Merlin - "Lancelot and Guinevere"

 Introduction

    In this episode of Merlin, Morgana and Guinevere are captured until Guinevere sacrifices herself in order for Morgana to escape. Guinevere is then taken under the disguise of Morgana to a Hengist (1) who is threatening to kill her if unless paid the ransom by King Uther. Lancelot attempts to save Guinevere, but they are both captured and seemingly at their end, when Arthur and Merlin appear and save the day! Once off the castle grounds, Lancelot figures out that Arthur has feelings for Guinevere and leaves so as not to stand in their way of being together, breaking Guinevere's heart.

Guinevere and Lancelot sharing a loving look. (1)

Medieval Representation

The leader and his captors dressed in period-
relevant armor and clothes, surrounded by parts
of the castle. (2)

    There were many common characters from the Arthurian stories in this episode: Morgana, Guinevere, Merlin, Arthur, and Lancelot. Morgana is portrayed as an intelligent and kind character, as she escapes from her captors and begs for King Uther to save her handmaid, Guinevere, who she refers to as her friend. Guinevere is also shown to be intelligent and loving; she buys herself time during her imprisonment by convincing her captors that she is Morgana, and she shares a relationship with both Arthur and Lancelot, Lancelot's appearing to be love. Merlin is still Arthur's right-hand man and has a keen sense of Arthur's feelings and emotions. The relationship between Merlin and Arthur is very enjoyable to watch as they tease each other, deep down knowing that they are better together. Arthur is portrayed as a selfless and loving character; after learning of Guinevere's capture, he immediately packs his bags and goes on a quest to find her. His deep feelings for her and his desire to protect her shows that he truly cares about her and that he is an emotionally complex character who cares more about love than the crown. Lancelot also makes an appearance in this episode as a selfless and talented swordsman who has feelings for Guinevere as well. He put himself at risk to save Guinevere and was successful in most, but not all, fights. He and Guinevere share many moments together during this episode, expanding on a relationship that may not have fully developed before he left Camelot in an earlier episode. There are other components of this episode that represent the Arthurian world, including the castles, the armor and clothing, and the storylines. The castles are very regal and appear to be made of stone, which is accurate for the time period being represented. The armor and the clothing both have certain attributes that make them appropriate for the time period. The armor is very basic, consisting of mostly chainmail and plate armor covering only some parts of the body. Most of the clothes do not have many colors, unless worn by someone of money and status who can afford nicer things, and are made of leather or a material that resembles burlap (shown above to the right); the women of this time period wore underwear, also known as a chemise, under dresses and if shown, women were considered to be promiscuous (shown below). Finally, the storylines of the romance between Lancelot and Guinevere and the beginnings of Arthur and Guinevere's relationship are represented in this episode.

Morgana pictured in her chemise after asking to
take a bath to outwit her captors. (3)

Contemporary Attitudes and Values

    There are several aspects within this episode that have a more "modern approach," such as the relationships between characters. The relationship that stands out most to me is Merlin and Arthur's relationship; they have a very boyish relationship filled with teasing banter and sarcasm. Arthur is very trusting of Merlin, and Merlin is unconditionally loyal to Arthur. Merlin, who has the lower status, is even able to get Arthur to reveal his feelings for Guinevere in a touching moment by the lake (video shown below). Their relationship being deeper than surface level (i.e., Merlin only serving Arthur), as well as Morgana and Guinevere's relationship being referred to as a friendship, takes on a more contemporary view of relationships of the time, stepping away from servitude and acquiring a deeper connection to pull viewers in and allow them to connect to the characters. Another contemporary value in this episode was Merlin trying to convince Arthur that he could change things and marry Guinevere once he became king. This could have been an acceptable idea of the Medieval Ages, but the ability to choose your own path, including love who you want to love, has definitely become a more modern-day idea that is perpetually growing over time. Merlin's magic could also be considered a current feature adopted for the show since the use of magic is not historically correct, and it adds a whimsical effect to draw in the audience.

Adaptation Addition

    This adaptation of the story adds to the Arthurian world by expanding on and deepening the characters and their relationships we frequently see in the original stories, as well as bringing the stories to life and introducing a new audience to this amazing world. Many people have most likely heard these names, and maybe know some of their stories and relationships, so this adaptation builds on that foundational information while adding to their stories and allowing them to develop as characters; several of these stories and character developments can serve both the purpose of telling more of the Arthurian stories and connecting the characters to the viewers on a personal level as they navigate their modern-day problems (e.g., the love triangle of Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot). The on-screen drama will also bring a large audience to the show, even if most of those people know little about the Arthurian world. This adaptation will present the Arthurian world in a different light that may seem more attractive to viewers than the traditional stories, therefore continuing to pass on these stories and legends for many years to come.

(1) "Recap/Merlin S 02 E 04 Lancelot and Guinevere." TV Tropes, 2012,

       tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/MerlinS02E04LancelotAndGuinevere.

(2) "Lancelot and Guinevere." IMDb, 23 Apr. 2012, www.imdb.com/title/tt1523078/.

(3) Bronwyn. "Merlin Club: Lancelot and Guinevere or The One Where Insta-Love and Martyr-dom

    Are a Thing." Can You Vague That Up For Me?, 16 May 2014,

    bronwyngreenblog.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/merlin-club-lancelot-and-guinevere-or-the-one-

    where-insta-love-and-martyrdom-are-a-thing/.