arthur and Merlin bring him back to Camelot. 

Gwaine Fighting Dagr [2]

  After a while, Gwaine awakens and is firstly angered that the people he helped save is a knight, and then he refuses to even meet with Uther. The watchers find out that Gwaine's arrival is roughly around the same time are the Knight's Tournament. Dagr also plans to use the Knight's Tournament to get revenge, and he along with his goons, murder two other knights, Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan, and end up assuming their forms. Eventually Merlin discovers who they are, and they nearly kill him before Gwaine once again intervenes, and successfully recuses him. But then, with Uther unconvinced of Gwaine's innocence in regard to the whole ordeal, banishes him from Camelot, saying that if he was to ever return, he would be killed. 

    Then begins the final part of the episode, which is the Tournament scheduled to take place. Only blunt swords should be used for the event, but Dagr's swords are sharp, and only Merlin's magic prevents Arthur from being harmed with them. After the majority of the event takes place, at the end of it, it seems that only Arthur and Dagr are left standing, and Arthur is completely at his mercy. Although, the day is saved by another knight appearing and saving Arthur, and he is revealed to be Gwaine. Uther is going to have him executed until Gaius reveals Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan as imposters. Then to end the episode, instead of being executed, Gwaine is just once again banished. 

                                                                                        Represented Characters

Gwen, Arthur, and Merlin [1]

    Arthur is depicted as a royal, who whilst is very arrogant, is also very kindhearted and courageous. He is a first glance very brash and overall rude, and this come into play with the way he orders people around and how he treats Merlin, but he is a decently just person. He is just not afraid of the wait of his status and tends to throw it around a bit. Merlin on the other hand is overly aware of the fact that he is at risk due to the fact that he is a sorcerer yet is still determined to protect Arthur with the use of his magic. He throughout the episode is depicted as someone is snarky and intelligent, but also is very clumsy, which leads to a lot of tense scenes of him almost get caught doing exactly what he is not supposed to, which is get caught using magic. Gwaine is depicted to be a good fighter, but the main aspect of his personality that shines through when it comes to his characterization in regard to the show is his crave for adventures. His desire for new experiences tends to make him be restless, brash, and generally self-sacrificing. He is shown to be brave, and he stands up for what he believes is right, but he also tends to go rushing headfirst into trouble without worry. Lastly, Gweneviere is shown to be independent and compassionate. She is also depicted to be very well spoken and level-headed; she knows what she wants, and what she needs to do to get it. 

Related Myths and Legends and the Differences Between the Two

    So, the main question is how does the telling of this version of the Arthurian world differ from the classics? Since this episode is about Gwaine, let's start with him. The distinct difference between this Gwaine and the Gwaine that we encounter in Merlin is that the Gwaine in Merlin does not embrace his bloodline. He is acting more similarly to Sir Gareth in the fact that he is ignoring his bloodline and instead is doing deeds based almost entirely on his reputation. Another one of the biggest differences between the Gwaine encountered in earlier works is the fact that Gwaine, in the Merlin universe, seems to have an almost distain towards nobles, especially since he was upset to find out Arthur was a prince after he saved him, and then refused the reward/meeting with Uther. So not only does Gwaine not use his namesake to gain him status based on his nobility, but he also has the dislike and overall bias when it comes to nobility (Malory [4]). Overall, Merlin differs greatly from the text of Malory, but it also strays from the perception of Gwaine based on the work, "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." That depiction of Gawain was very centered around his religion, and devotion to Mary in particular. The Merlin version of Gwaine has shown, at least in this episode, that he has no real interest in religion, and there wasn't a singular instance that he showed any interest in faith (Sir Gawain & the Green Knight [5]). Lastly, some other interesting differences that arise between earlier Arthurian works and the show of Merlin, is the idea around magic and how normalized it is in their societies. In earlier works it is depicted that Arthur respects Merlin and his magic as a whole, and even bases a variety of huge decisions around it. So, it quite a big difference to have BBC's Merlin revolve around a world in which magic is outlawed, especially when one of the main characters has in ingrained so intimately into their story, it just goes to show how much each adaptation of these Arthurian stories can change. 

