Masaryk University

Faculty of Arts

Department of English

and American Studies

English Language and Literature

Tereza Tihonová

The Arthurian Legend in Retelling

Bachelor’s Diploma Thesis

Supervisor: Prof. Mgr. Milada Franková, CSc., M.A.

2017

I declare that I have worked on this thesis independently,

using only the primary and secondary sources listed in the bibliography.

……………………………………………..

Author’s signature

Acknowledgment:

I would like to thank my supervisor prof. Mgr. Milada Franková, CSc., M.A. for her patience,

guidance and kind words of support.

Table of contents

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1

2. History of the Arthurian Legend ............................................................................... 3

2.1 Beginnings of the Arthurian Legend .................................................................. 3

2.2 Development throughout the Centuries ............................................................. 5

2.3 Sir Thomas Malory and Le Morte d’Arthur ....................................................... 7

3. The Modern Adaptation .......................................................................................... 11

3.1 Peter Ackroyd and The Death of King Arthur ................................................. 11

3.2 TV Series Merlin .............................................................................................. 15

4. Characters ................................................................................................................ 18

4.1 Merlin: The Man Destined for Greatness ......................................................... 21

4.2 Arthur: The Once and Future King .................................................................. 25

4.3 Guinevere: The Once and Future Queen .......................................................... 33

4.4 Morgana: The Witch Consumed by Bitterness ................................................ 38

5. Motifs and Themes .................................................................................................. 43

5.1 Magic and Supernatural ................................................................................... 44

5.2 Destiny and Prophecies .................................................................................... 50

6. Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 54

7. Bibliography ............................................................................................................ 56

8. Resumé (English) .................................................................................................... 58

9. Resumé (Czech) ....................................................................................................... 59

1

1. Introduction

The Arthurian legend forms an important part of Britain’s national mythology. It

is one of the best-known stories of mediaeval literature of Great Britain and perhaps

worldwide. The central figure of this story is a legendary King Arthur, however, some

other popular characters can be found here as well as the famous magician Merlin, the

well-known lovers Tristan and Isolde, villains as Morgan le Fay and of course the valiant

knights like Lancelot or Gawain. The myth that first appeared in the Middle Ages is even

nowadays still popular among the contemporary writers, however, the interpretation of

some major motifs, scenes and characters changes with time. There is no original version

of this story, however, most likely the best-known version of the Arthurian legend is Le

Morte d'Arthur. This masterpiece was written by Thomas Malory and was first published

in 1485. Malory collected already existing myths and put them all together with adding

some of his own ideas. This adaptation could be considered as the major version of the

Arthurian Legend as many authors use Malory’s work as an inspiration, basis for their

own writing.

This thesis focuses on the most recent retellings of the Arthurian Legend, on its

modern adaptation, namely on the book The Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd and

the BBC’s TV series Merlin. While Ackroyd follows Malory’s version, the TV series

hugely differs and modifies the legend. Throughout the thesis are described and compared

some of the most important characters, motifs and scenes. This thesis argues that the

changes made in the individual adaptations are influenced by the current audience,

especially for the modern interpretation of the main characters to be more likeable and

understandable to today’s viewers.

After this introduction follows the chapter focusing on the history of the Arthurian

legend, its beginnings and development including mentions of some of the most

2

significant adaptations of the Arthurian legend, the ones that mostly influenced the course

these tales have taken. In the third chapter are introduced the two modern adaptations

chosen for this thesis’ analysis, TV series Merlin and Peter Ackroyd’s The Death of King

Arthur. Chapter four focuses on the characters of the Arthurian legend. For this thesis

were chosen the four protagonists of Merlin, which are Arthur, Merlin, Morgana (Morgan

le Fay) and Guinevere. These characters also play a significant part in the traditional story

that is given in The Death of King Arthur and in this chapter is analysed how their

portrayal differs in the two discussed adaptations. The fifth chapter focuses on the

interpretation of motifs, namely the motif of magic and destiny and the importance they

carry in each adaptation. The sixth chapter is a conclusion, where the thesis’ main points

and findings are summarised. The chapter seven includes bibliography and is followed

by resume in English and in Czech.

3

2. History of the Arthurian Legend

2.1 Beginnings of the Arthurian Legend

King Arthur is the legendary figure of a British king who was supposed to live in

the Early Middle Ages on the territory of today’s Great Britain. Though he is considered

to be a fictional character, some still speculate if such a king did not really exist. The

evidence suggests that probably he did not, but literature suggests otherwise. Where

would originate such an interest in this figure if he was not real? Why would the Arthurian

Legend become so popular and well-known? These and many more unanswered

questions surround this legend. Perhaps this mystery is what helped it survive up to the

present day and what makes it so attractive to so many people. The tales of Arthur and

his knights has fascinated not only writers but also “poets, musicians, painters, religious

mystics, folklorists, philologists” (Jones 4). It preserved its popularity by the audience for

centuries.

The exact years in which the Arthurian legend started to spread are not known.

Professor Jones, in his book King Arthur in History and Legend, argues that if Arthur

existed, he must have lived between the first coming of Saxons and the middle of the sixth

century (13). The mentions of Arthur already appear in Welsh and Celtic old poems and

romances, but he is not addressed here as a king, only a great warrior. The first literary

notes of Arthur written in Latin are connected to Nennius, a Welsh monk of the ninth

century, and his significant work Historia Brittonum. He describes Arthur as a brave

military leader. He tells the stories of Arthur fighting against Saxons, but not as a king,

only a warrior.

The first description of Arthur as a king and not only a warrior or a leader appears

in Historia Regum Britanniae (today translated as Histories of the Kings of Britain). This

pseudohistorical book was written by a British cleric, historian and principal figure of his

4

era, Geoffrey of Monmouth. In his work, he uses the already existing fragments linked to

the Arthurian cycle and gives it a consistent form. He describes Arthur’s life from his

birth until his death. In this version of the legend, Arthur is a son of Igraine and a king

Uther Pendragon. Arthur has a sister, Anna, who later gives birth to Gawain and Mordred.

After the death of Uther, caused by poisoning by the Saxons, Arthur becomes king. Then

we learn of his marriage with beautiful noble woman Guinevere or his adventures and

victories over the Saxons. While being away fighting one of the battles, Arthur is betrayed

by his nephew Mordred, who uses the absence of the king and seizes his throne as well

as his wife, Queen Guinevere. After Arthur returns to his court, he fights Mordred and

kills him, but he is also wounded and dies. However, there is a hope that one day Arthur

will come back to life, as he is “borne thence unto the island of Avalon for healing his

wounds” (Geoffrey of Monmouth 200). Geoffrey of Monmouth gives a life not only to

the great King Arthur but he also creates texts entitled Prophetiae Merlini and Vita

Merlin, where he talks about the great wizard Merlin without whom Arthur would have

never been born.

