Merlin- "The Sword in the Stone" Season 4, Episodes 12 and 13

 

Arthur raising Excalibur

    In 2008, The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) released a show inspired by the Arthurian legend, Merlin. The show has a total of five seasons and spanned over several years. Today I will be analyzing the two-part episode, "The Sword in the Stone." 

    In this two-parter, Morgana (the show's version of Morgan le Fey) stages an invasion of Camelot with the help of Lord Aggravaine, Arthur's uncle. The army overran the castle, injuring Arthur. Merlin and Gaius, the court physician, thought it was best for Arthur to flee Camelot. Arthur, however, would never leave his kingdom behind willingly, so Merlin enchanted him to temporarily fall under his control. Merlin and Arthur, now under the guise of a simpleton, run into a group of smugglers led by Tristan and Isolde. Eventually, they were found and attacked. Arthur revealed himself as the King of Camelot, and Tristain was not pleased. Throughout these two episodes, Arthur starts to lose faith in himself as the rightful King of Camelot. In light of this, Merlin decided it was time for Arthur to be shown proof of his destiny. It was time for Arthur to pull the Sword in the Stone.

    The Arthurian characters in Merlin are portrayed both uniquely and amazingly. Morganna began as a kind ward the kingdom all knew and loved. Throughout the show, she slowly starts to devolve into the very thing she hates. She starts to become like her father, Uther Pendragon. This is especially relevant in this episode. Earlier in the series, Morganna cared a lot about the people in Camelot. Now, she's burning their crops to force their devotion. The show's development of this character makes the audience feel the betrayal more personally.

   This episode also showed how much both Arthur and Merlin have developed throughout the series as well. Arthur, the once proud and stubborn prince, is shown to be extremely loyal to his kingdom, even with his self-doubt. Merlin, who used to be a bright and mischievous boy, has now grown into the protective role he was destined to serve. The way the show portrays these characters gives the modern audience more of a connection with them than the Medieval works of Arthurian literature. 

    A more contemporary aspect of the show that I enjoy, is that the women are more useful. Guinevere, Morganna, and Isolde are all trained in combat. They are all very opinionated and outspoken and offer weighty input to people in high places.

Tristan and Isolde

   There are so many elements of these episodes that I absolutely adore. Rewatching them again after reading some of the original Arthurian legends makes it even better. Whenever I watched these particular episodes before, I thought that Tristan and Isolde were just characters the show invented for the plot's sake. Now that I have read Breoul's Romance of Tristan, I was very excited to see them. Their chemistry in the show is amazing, and their devotion to each other reminds me a lot of Breoul's work. Isolde's line to Guinevere, who was going through a lot of turmoil with Arthur, about love prevailing above all was very beautiful. and reflective of her and Tristan's story. Although their relationship still ended in tragedy, at least in the show Isolde died in the arms of the one she loved.

     Another aspect that I liked about Merlin is that Arthur's most loyal friends and knights are not the nobles and family members he was raised to trust for the most part, but the commoners he met on various occasions. The show really questions what makes someone noble, whether it's by bloodline or by the person's character. A lot of the noble characters, like Aggravaine and Morgana, eventually betray Arthur and Camelot. Whereas, commoners like Lancelot, Elain, Percival, and Merlin are willing to defend the king and the kingdom with everything they have. The dynamic between Merlin and Arthur is more genuine than any interaction he's had with the various lords, knights, and princes (aside from the Round Table knights) throughout the show.

Morganna in control of Camelot

   There is a big change with the Sword in the Stone in this story compared to the story of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur. Instead of the sword proving to the people around him that Arthur was king, it proved to Arthur that he was the rightful king. Throughout the episode, Arthur faced conflict after conflict. Still dealing with the betrayal from Morganna and the banishment of Gwen, Arthur must face the loss of his kingdom, and the betrayal from his uncle. He feels dejected, and Tristan's insults certainly didn't help. Merlin knew he needed his confidence restored. The sword becomes less physical proof of Arthur's destiny, as it is mental proof to Arthur of his destiny. 

    Overall, I really like this version of the Arthurian characters. The writers give them great character development and add personality to the legend. I like the younger Merlin protecting Arthur and learning to develop his abilities. The show will continue to be a favorite of mine, with its great plot, fun characters, and deep story development.