Ever Changing Story

Gwen and Gwaine [3]

    The story of King Arthur and his knights continues to change throughout history, and every adaptation adds just a little bit more to the story as a whole.  For instance, when it come to the more recent adaptations, the Arthurian story also becomes more modern. These new modern actions to the story just continue to show Arthur's ever-growing legacy, for instance the different ideas of conflicts, characters, and other reoccurring elements of the story. One way that the modernistic take the show Merlin has on the Arthurian story is the way in which women are treated, which granted, isn't incredibly well, but in comparison to some of the older Arthurian books were most women weren't event referred to by name, there was much more respect in that regard connected to the women of Merlin. This especially shines through with important characters like Morgana and Gweneviere, and Arthur in this episode of Merlin in particular even respected the barmaid. The one other main thing that I think this Arthurian adaptation really adds to the idea of the story of King Arthur, especially compared to other adaptations, is in direct relation to the fact that it is a comedy. This work, and even this episode alone, really does a great job in humanizing a lot of the characters that appear in the Arthurian world, especially Gwaine. He is shown to have a very organized moral compass, and treats the people who he deemed earned it, with respect. Also, his willingness to help Merlin and Arthur overall just made him an overall super likable character, especially when in most adaptations, including the ones that I have encountered, don't usually do so. the story of Merlin was just one piece in the puzzle that works to have the Arthurian story to be every growing, but I at least, believe it did so in a positive way with the way it shows strong and positive female characters and makes a variety of characters more enjoyable overall.

Works Cited

[1] nickelbackloverxoxox. “Gwen, Arthur, and Merlin-BBC Merlin PNG by Nickelbackloverxoxox on

        DeviantArt.” DeviantArt, www.deviantart.com/nickelbackloverxoxox/art/Gwen-Arthur-and

        Merlin BBC-Merlin-PNG-500917120.

[2] Unknown. “Gwaine Merlin GIF - Gwaine Merlin Punch - Discover & Share Gifs.” Tenor, Tenor,

        28 June 2016, tenor.com/view/gwaine-merlin-punch-sucker-gif-5625912.

[3] Unknown. “Merlin on BBC Wallpaper: Gwen & Gwaine: Gwaine Merlin, Merlin Series, Merlin

        Gwen.” Pinterest, 22 Aug. 2013, www.pinterest.com/pin/merlin-on-bbc-wallpaper-gwen-gwaine

        -294634000592879532/.

[4] Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur. L’Atalante, 2022.

[5] Sir Gawain & the Green Knight. 1967.

Merlin "The Diamond of the Day" Season 5, Episode 12-13

 

   The Diamond of the Day Analysis

                                                                                                                               (Morgana in her court)

        The fifth series finale of "Merlin" was put into a two part episode finale. Starting atop the the mound that Morgana resides in, A powerful druid appears in Morgana's hall, this druid turns out to be the entire reveal and beginning of the goals of Morgana and why she needs powerful magic users. this seems to follow the same as every other Arthurian story by having a character of interest entering from another "world" to either assist or challenge the leader of the court to some sort of adventure. Even thought the court is also in the other world but its still the same idea as Meleagant entering the court to steal Guinevere, or the Green knight entering the court to challenge Gawain. Since Merlin is told through a different media then the old romances the concepts and components of the Arthurian world may be harder to find and much more diverse but just like every story if you look far enough look back into the past fantasy world that if you dig deep enough this bare skeleton of this story is the same as any other we read as fans of the genre.