Monmouth chronicles lives of real kings of England, but he also creates some

fictional tales, fables. What is significant, as Ackroyd argues, is that he places the tale of

King Arthur “in the context of an apparently authentic chronicle rather than in fable or

romances” (Albion 114). This once again indicates that King Arthur was an existing figure

once. However, the historians today do put very little credibility to this chronicle. No

matter if Geoffrey of Monmouth’s work is credible or not, it became “the founding text

of the Arthurian chronicle tradition” (Archibald and Putter 4) and thanks to his chronicle

the Arthurian legend forms a crucial part of the history and literature of Britain.

5

2.2 Development throughout the Centuries

All of the works mentioned in the previous subchapter are more of the historical

kind. However, as the time proceeded, the Arthurian legend transformed from the

chronicle record to the literary one. It was transformed into romance. The Arthurian texts

were no longer valued historically but literary. Arthur becomes a “purely romantic hero”

(Jones 95) and he is to be found in the centre of the most famous works of the medieval

romance. And the popularity of this legend spreads even overseas. Historia Regum

Britanniae was after its publishing translated into other languages and soon after that,

writings by foreign authors celebrating the story of King Arthur and his knights came into

existence. One of them is Wace, a Norman poet and the author of such an early romance

entitled Roman de Brut. Wace is the first Arthurian writer to mention the Round Table.

Jones notes that up to Malory’s time, the fifteenth century, the stories of Arthur and his

knights were far more popular overseas than in Britain (9). Roman de Brut proves this

claim as Wace is the first author to talk about the Round Table, an essential part of the

Arthurian cycle. Another prove is that the famous love stories of Isolde and Tristan or

Lancelot and Guinevere also first appear in French literature. The French poet of the

twelfth century, Chrétien de Troyes, created five major poems related to the Arthurian

cycle. Perhaps the most significant one for the Arthurian cycle could be considered

Lancelot ou le Chevalier de la Charrette (Lancelot or The Knight of the Cart) as Lancelot

du Lake, the noblest knight of them all, is introduced here. He is said to be a lover of the

Queen Guinevere and therefore Chrétien proves to be a crucial figure in connection with

the Arthurian legend as he hugely influences the development of the Arthurian romance.

These French authors typically do no longer focus on the King himself but rather

on his knights and their adventures. They adapt this story to suit the conceptions of

chivalry and related to that, conceptions of courtly love. Jones mentions that in the pre-

6

romantic tradition, Gawain is undoubtedly the most famous knight of the Round Table

(110). He is, however, replaced by Lancelot, who fulfils the idea of chivalry in a better

way due to his courtly love for Guinevere. Yet Gawain’s popularity did not completely

vanish as he is the main hero of one of the best known Arthurian stories of the Late Middle

Ages, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

From Wace’s Roman de Brut came inspiration to the English poet Layamon as the

title of his poem Brut indicates. Layamon is the first to mention the Round Table in

English poetry and therefore has a great influence on the Arthurian development in

Britain. However, the one who brought to the Arthurian cycle such fame and secured it a

permanent place in European literature is Thomas Malory and his Le Morte d'Arthur.

7

2.3 Sir Thomas Malory and Le Morte d’Arthur

Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur was first published in 1485 by William Caxton, the

first printer in England. In his preface to Malory’s Le More d’Arthur Caxton puts the

name of Arthur among other real historical kings and warriors and argues that those who

say King Arthur never existed are blind to the evidence, they are too sceptical (3). No

matter if this king existed or not, thanks to Malory’s work Arthur’s legacy survived until

today and is deeply rooted in British literature.

Sir Thomas Malory was born in the first half of the fifteenth century. John Lawlor, in

his introduction to Le Morte d’Arthur, argues that we cannot be certain if Malory really

is the author of those books (7). When one reads about his life, it is understandable that

there is this doubt. He had little in common with those gallant knights he depicts. He was

raised in a family that respected the chivalric code, so since his childhood he understood

what it meant to be a knight. However, even though he knew what knighthood was and

he managed to put it all on paper marvellously, in real life he failed to meet the

requirements. He was accused of “rape, ambush, intent to kill, extortion and gang

violence” (Ackroyd, Arthur vii). These actions led to Malory’s imprisonment and it is

believed that most of Le Morte d’Arthur was written while he was imprisoned. Perhaps

this is the reason why Le Morte d’Arthur has such a melancholic mood or, as Ackroyd

adds, it could be caused by the sadness over the fact that the real chivalry started to

diminish from the society (Ackroyd, Arthur xii).

However, even though the chivalry started to diminish from the real world, in

Malory’s fictional world it is very much present. In his version of this popular legend,

Malory draws inspiration from the works mentioned above, as Geoffrey of Monmouth’s

chronicle or the romances of French authors. However, even though he follows these

stories, he adds his own ideas, uses his imagination and alters the legend in his own way.

8

He creates the most complex version of the legend and he divides it to twenty-one books.

He keeps the main characters, but he also adds some new ones and in the process expands

the stories. He manages to depict numerous characters and adventures, but at the same

time, he manages to be very brief. Briefness is a fundamental characteristic of Malory’s

work and it is also “essential engine of the plot” (Ackroyd, Arthur, xii). Though Le Morte

d’Arthur is an extensive piece of writing and it does not seem brief at all, Malory does

not describe one story, on all of those pages he manages to depict an immense number of

them.

Malory tells the adventures by simply mentioning the facts rather than creating

stories of suspense with needless prolonging. The lack of suspense is proven by the fact

that all the chapters carry in their titles the summary of the given chapter. They are named

after the events included there, for example: “How Uther Pendragon made war on the

Duke of Cornwall, and how by the mean of Merlin he lay by the Duchess and gat Arthur”

(11). The reader knows what is about to happen before reading the chapter. The title

clearly tells us that Uther is going to fight the Duke and then, with the help of Merlin, he

is going to lay with Igraine and this way Arthur is to be conceived. The reader knows all

the main story points beforehand, there is no suspense, no surprises. This clearly differs

from today’s style of writing.