(the Crystal cave Merlin goes too)

     The next component of the story that I want to talk about is the quest Morgana forced Merlin into by stealing his magic, in response Merlin and Gawain ride off to the Crystal Cave to try and find a place to regain Merlin's magic, during this time Morgana and her consults are trying to find ways to take over Camelot now that Merlin has lost his magic. As they consult they come to realize the abilities of the Crystal Cave and that it would be Merlin's most likely next step to go. After sending Gawain off and away, Merlin takes his time wandering through the cave before finally meeting his opponents that are the cause of his presence in the cave. After a short scuffle Merlin finally laid a stab onto Morgana before Morgana can get away. This moment in the story was very important when watching this, not only does it take the idea of having adversity in your noble adventures, but the opposition that is ran into turns out to be the final goal to reach at the end of the story weather Merlin knew it or not. When Merlin was able to lay injury to Morgana this was basically a symbol that even without the magic Merlin is still a threat.

 Lake Avalon and Excalibur 

    The final part that I wanted to touch base on was from the scene from Lake Avalon, aka the Lady of the Lake and the original place of Excalibur. This scene is the final conflict of the entire episodic finale, Morgana and Merlin face off magic versus Excalibur, Merlin exclaims his self disappointment in what she became before driving Excalibur through Morgana's chest finally laying the fatal blow. afterwards  Merlin approaches Arthur who is in a terrible condition. This end scene was drastically different compared to the first time we ever saw the death of King Arthur, instead of dying in the blazing and depleting glory of his courts personal civil war. Instead he dies peacefully in his most trusted companions arms. After Arthur's death two final things happen, Excalibur gets returned to the lady of the lake and merlin finally sets Arthur adrift atop of Lake Avalon where his body will be at peace. this final part of the show was terribly important when watching it reminded me of both the Christian scene of Moses being set afloat as a child, and the scene of the women being set adrift back to Camelot after dying.

   

      In conclusion the story of the Diamond of the Day in the show Merlin was a great modern adaptation of the Arthur stories, using new found ideas of plot points with the mediaeval components of story to finally create a beautiful mix to represent and show new coming generations to experience old human literature with easier medias.  

"Merlin", Season 1 Episode 9, "Excalibur"

The Story Behind the King, the Wizard, and the Sword

Emma Bostic

Intro

    The show "Merlin", Season 1 episode 9 "Excalibur", demonstrates concepts of the Arthurian world and the middle ages, through a modern form of entertainment. The series transforms medieval texts into a visual experience, that is available to a wider scope of people. Many people struggle to understand the language used in Arthurian texts and this adaptation provides a more recognizable use of langauge. Plus, it is a fun way to learn about the storyline for those who would prefer to watch this form of entertainment, as opposed to or in addition to reading. This episode includes several Arthurian characters including Arthur himself, his father, Merlin, Tristan, and other characters seen in the feudal system, of Arthurian literature. It also addresses components such as excalibur and its origins, magical creatures, the use of magic, and components of challenges and the proceeding battles.

Summary

The magical creature (Dragon) before he forges 
the sword for Arthur, at Merlin's request.

    The episode begins with a woman using magic to bring the spirit of a dead man back to life. We later discover this man is Tristan and that he has come back to seek his revenge of Arthur's father. Tristan blamed Arthur's father, King Uther, for the death of Arthur's mother, Igrane. Uther killed Tristan in battle and he has returned to kill Uther. Therefor, during a feast Tristan barges in, although his identity is unknown at this time, and challenges someone of the court to a battle. Two knights are killed before Arthur steps forward and challenges Tristan. Merlin, a friend and servant of Arthur, realizes that Arthur will die because Tristan can not be killed, since he is already dead. Merlin, goes to a dragon for help and has him forge a sword for Arthur. Uther, afraid his son will die, has Merlin drugged and takes his place in battle. He takes the magical sword, excalibur, and destroys Tristan. The dragon discovers that the sword was wielded by another and warns Merlin that there will be consequences. Per the dragons instructions, Merlin hides excalibur, by throwing it in a lake, far from the castle. 