What also differs from modern writings is the fact that Malory does not really

focus on any character’s development. As he uses many different characters, it would be

quite impossible. He prefers to depict brief adventures with only quick sharing of the

knight’s deeds rather than to spend too much time on one event, one character and

describe it in detail. He does not show any psychological processes of the characters.

There are rapid arbitrary episodes without any well-formed characters.

9

Malory does also no longer keep King Arthur as the main hero, he does not

concentrate the story on him. Though the title carries his name, one could argue that the

main character, if there can be found one, is Sir Lancelot or Tristan. The reason for that

is Malory’s focus on courtly love, which is another important aspect of Malory’s work.

In describing the ideal of a knight fighting for his lady, he continues in the French tradition

and the love of Tristan and Isolde and the one of Lancelot and Guinevere forms an

inseparable part of the Arthurian cycle and Le Morte d’Arthur allows them a lot of space.

Christianity also plays a crucial role in Le Morte d’Arthur. The Quest for the Holy

Grail forms a huge part of the Arthurian story in Malory’s version. The chivalry is closely

linked with Christianity, as the chivalric ideal meets the requirements of the Christian

ideal. The only one who can succeed in the Quest is Sir Galahad, son of Lancelot, for he

is sinless and pure. It is said that Lancelot was the noblest once, but now he is replaced

by Galahad. Lancelot could have once succeeded in the Quest for the Holy Grail but his

love for Guinevere, the affair he maintains with her, caused him a great shame, made him

a sinner and therefore he cannot be the one who achieves the most Christian deed. This

shows a clear emphasis on the Christian ideal.

However, the theme that is most important for Malory’s work is the Arthurian

knighthood. The concept of chivalric ideal becomes more important than Arthur himself

and the chivalric deeds and behaviour become the most crucial part of the book. That is

why the Knights of the Round Table, the adventures of Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain or

Tristan, are given greater importance and emphasis than those of Arthur as he does not

participate in their adventures. The story only begins and ends with the description of

Arthur’s life, it starts with his birth and ends with his death. It could be said that his life

frames the legend, however, the tales told in the middle are dedicated not to Arthur

10

himself but to his knights. Arthur becomes only a figure that connects all of these

characters as they all are his knights.

Thanks to Malory, the Arthurian legend has kept its tradition not only in British

literature but also in French and European as a whole. In the following chapters will be

discussed how modern authors deal with this work, what is kept and what differs.

11

3. The Modern Adaptation

3.1 Peter Ackroyd and The Death of King Arthur

Since publishing Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur many writers sought inspiration in

this book and recreated it in many ways. Peter Ackroyd is one of such writers. He is a

contemporary British writer, poet, novelist and biographer, born in 1949 in London. In

his writings he focuses on his birthplace, London, but he is also very interested in the

history of all Britain. He has spent his lifetime exploring British history, understanding

the people of his nation, their development. He has gathered as much information as

possible to truly understand the history of Britain. When writing, Ackroyd always tries to

focus on how the past affects the present. He admits he does not read any contemporary

fiction (Ackroyd, “Interview” 216), he prefers historical books as is evident from his

work. Ackroyd argues that most of the contemporary British writers have been “seduced

by the American literature” (Ackroyd, “Interview” 215) and that future of English

literature has to recognize the native tradition (215). Perhaps this is the reason he decided

to revive one of the most significant stories of British literature, Le Morte d’Arthur. And

apart from Malory, Ackroyd’s other historical works focus for instance on Dickens,

Shakespeare and he also recreated Chaucer’s Canterbury tales. It can be argued that he

“seeks to recreate the canon of medieval British history so that the works aren’t lost”

(Pishko).

It could be during his research for Albion when he realized how significant role

Le Morte d’Arthur plays in British culture even today. In his book Albion: The Origins of

the English Imagination, Ackroyd comments on various authors and their impact on the

English imagination. He tries to express where Englishness originates, he describes the

roots of English history, culture and imagination. In connection to that, he says that King

Arthur “by not dying but being perpetually reborn represents the idea of the English

12

imagination” (Albion 123). That this is his true significance. And because “everything is

available for recreation and manipulation” (Ackroyd, “Interview” 214) he chose to revive

this legend, so important to English culture, for today’s reader and make it more

accessible.

The Death of King Arthur was published in 2011, after a lifetime Ackroyd spent

exploring British history and trying to understand the impact of it on today’s audience. It

is clear that Ackroyd understood perfectly British history and the part that the Arthurian

legend plays in it before he started writing. He decided that this book has an important

value in British culture and attempted to adjust it to today’s readership. The Death of King

Arthur is not a new version of the Arthurian Legend but more of a short retelling, almost

a summary, of already existing one. It is more of a loose translation in which he manages

to shorten the extensive work of Malory to 300 pages. At the same time, he manages to

keep the main points of the story and he does not change the plot at all. He modernizes

the legend in the way, so it would be appealing to today’s reader. In his note on the text

of The Death of King Arthur. he comments on Malory’s style and explains why he has

recreated this masterpiece. “Malory is often rambling and repetitive: much that would

have amused and interested medieval audience will not appeal to a modern readership”.

Ackroyd makes this legend more accessible for modern audience in a way that it is more

clear and simple. Not many people today would manage to read such an extensive work

as Malory’s one, so he makes it possible for them.

In contrast to many other modern authors, he does not attempt to be creative and

to reshape the characters or the plot of the traditional tales. He sticks to Malory’s

adaptation and he only shortens it, modifies it or skips something which is not that

important for the story as a whole. Malory’s work is chaotic, there is a quick mention of

an adventure of one knight followed by the brief deeds of another and then another. These

13

rapid episodes that are poorly organized almost resemble “bits of gossip shared between

close friends” (Pishko). It is hard to keep a track of time as “time moves forwards and

backwards in uncertain leaps” (Pishko). Ackroyd tries to change this by simplifying the

stories by removing “unnecessary digressions” (Pullman). For example after the

coronation of Arthur, Malory describes multiple battles, which are, however, not

important for the text as a whole. Ackroyd completely omits these battles, that could be

characterised as “unnecessary digressions.” He only briefly describes the first usage of

the famous sword from the stone in the battle against King Lot of Orkney (18), who is

important for he is the husband of Morgause, Arthur’s half-sister. After Arthur defeats

Lot of Orkney, Morgause is sent to pay homage. Arthur finds her beautiful and desires

her and she “consents to share bed with him” (19) as both of them are unaware of their

relation. While Ackroyd mentions Morgause by her name, Malory describes her only as

a wife of King Lot (45), so the reader can get confused who is that exactly because it is

hard to remember who Lot is, as there are mentioned many kings and knights, let alone

who his wife is.