Characters

Arthur realizing his father has his best interest at
heart. Uther was trying to protect his son, not steal
his spotlight.

    This adaptation represents the story of King Arthur as a young man before he was King. Throughout the episode he attempts to prove he is worthy of his kingdom. Unlike many well-known versions of Merlin, he is also a young man, maybe a boy, who is still new to magic and is acting as Arthur's personal servant. I enjoy that this version of the story includes Uther as a caring father, although demanding with high expectations. In other representations, Uther can be seen as a bad guy who forces a woman to marry him and who does not know his son well. The episode includes obvious signs of feudalism rankings such as a king, a prince, knights of the court, and various levels of servants. This is a refreshing difference. It is clear that the prince, Arthur, is highly valued and protected. Merlin and Uther both protest Arthur's insistance to fight. However, Arthur believes it is his duty to prove his courage, regardless of the consequences. Uther feels he has no choice, but to protect his son and the future king.

Objects and Events

Uther and The Black Knight Battling with medieval 
armour and weapons.

    The objects of the episode show an evident difference to common, modern items and styles. Today it is very uncommon to carry swords, but most wielded swords and other weaponry daily in the middle ages. The sword excalibur, was a main point of this episode, being a magical weapon forged by a dragon. Magical creatures and the use of magic is a common theme and somewhat normal occurrence in Arthurian literature, as demonstrated in the episode. However, modern literature tends to view and discuss magic as a shocking, uncommon, or hidden thing. Swords were prominent in the Arthurian world, due to the frequent challenges and battles. This episode demonstrates a common theme in Arthurian literature, of an unknown knight, interrupting a large castle gathering, to challenge on of their knights. In this case, it was the black night, also known as Tristan. Today, nobody challenges anybody to duals. Instead, if people get into a physical fight there are hopefully no weapons involved and definitely not swords. Plus, it it typically not a formal event, as it was. Lastly, the importance of oaths are addressed in the episode, when Uther warns Merlin's mentor to not break his oath, and to never tell Arthur that his birth resulted in the death of his mother. Oaths are very important in Arthurian literature as shown in many adaptations, including the story of "The Green Knight" and modern book "Legendborn". In modern times, our versions of oaths are promises. Many promises are not as binding and do not have as severe of consequences for breaking them, as oaths did, but they can be if it is from a legal stance.

Conclusion

Merlin as he is about to hide the sword in the lake.

    In conclusion, the episode provides a fun and entertaining form of learning the Arthurian story and the way of the middle ages. The characters and elements involved are all based off of Arthurian texts and their original stories. If you are looking for an intriguing and modern way of introduction to the stories, the show "Merlin" is a great option. 

“Merlin: Excalibur Season 1 Episode 9.’” Amazon, AmazonPrimeVideo, 2011, www.amazon.com/Valiant/dp/B07CJ2741V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3DOQ2HEZKD8VC&keywords=merlin&qid=1700109825&s=instant-video&sprefix=merlin%2Cinstant-video%2C80&sr=1-1. Accessed 8 Nov. 2023.

Lancelot du Lac Merlin Season 4, Episode 9

 Lancelot du Lac

Morgana and Lancelot 

In this episode of BBC's Merlin, Morgana derives a plan to resurrect Lancelot in attempt to alienate Guinevere from Arthur. The episode opens with King Arthur stating his intentions to marry Guinevere, making her his queen, to his uncle Lord Agravaine, who then goes to reveal this information to Morgana. Fully intending to stop this union, Morgana pays a visit to a woman known as the Dochraid and seeks information regarding reviving Lancelot's lost soul, which we later find out (thanks to Merlin!) to be the act of necromancy. She holds no doubt in her mind that Lancelot's presence, even as a Shade*, will cause Guinevere to forget all about Arthur, effectively putting a stop to the wedding before it could even take place. His re-entering into society occurs during a jousting tournament held in honor of Arthur and Guinevere's engagement. Everyone seems completely convinced that the true Lancelot has returned, everyone except for Merlin that is. Much to Morgana's displeasure, Guinevere may seem relieved to see Lancelot alive and well, yet there is no trace of the previous romantic feelings she held for him. This puts no stop to her plans, as she simply changes direction and has Lancelot trick Guinevere into putting on a bracelet enchanted with a love spell. The effects of the love spell are shown during the second day of the tournament as Guinevere's affection towards "Lancelot" only grows. 

Shade Lancelot gives Guinevere bracelet with love spell

In spite of Merlin's efforts to reveal the true nature of the recently-reappeared Lancelot, Morgana's wish to be rid of Guinevere comes true as Arthur discovers Guinevere and "Lancelot" together. Both are immediately sent to the dungeons, where Guinevere removes the enchanted bracelet, effectively getting rid of any love she had believed herself to have had for Lancelot. Arthur's love for Guinevere held strong over Agravaine's attempts to convince him to have Guinevere executed. The episode ends with Guinevere being banished from Camelot by Arthur as well as the discovery of Shade Lancelot's death, presumed to be suicide although he had been commanded, yet again by Morgana, to do so. 

Merlin vs. Le Morte D'Arthur

This episode in specific depicts a slightly different perspective on what the catalyst to Camelot's downfall was. It is similar enough to what is described in Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur in the sense that Arthur's discovery of the betrayal of Lancelot and Guinevere had been what cause Camelot to crumble. However, the show's depiction of the characters provides the element of true love between Arthur and Guinevere that was not present in Malory's version. Instead of Guinevere and Lancelot being the true courtly lovers, Arthur and Guinevere's relationship had been built upon within the seasons to show a genuine love connection between them. 

Arthur discovers Guinevere and Lancelot

Along with this, the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere had not been because of the strong love they held for each other, as told by Malory, and instead because of the meddling of an outside party using spells.  As a result, this certain adaptation of the arthurian story adds characters not seen within Malory's text, the Dochraid being a valid example of this, as well as depicting certain characters in a different light, again going back to the relationship dynamic between Guinevere and Arthur prior to what he had seen. The added elements of Lancelot having to be resurrected, the spelled bracelet, and Merlin's discovery of Shade Lancelot using magic also give the show's version a further depth in magic that was not emphasized as much in Malory's version. 

Contributions to the Arthurian World

Overall, the episode "Lancelot du Lac" from BBC's Merlin adds an emotional depth to both Arthur and Guinevere's characters. Their marriage within the legends had mostly been a business deal, the actual beginning of their relationship not even being described, only mentioned briefly. Along with this, any love Arthur may have held towards her had been one-sided because of her feelings for Lancelot. Merlin's adaptation of the royal couple followed the complete development of their relationship, even providing us with Arthur's reasons for choosing her as his bride in the beginning of this episode. Malory's Guinevere had been justified in her reasons for straying from her husband while Merlin's Gwen had truly wanted to be with her Arthur, forced apart only by outside interference.

If you wish to see the beginning of the end of Guinevere and Arthur at Morgana's hand, here is the link to Season 4 Episode 9 of Merlin "Lancelot du Lac" 

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7u9ht5

(Citations)

1. “‘Merlin’ Lancelot Du Lac.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 26 Nov. 2011, www.imdb.com/title/tt2098296/.

*souls summoned through necromancy that appear as their old selves before death yet hold no recollection of who they once were