Ackroyd also adds some hints about a certain character or event, for example, after

Arthur sleeps with Morgause, Ackroyd writers: “From this much woe would spring”(19).

Or after there is first mentioned the name of Morgan le Fay, Ackroyd adds: “Much trouble

was being stored for the future of the kingdom” (10). These are two of many examples

where Ackroyd helps the reader orient in the text and in the situation better. As there is

an immense number of characters for today’s reader, Ackroyd tries to not only reduce the

number but also to help the reader remember who is who and what to expect, to be more

familiar with the situation.

Ackroyd obviously uses a different style of writing, however, everything that was

said about the themes in Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur can be applied to Ackroyd’s

14

Arthurian book. As mentioned, he stays faithful to the traditional concept. Though he

changes the structure and shortens the stories, he “keeps the magnificence of the stories”

(Pullman) and the plot unchanged. He emphasizes the episodes which are significant for

the Arthurian legend, that are of greater importance and shortens or skips those irrelevant

for the legend as a whole. For example, he allows a great space to the tales of Tristan and

Isolde, it almost forms one third of the book, but compared to Malory’s story of those two

that is “far too long and confused” (Lezard), he abbreviates it a lot.

Ackroyd says that the Arthurian legend is “a combination of bravery and fatalism,

endurance and understatement” (Albion 115). He keeps the theme of bravery and chivalry

as well as the one of fate. He mentions numerous scenes where fate was inevitable, for

example when Merlin prophesises he will be buried alive (18). Though he knows this

terrible thing is about to happen to him, he says he cannot escape it, he cannot escape his

destiny. The theme of Christianity is also not omitted, the great emphasis is given to not

only noble Lancelot but to his son Galahad, who is a Christian ideal. He is the only one

able to find the Holy Grail, he is the only one pure enough to carry the shield of Joseph

of Arimathea (183). Ackroyd even argues that kinghood is another form of baptism

(Arthur x), which suggests that Christianity and knighthood are inseparably linked

together.

Peter Ackroyd is one of the writers that drew inspiration from Malory’s Le Morte

d’Arthur and decided to stay faithful to this “original”. He does not make any changes in

the plot, only in the style of writing. He successfully retells the story of King Arthur that

reader can know from Malory’s piece of writing and at the same time adapts it for modern

audience.

15

3.2 TV Series Merlin

As argued before, the Arthurian legend changes with time. It started in the Middle

Ages as a chronicle record, then, in the times of chivalry, it took a form of romance and

throughout the centuries appeared in many other versions which seemed to be most

suitable for the time being. As the time passed, the modern technology appeared and

allowed the legend to move from the paper to the TV screen. Thus The Arthurian legend

inspired not only countless numbers of writers and playwrights but also screenwriters and

movie makers. In the 21st century the popularity that surrounds these legendary tales still

rises and more and more movies or TV series that are inspired by this legend are being

made. There are only few of those who have not heard the names as Merlin, Tristam and

Isolde, King Arthur or The Knights of The Round Table. The modern times brought new

possibilities, new ideas, revived the legend and allowed it to spread even quicker than

before.

One of the most recent TV adaptations that deals with this topic, and the one

chosen for this thesis’s analysis, is BBC’s TV series Merlin. The series was first aired in

2008 and was broadcasted on BBC One until December 2012. In total Merlin has five

seasons with 65 episodes. The series immediately gained millions of viewers and fans.

This success is surely caused by the approach the creators chose to use. Though Merlin

is based on the Arthurian legend, it differs in many aspects from the traditional concept.

Of course, each adaptation deals with the legend in a different way, some add something,

some leave something out, but Merlin uses a completely new, different point of view. In

modern days, the people are not afraid to let their imagination run wild and Merlin only

proves it. The creators of this series tried to change the traditional conception of the

legend and transformed it so it would be more appealing to today’s audience. They also

managed to attract the attention of a wider spectrum of viewers and not only those

16

interested in history. By adding a fresh modern twist Merlin became a popular TV series

watched by both younger and older viewers.

Several new characters are introduced and some main characters are shown in a

very different way. The main change is that the story is told from Merlin’s point of view.

As the title suggests, he becomes the main character. However, he is not the Merlin one

knows from the traditional tales. He is shown in his young years, almost as a teenager,

who only learns about his magic. He comes to the court of Camelot where he meets

Arthur, who is also introduced in his young age, as a young prince begore he becomes a

king. Arthur’s mother, Igraine, died while giving birth to Arthur but his father, Uther, is

still alive and well, ruling Camelot. He banned the practice of magic here and everyone

who disobeys is punished by death. For that reason Merlin must hide his magic but at the

same time he is forced to use it in every single episode in order to fulfil his destiny, which

is to protect Arthur. To not raise any suspicion, Merlin becomes the servant of Arthur.

That way he is always close to him and able to save him with his magic without anyone

noticing. This often causes humorous incidents, which is one of the driving forces of this

modern Arthurian version and clearly a new element for the Arthurian legend, as the

traditional versions have no comical moments.

Apart from Merlin and Arthur, other important characters from the traditional

legend appear here as well, for example Morgan le Fay or Guinevere, however, both of

them once again differ from the tradition. This will be further discussed in the chapter

dealing with the characters. The Knights of the Round Table as Lancelot, Gawain,

Percival and even Mordred also play an important part here as the concept of chivalry and

knighthood is maintained. However, some other themes are highlighted here, which are

not so important in Ackroyd’s, or Malory’s, version, most of all friendship, love, magic

and fate. Jones said that “Malory’s characters live in the enchanted land with a subtle

17

presence of magic” (69). The presence of magic is also presented in Ackroyd’s version,

however, it is nothing compared to the presentation of it in Merlin. Ackroyd talks about

many magical deeds, for example when Morgan le Fay turns her and her men into stone

(62), when Merlin uses his magic to change his appearances (7) or when the mysterious

hand from the lake catches Excalibur (306). However, it does not have such a magical

atmosphere as Merlin. One can even say that the emphasis given to Christianity, the faith

in God, in the traditional tales is replaced by the faith in magic here.

This TV series was originally supposed to serve as a prequel, which means that

the story told in Merlin precedes the storyline known from traditional tales. “We know

the ending to this story, but the BBC want to show us how they get there” (Martin). That

is the case of the first three seasons, where Arthur is only a prince. These seasons are

more positive, almost fairy-tale like with many comic episodes and supernatural elements

focusing mainly on Arthur’s and Merlin’s friendship and their fight against evil, in which

they always win. However, in the fourth season, Arthur is crowned a king and Merlin

works no more as prequel but it tells the tales already known from Malory’s work. The

well-known scenes and key story points are preserved, but sometimes interpreted in a new

way. There can be found the story of Excalibur, the story of sword in the stone, the

wickedness of Morgan la Fay, the adventures of the Knights of the Round Table or

Arthur’s death caused by Mordred. Merlin focuses mainly on Arthur’s storyline and the

ones associated with him closely, so the story of the Holy Grail, for instance, is omitted

completely. Merlin tries to show the scenes and motifs which are close to today’s viewer

as loyalty, friendship or some emotional struggle.

18

4. Characters

In this chapter is analysed how do the characters of Merlin, the BBC series, differ

from their traditional portrayal which is given in Ackroyd’s work, The Death of King

Arthur. Arthurian legend would be nothing without its characters. However, the

importance that is given to them differs with each adaptation. The audience today has

different demands and expectations and one of them is to have fewer characters that are

shown more often and are known better rather than to have too many of them only

characterized briefly. The modern TV adaptations stress the characters, they focus on

their personality, their development. Today’s viewer wants a character he can identify

with, someone he can sympathize with and create a bond with. The viewer expects to see

some interesting relationships and unexpected twists. Merlin is one of such adaptations,

as one of the cocreators of Merlin, Julian Murphy says that even though the chivalry and

the traditional events are important both “to the story and to the legend it was based on,”

he admits that the core of the show is mainly “the friendship, the loyalty, the devotion”

between Merlin and Arthur.

The majority of TV adaptations are more of a historical type, they follow mostly

the tradition. These adaptations show Lancelot as a lover of Guinevere, Merlin as an old

and wise magician, Mordred as Arthur’s son. However, Merlin modernizes the characters,

they are shown in a different light so they appear more attractive for today’s viewer. For

instance, both Merlin and Arthur are shown as young boys and the emphasis is given to

their friendship and the development of their characters from young reckless boys to older

wise men. The deep love between Lancelot and Guinevere is replaced by that between

Arthur and Guinevere. A romantic element is added as Guinevere is not a daughter of a

king but of a blacksmith. From an ordinary, poor servant girl she becomes a queen,

something unimaginable in the Middle Ages but today, a dream of every little girl and a

19

smart move of the creators that brings another fresh twist to this modern Arthurian

adaptation and makes the love story way more interesting. The most famous Knights of

the Round Table, Lancelot and Gawain are also both of humble origins, which once again,

makes them more interesting and likable by an ordinary viewer.

Some supporting characters already known from traditional tales appear here as

well but once again, they differ from their traditional portrayal. For instance, Morgause

remains to be introduced as a sister of Morgana but that is probably the only thing that

does not differ from Ackroyd’s retelling. Morgause is not a queen but one of the villains

of this series, a powerful sorceress that gangs up with her sister Morgana and plots with

her against Arthur. Another well-known villain to be found here is Mordred. However,

he is not Arthur’s son or nephew, he is not his relative at all, he is a Druid (peaceful kind

of people with magic) who possesses magic. As a little boy he is almost executed by Uther

but, paradoxically, Arthur saves him. This differs from the interpretation given in

Ackroyd’s book where Arthur willingly sends Mordred, who is on top of that his infant

son, to die, in order to save his own life when Merlin prophesies that he will be “the future

destroyer of the king and his kingdom” (28) Today, this deed seems horrible and would

be harshly criticized, so in Merlin, Arthur saves this boy instead because nothing else

would correspond with the character of Arthur in Merlin, as will be proven in a closer

analysis of Arthur’s character.

The creators of Merlin recreate the characters from the legend but sometimes also

experiment and create completely new ones. This is the case of a character of The Great

Dragon, Kilgharrah, as the Arthurian legend does not talk about dragons at all. As Merlin

is typical for its magical atmosphere, it simply could not work without the most magical

creature of all, the dragon. He is more than a thousand years old, thus he is also called the

Wise Dragon, as he has seen and experienced many various things. He often serves as

20

Merlin’s adviser. Another character, who also serves as a mentor to Merlin and is also to

be found only in this TV series is Gaius. Gaius is an older man serving as a court physician

of Camelot and he and the Great Dragon are almost the only ones to know about Merlin’s

magic. The decision to create these two characters has most likely to do something with

the fact that Merlin is only a young boy here learning to use his magic and he has to have

someone who can teach him, who can help him to become the great sorcerer known from

the traditional tales.

However, perhaps the most noteworthy newly created character of Merlin is

Geoffrey of Monmouth. He is made into one of the regular characters. He is shown as a

court archivist who also officiates at weddings, and he is even the one to crown Arthur

the king. This refers to history as Geoffrey of Monmouth is the first man to describe the

Arthurian tales and this gives the legend to a certain extent some historical credibility as

the idea behind this seems to be that Geoffrey of Monmouth will write his chronicle after

witnessing the story with his own eyes. And it may also refer to the fact that one of the

sources that the creators of Merlin draw inspiration from was Geoffrey of Monmouth’s

book, which proves for example the fact that the battles with Saxons are to be found in

both of those adaptations but not in Malory’s one.

The creators of Merlin did a great job creating the characters the way they did,

they managed to make them attractive to the audience to the extent that they almost “feel

like old friends” (Child). In this chapter will be further discussed the two main male

characters of the series, Merlin and Arthur, and the two main female characters,

Guinevere and Morgana.

21

4.1 Merlin: The Man Destined for Greatness

From Geoffrey of Monmouth’s time, the character of Merlin is a key figure of the

legend as without him the King Arthur would have never been born. He “stands in the

first file of Arthurian characters” (Jones 111) and the tales dealing with his character are

“as important as any of those dealing with the adventures of the great knights” (112).

Some authors decided to give to his character more importance, some less. However, as

the title suggests, the TV series Merlin makes of this magician the protagonist of the

show. “In a land of myth, and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the

shoulders of a young boy. His name… Merlin.” This is a voice-over used as an

introduction to each episode. This commentary not only evokes the magical atmosphere,

which is a crucial part of this programme, but it also points out the importance of Merlin’s

character. He stands in the centre of the story which is told from his point of view. It is

obvious that the character of Merlin is highly modernized as he is no longer the wise old

warlock but he is shown in his young years. He is made into a young, funny character

who keeps the series interesting.