The Queen Of Hearts- Season 3, Episode 10

 Summary

Arthur & Gwen's Wedding 

The episode opens with the scene of Arthur and Guinevere's wedding, which at first glance appears to be a happy and festive occasion. But beneath the surface, it's clear that this is Morgana worst nightmare, and she keeps having vivid dreams about this happening. Morgana plays the part of Arthur's fiancé on the outside, but their relationship is strictly political. Bothered by recurrent nightmares, Morgana confides in her sister, who then says that this must be a prophecy. She then makes it her goal to do anything for this "prophecy" to not become reality. Motivated by self-interest, Morgana comes up with a clever plan. Manipulating Arthur's vulnerabilities, she encourages him to spend more time with Gwen because it is obvious that they have feelings for each other. When Gwen lies to why she needs to take the day off Morgana knows that her plan worked and now she can catch them in a compromising situation where king Uther would see them in such position. Morgana ends up having another plan for the certain downfall of Arthur and Gwen's relationship. she puts a bewitching pouch under Arthur's pillow to frame Gwen because she knows Practicing magic if not authorized by the king is punishable by burning at the stake, so she starts hinting at the fact that maybe Arthur was being bewitched by Gwen. This comment made Uther become suspicious and he looked for any magical element that might explain Arthur's behavior which they did find. After this Uther orders for Gwen to be brought to the dungeon and for her to be burned at the stake, while she was being taken away, she saw that morgana was smiling at this whole ordeal, so she confides in merlin and tell him that she thinks that morgana is the reason for all of this. After finding this out Merlin is determined to free Gwen so when he finds a spell that disguises him as a much older wizard, he goes for it and he makes it so it looks as if he is the responsible one for the bewitching of Arthur. all went to plan except that when he tried to go back to his normal self the spell would not break. He got caught and Gwen was free to go but he was the one that would now be burned at the stake in the morning. his mentos went to his aid but the potion that breaks the spell is complex. In the end he ends up getting Merlin the potion and he runs away to drink it and when he is found he is back to normal self, Morgana did not accomplish her wishes, and Arthur and Gwen are still seeing each other after all of this.

Representation Of Characters 

In this retelling of the Arthurian stories the few characters that I saw were similar to the books that we have read in class. I do think that in this way we see their personalities shine through the story because in the books the details we not necessarily about the characters themselves but rather the storyline. For example, Merlin is a huge character in the Arthurian world but in the stories that we read he was in there once or twice and we knew the basics of his character but nothing else. In this specific episode we see how ambitious he is in the way that he knows the spells are hard, but he is willing to deal with the consequences, we see him be sarcastic and witty with Arthur, and he is also a very caring person especially with Guinevere because he went to great lengths to make sure she was proved innocent. We also see characters such as Uther, which we can see here that he's had his fun in the past but now he is focused on his kingdom and what he has to do to make it flourish. For Arthur we see some of his rebellious years of going against his dad, sneaking out to see his girlfriend, and not caring about his title as prince. As for Guinevere we see her before she was an assertive queen, we see her as Morgana's lady. 

Storyline adaptation & How It Relates To The Arthurian World 

Knights Of The Round Table 

In this adaptation they follow the storyline, but they add a modern spin to it. In this show we see the depiction of the stories that we have read before, and this helps us have a better understanding of the Arthurian world than we previously did. Due to this new understanding, we have a better sense of how courtly love was, how much prowess meant to the knights, and how the jousts worked/ what they meant, those are a few things that opened up our perspective on the world. Because it does have a modern spin to the story lines, we can relate to the stories more than we previously did because in the Middle Ages love and courting was extreme different, but this specific telling helps us relate to it and enjoy the stories more than we would if they were not relatable. The adaptations follow the Arthurian story lines whether they stick strictly to it or if they loosely be based on it. They help people be interested in this topic because while the stories are interesting the fact that they are in a way where it is hard to understand makes people stray away from them because of that. These adaptations take the Arthurian world and implement more magical elements that we see in the stories, but it keeps the stories interesting, and the public engaged. It shows how the relationship between Arthur and Merlin became to be because as we know Merlin is Arthur's trusted magical guide in the stories. In the show we can also see the addition of the knights of the round table and their impact on the story line because without them there would be no quests, jousts, or adventures. 

Citation 

Squad, GAME SHAKERS - Knight. “Merlin S03E10 Queen of Hearts - Video Dailymotion.” Dailymotion, Dailymotion, 16 Dec. 2019, www.dailymotion.com/video/x7p8zhh.