In the first episode, Merlin arrives at Camelot, where he meets prince Arthur.

Thanks to his magic, he saves Arthur’s life and subsequently, he becomes his manservant.

Even though he seems to be a naive, clumsy boy, it is said that he is the boy “that will, in

time, father a legend” (1.01 “The Dragon’s Call”). By the Great Dragon he is told that his

destiny is linked to that of Arthur and that he must protect him. However, in the kingdom

where magic is outlawed he has to hide his powers and the protection of the future king

is demanding. In each episode Merlin faces new challenges and as he is young and yet

inexperienced he often needs help which he gets either from Gaius, his faithful friend,

who is like a father to him, or from the Wise Dragon.

22

Though magic is banned in Camelot, Merlin practises it all the time. This sneaking

around often causes hilarious scenes but sometimes it also shows Merlin’s struggle. He

says that without his magic he would be nobody: “If I can’t use magic, what have I got?

I’m just a nobody. And I always will be” (1.01 “The Dragon’s Call). Therefore, he uses

it but he is forced to do so in secret. He has to hide his true self, he cannot be who he

really is, even with Arthur, his best friend, who does not know about Merlin’s magic until

the very end: “It's lonely to be more powerful than any man you know and have to live

like a shadow. To be special and have to pretend you're a fool” (3.11 “The Sorcerer’s

Shadow”). Merlin says that he just wants Arthur to see him for who he really is because

even though Merlin saves Arthur in almost every episode, Arthur has no idea about it

until the very end. Merlin is never appreciated by him. The people who possess magic are

in Merlin the outsiders, rejected by the society. This portrayal of Merlin, this struggle he

is going through, is a completely new idea, something which is not present in the

traditional portrayal of his character. The creators came up with this idea because today,

almost everyone sometimes feels this way, like he cannot be who he really his, and this

struggle of Merlin makes the viewer, especially the young one, sympathize with him.

Understand him. It creates a bond between the viewer and this fictional figure.

Merlin is in the TV series often said to be the greatest and most powerful sorcerer

to ever walk the earth, “a man destined for greatness, a man who will one day unite the

powers of the Old World and the New, and bring the time that the poets speak of... the

time of Albion” (4.07 “The Secret Sharer”). Though in Ackroyd’s retelling it is not

literally said that Merlin is the most powerful man that ever lived, it certainly can be

argued that even here as he is described as an extraordinary magician who “was aware of

the secret life of all things” (Ackroyd, Arthur 7) and he is so mighty that he knows he is

being called even when his name is only “murmured in the wind” (7). In both modern

23

versions of the Arthurian legend that are compared here, Merlin is also the most trusted

advisor of Arthur, he is the one Arthur owes his life and the one who made Arthur such a

great king he is. Nevertheless, in both adaptations Merlin accomplishes these things in a

different way.

In The Death of King Arthur, Merlin is the one who makes it possible for Arthur

to be born as he gives Uther the shape of Igraine’s husband. Without Merlin’s help, it

would not be possible for Uther to lay with her and Arthur would not have been

conceived. Even though in Merlin, Merlin’s character has nothing to do with Arthur’s

birth, he saves his life countless times, in almost every episode, and therefore, also here

Arthur owes his life to this magician, even though he does not know it as until the very

last episode he knows nothing of his magic. However, even though Arthur believes

Merlin is just his manservant and often makes jokes about him, teases him, in his heart

he knows that Merlin is wise, as he once reluctantly admits: “Here are times, Merlin,

when you display a sort of - I don't know what it is. I want to say- it's not wisdom. But

yes, that's what it is” (3.02 “The Tears of Uther Pendragon”). He also calls him “a loyal

friend” (4.03 “The Wicked Day”) and “the only person he can trust” (4.06 “A Servant of

Two Masters”). This also corresponds with Ackroyd, as it is mentioned that “the king

relied very much on Merlin’s counsel” (46). After his first appearances in the novel,

Merlin promises he “will never be far away,” (8), which he fulfils even in Merlin, as he

practically never leaves Arthur’s side.

Merlin’s character is surrounded by mystery and magic. With Merlin’s character,

the reader is caught “in very heart of the land of enchantment and the spell of romance

inevitably falls upon him” (Jones 69). In the TV series the presence of magical

atmosphere is even highlighted thanks to the focus on Merlin’s character as “he is the

magic itself” (5.12 “Diamond of the Day I”). Among people with magic, Merlin is called

24

Emrys, meaning immortal. This name was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth and in the

series brings to Merlin’s character even more mysterious mood. When Merlin is called

by this name for the first time, he asks the Dragon about it. He replies that Merlin is

known by many names and that there is much written about him that he has yet to read.

(1.08 “The Beginning of the End”). This creates a certain kind of gripping atmosphere

and makes the viewer curious about Merlin’s character.

When Merlin is first mentioned in Ackroyd’s retelling, he appears in disguise, as

a beggar, but in a blink of an eye “his beggar clothes were transformed into robes of white

satin” (7). He changes his shape multiple times in the novel, once he shows up in the guise

of a fourteen-year old, then in the guise of an old man (20). Something similar is also

happening in Merlin, where he is also capable of changing shapes. With the use of an

aging spell he appears as an old grey magician. He does this so he can practises magic

without being recognized, but at the same time the creators show through this to the

viewer Merlin as not a young funny boy but as a great respected magician he will one day

become. This shape of Merlin resembles the legend’s Merlin in almost every way. A very

powerful scene enfolds during the last episode, when the battle of Camlann takes place.

Merlin appears in the guise of his older self and his magic is as powerful as never before.

Though he cannot save Arthur, he helps to win the battle and the creators manage to

spectacularly capture the journey that Merlin’s character has taken. From a young clumsy

boy introduced in the first episodes he turns out to be the powerful sorcerer one knows

from the Arthurian tales and the viewer gets to see his character’s development. It is once

said to Merlin: “You are wise, Emrys. Your wisdom will live long in the minds of men”

(5.02 “Arthur’s Bane II”). And it indeed does.

25

4.2 Arthur: The Once and Future King

The legendary King Arthur is a well-known figure not only all around Britain but

also throughout Europe. His character has gone through various stages from its first

appearance in history, from a mighty warrior, leader to once and future king (from the

inscription on his alleged tombstone). In the first existing adaptations of the Arthurian

legend he was the main hero of the stories, however, Malory gave the character of Arthur

more passive role and his knights become more celebrated than the king himself.

In Merlin, the glory is returned to Arthur’s character. Neither Lancelot nor

Tristam – Arthur is the true hero of the legend. He is shown as a just, honourable and

good-hearted king. However, he was not always like this, he has gone a long way from

the first episode where he appears to be, in Merlin’s words, “a spoiled prat” (1.01 “The

Dragon’s Call”) as he humiliates one servant. When Merlin is told that his magic was

given to him for a reason, which is to protect and support the young Pendragon on his

way to become “the once and future king that will unite the lands of Albion,” (1.01 “The

Dragon’s Call”), Merlin argues: “There must be another Arthur because this one is an

idiot.” The Wise Dragon answers: “Perhaps it’s your destiny to change that” (1.01), and

from this point on, the journey of Arthur begins and the viewer can watch a development

of Arthur’s character from an arrogant, narrow-minded prince to a king every subject can

be proud of.

Arthur is in both adaptations shown as noble and just. However, in Merlin, his

character is a little idealized. To be seen by the audience as the ideal of his time, as the

once and future king, he has to be meet today’s standards and expectations. In Malory’s

time, King Arthur was the king every man could be proud to serve. However, as the time

goes, many deeds he does in the traditional tales would not be seen very positively by the

modern audience that shares different moral and ethical values from the people in the

26

Middle Ages. For example, the murder of the children, as Arthur orders that all infants

born on the first day of May “should be embarked on a ship and left to the mercy of the

sea” (Ackroyd, Arthur 28), or sleeping with his half-sister would not be today taken

lightly. These scenes had to be omitted in order to keep Arthur the face of a worthy king.

Some scenes had to be, on the contrary, added. For instance, Arthur cares a lot

about the poor people, servants. The best illustration for that is his friendship with Merlin.

Merlin is his best friend, even though he is just a servant boy, and their relationship is one

of the main driving forces of the series. In the fourth episode of the first season, “The

Poisoned Chalice”, Merlin is poisoned and Arthur wants to go on a dangerous quest to

find the herb that can save his life. However, it is too risky and Uther says he cannot go.

“You’re to be king. This boy won't be the last to die on your behalf. Get used to it.”

However, Arthur says he can’t accept that. He wants to be a better king than his father

and he cannot help but care for the people who are in the eyes of his father worthless. In

later episodes, Merlin is once again in danger and Arthur saves him while admitting:

“..you’re the only friend I have and I couldn’t bear to lose you” (4.13 “The Sword in the

Stone II”). He also “values Merlin’s opinion above all others” (4.11 “The Hunter’s

Heart”), even though he is just a servant. The Arthurian legend does not talk about any

servants, just knights as in the Middle Ages, where the social hierarchy was even more

important than today, the life of a servant did not really matter, let alone his opinion. But

in Merlin, this care for poor makes Arthur look as a generous, kind man and brings much

popularity to his character.

His care for the poor is also proven by the fact that he falls in love with Guinevere,

who is in this TV series is a maid, a daughter of a blacksmith. This love could never exist

in Malory’s time and so in traditional adaptations she must be of a noble origin to be

allowed to marry Arthur. However, today’s belief that everyone is equal makes this love

27

possible in Merlin and makes Arthur look as the right king who follows his heart to fight

for his love. When Uther finds about this, he wants to banish Guinevere and Arthur says

he will leave with her, that he is willing to “relinquish his entitlement to the throne” (3.10

“Queen of Hearts”). To the audience Arthur seems as a right kind of man compared to

tyrannical Uther who would never allow this love. This one idealization of his character

makes him look as a man worthy to be considered to be the greatest king of Albion.

Arthur is often said to be the once and future king and the one who will “unite the

lands of Albion” (1.01 “The Dragon’s Call”) and bring peace to a troubled land. For his

greatness he has Merlin to thank for. In Ackroyd’s version, Arthur is taken as an infant

by Merlin from the court. Merlin says he will raise the child “so that it will bring great

worship and renown” (8). Arthur grows up knowing nothing of his origin. He is raised by

Sir Hector and his wife and taught to be modest, tactful and chivalrous. In Merlin, Arthur

knows who he is since childhood as he grew up at palace cared for by his father Uther

Pendragon. Growing up knowing he is a prince made him a little spoiled and arrogant,

however, Merlin appears in time there to change that. In almost every episode there is

some moral advice given to Arthur by Merlin that differs from Uther’s tyrannical beliefs:

“People should marry for love, not convenience. And if Uther thinks an unhappy king

makes for a stronger kingdom, then he's wrong. Because you may be destined to rule

Camelot, but you have a choice as to how you do it” (3.6 “The Changeling”). He also

encourages him all the time, saying: “You are honest and brave and true hearted and one

day you will be the greatest King this land has ever known” (4.12 “The Sword in the

Stone I”). This development of Arthur’s character is illustrated only in Merlin as there

are portrayed Arthur’s early years prior to becoming king. He is introduced in a partially

immature state before he becomes the legendary king and so the journey his character

takes, the becoming of the better man with the help of Merlin, is of a great importance.

28

In both adaptations, the story ends with Arthur’s death. In both adaptations is

Arthur’s life taken by Mordred but at the same time, Arthur is in a certain way his own

doom. However, in each adaptation it is interpreted differently, there are different

circumstances. In The Death of King Arthur, Merlin tells Arthur: “God is displeased with

you for sleeping with your half-sister Morgause. On her you have begotten a child who

will one day destroy you and all of your knights” (Ackroyd, Arthur 21). In Malory’s and

then, of course, in Ackroyd’s adaptation of the Arthurian legend, Christianity plays an

important role, so sleeping with a married woman, and importantly, with his half-sister

must be punished. It is said that this act will cause his doom. However, to be fair to him,

Arthur did not know Morgause was his half-sister and maybe thanks to that, God gives

Arthur a chance to save himself. After Mordred seizes Arthur’s throne, there is to be battle

between Mordred and Arthur. The night before that battle, deceased Gawain appears to

Arthur in a dream and tries to warn him: “God has given me leave to foretell your death.