Lancelot

Summary

Season 1, episode 5 of the series Merlin is called "Lancelot." This episode started with a man getting attacked by an animal. This animal had wings and a beak, and seemed to be dangerous. Another man came and saved this man, and both ended up being okay. Once the episode actually begins, it is clear that Merlin and Lancelot are the two main characters. They are friends. Lancelot wants to be a knight, but the rules don't allow it. However, he and Merlin decide to try anyway. Merlin takes him to see Guinevere, who measures him for armor. Then, the villagers were attacked by a "winged monster," which seems to be the same one that attacked Merlin in the very beginning of the episode. They described it as having "the wings of an eagle and the body of a lion." Lancelot tries to become a knight soon after, however, Prince Arthur does not think that he is ready so he puts him to work in the stables instead. Not long later, though, Lancelot proves himself worthy of being a knight, and Arthur changes his mind. Later, people found out that Lancelot had lied about who he was in order to become a knight. Since honesty is a very important policy for knight and since he is not actually from noble blood, he can no longer be a knight. Then, the characters learn that the "winged monster" is actually a griffin. It is born by magic and it can only be killed by magic, which explains why no one has been able to kill it. Therefore, Merlin has to kill it with magic. Lancelot and the knights go out to try to kill it, and merlin follows soon behind. Lancelot and the knights fight, and Merlin does his magic at the perfect time. The griffin dies, and Lancelot looks like a hero. Because it looks like Lancelot is the one who killed it, he is allowed to be a knight. He has proven himself to be worthy and ready, even though he broke the conduct. However, he still feels bad for breaking it in the first place, and he does not believe that he's made up for it, especially because he knows that it was Merlin who actually killed the griffin and not him. So, he declines the offer and decides to leave the kingdom and look for somewhere else to become a knight that he is actually worthy of being.

Representations of Characters

The characters in this episode were supposed to be portrayed as if they were from the Medieval Times, and I think that the creators of the episode did a good job of making that a reality. The scenery and backgrounds also look very Medieval. The characters all seem very similar to the characters we read about in the stories that we read for class. Merlin is represented as a very nice person. He doesn't have very much magical power, but he loves being kind and helpful. In most modern day stories about Merlin, he is said to be very powerful, so it is interesting to notice that this episode showed the opposite. Lancelot is portrayed as a nice, kind, honest man, who has good morals and cares a lot about the rules. He wants to be a knight, however, he is not of noble blood, and it is the first rule that only a nobleman can be a knight. The fact that he is not a nobleman is different from the stories that we have been reading in class, in which he was born into noble blood.

Guinevere, Lancelot, and Merlin, as Lancelot is about to to try to become a knight

What Does it Add to the Arthurian World?

I was able to make a lot of comparisons of this episode to the stories we have been reading together for class. For example, in this episode I noticed that Lancelot is a kind, honest man, who cares a lot about following the rules and having good morals, and who is on a journey to become a knight. The Lancelot that we have been reading about, Sir Lancelot, is already a knight, meaning he doesn't have to go through this process and all the emotions that Lancelot in the episode did. This adds to the Arthurian world because we are seeing a new perspective of characters we already know. We are learning more about how they feel and how they act. We have not had the opportunity to see this side of them yet, so this representation of them is adding a lot to what we know about them and their time period. We also get to see how each of these characters might have interacted with and spoken to one another. This is an interesting representation to think about when we are reading the stories for class, because it could help us to picture the storyline better and to understand the plot and what is going on easier. This adaptation was very interesting, because it was so modernized. You could tell what time period it took place in, and the way that everyone talked, acted, and looked made it clear that they are in the Medieval Times. However, they spoke almost modern day English, and and the quality of everything that we saw was very good. The scenery will help us to be able to picture events that happen in our stories better, and the storyline of the episode will give us something to think about in comparison to our stories as well.