If you fight with Mordred tomorrow, gracious king, you will fall. So will many of your

bravest knights. Out of pity for you and your men, Almighty God has by His special grace

granted me this chance to give you warning” (302). Arthur initially plans to listen to his

deceased cousin, however, things go wrong and the battle between his and Mordred’s

knights begins. Many of Arthur’s knights are killed and Arthur, angry and saddened

deeply, says: “I pray to God I may yet see my son, Mordred, and slay him. He is the

marker of all this mischief” (304). Knight Lucan tries to dissuade Arthur from going after

Mordred: “Do you not heed the words of Gawain concerning you fate? God has protected

you so far. You have won the victory…So leave off now, sir king, and this dreadful day

of destiny will pass” (304). However, Arthur, too controlled by his emotions to see

clearly, says: “Whether I live or die, I will have my revenge upon him” (304). There is

clearly shown that even though God is angry with Arthur, he has mercy on him. However,

29

Arthur, too stubborn and rash to take the heed of Gawain’s words, becomes his own bane.

He fights with Mordred and the prophecy of his death comes true.

In Merlin, Merlin asks in one episode “What is Arthur’s bane?” (5.02 “Arthur’s

Bane II”), and the answer is “himself” (5.02). What makes him his own bane could be the

close friendship with Mordred. Arthur saves Mordred when he is a little boy and after

many years, when Arthur is already a king, he meets Mordred again, already grown up,

and makes him a knight of Camelot. He puts trust in him, even though he does not know

much about him. It is said to Merlin to not make the same mistake as Arthur did, to “not

trust the Druid boy” (4.10 “The Kindness of Strangers”). It is never said to Arthur though

that “Mordred is destined to play a part in Arthur’s death” (5.05 “The Disir”), that he is

dangerous for him, so it can be argued that it is not so much his close relationship with

Mordred that makes him his own bane, but mostly his attitude to magic.

As in Ackroyd’s book, also in Merlin, Arthur is given a waring and chance to save

himself but he is once again too stubborn to heed those words. The Disir, messengers of

the Triple Goddess, which is something like God in Merlin’s universe, tell him that he

has angered the Triple Goddess by continuing with banning the use of magic: “You have

denied the Old Religion (form of powerful magic). Dismissed its faith. Persecuted its

followers. Even unto slaughter… Embrace the ways of the Old Religion, Arthur. Or risk

the ire of the Goddess. The destruction of everything you most value. The end of your

reign. The fall of Camelot itself.” It is said “it is both judgement and fate” and “answer

from the ancient gods” However, they say it is “not too late to find the true path. Redeem

yourself. No further chance shall be given” (5.05 “The Disir”).

Nevertheless, after a long time of consideration, he decides not to embrace the

Old Religion, not to embrace magic. Merlin himself contributes to this decision as he

30

ironically says: “There is no place for magic in Camelot” (5.05 “The Disir”). He does so

because Arthur is trying to persuade the Disir to save Mordred, who is mortally wounded

in the beginning of this episode, and the Disir tells Arthur they will do as he wishes if he

embraces the Old Religion, the magic. Merlin believes that if Arthur does not do as they

say, they will let Mordred die and once Arthur’s future destroyer is gone, so will be the

prophecy of his death. However, upon return to Camelot, they see Mordred, alive and

well. Merlin realises that Mordred living is Arthur's punishment for not allowing the use

of magic, as Mordred is the one destined to cause Arthur’s death. The producer of Merlin,

Julian Murphy says that Arthur’ tendency “to let his heart rule his head will have terrible

consequences” and by this he probably means his decision to keep the magic banned,

believing it is the right thing to do even though the Disir warns him that it means his

doom. This important feature of Arthur’s character is preserved in Merlin, though

changed slightly, the main message is kept, which is Arthur being too stubborn to listen

to the Gods and trust in prophecies, and perhaps too foolish to think he can overcome

them.

In almost every adaptation of the Arthurian legend including The Death of King

Arthur, the prophecies come true though and Arthur dies. But as in Merlin are some

massive changes in the plot, the fans were not sure what ending should they expect for

their favourite character, hoping he might defeat the fate in this adaptation. Unfortunately,

the creators decided to stay faithful to the legend in this aspect, even though Murphy

admits they were sad to do this, Arthur’s dying is “a massive part of the legend” and thus

they decided to keep it. Arthur is in Malory’s and Ackroyd’s version mortally wounded

by Mordred in the battle against him and his forces. The battle is not named. In Merlin,

the killer of Arthur remains the same but the battle is named as the battle of Camlann and

Arthur does not primary fight against Mordred but against Saxons, so it could be argued

31

that in this scene, creators drew inspiration more from Geoffrey of Monmouth’s

chronicle, where the battle is named and is also fought against Saxons.

In previous episodes of Merlin, this battle is mentioned in the prophecy that talks

about Arthur’s doom: “…for brother will slaughter brother, for friend will murder friend

as the great horn sounds a cold dawn at Camlann. The prophets do not lie. There, Arthur

will meet his end upon that mighty plain” (5.10 “The Kindness of Strangers”). And

indeed, he does. Arthur, after being mortally wounded during the battle, is taken by

Merlin to the lake of Avalon. On their journey there, Merlin reveals he has magic. Arthur

is angry at first but then accepts Merlin even with sorcery, saying to him to “never

change” and thanking him for everything he has done for him (5.13 “Diamond of the Day

II”). By his reaction he proves he deserves all the glory that is given to his character.

In both adaptations, Arthur’s body is taken to the Lake of Avalon. In The Death

of King Arthur it is done by Bedevere and Arthur’s body carried across the lake is

accompanied by three queens, including Morgan le Fay. It is also mentioned that “some

men say that Arthur is not dead, but by the will of Jesus Christ he will come to us again

when we need him” (308) and that on his tomb at Glastonbury is written “here lies Arthur,

the once and future king” (308).

In Merlin, Arthur’s body is taken to Avalon by his best friend, Merlin. This scene

is very touching as Merlin cries saying to Kilgharrah “I can’t lose him! He’s my friend!”

(5.12 “Diamond of the Day II”). Kilgharrah response gives Merlin hope though that he

will not lose Arthur completely: “Though no man, no matter how great, can know his

destiny, some lives have been foretold, Merlin... Arthur is not just a king - he is the Once

and Future King. Take heart, for when Albion's need is greatest, Arthur will rise again”

(5.12). The hope of Arthur’s return is kept and even intensified as the very last scene of

32

the series is the old Merlin, walking today around the lake of Avalon, dressed in modern

clothes, lorry passing by him, still waiting for his friend to rise. The death of Arthur is

very sad, “but at the same time, it’s quite a sad legend, to be honest, so it’s only a

reflection of that” (Murphy). And the creators admit they tried to “soften” the ending and

“give it a sense of hope that he would one day rise again, and that Merlin even to the

present day was waiting for that to happen” (Murphy). Arthur’s return signalizes hope

and the feeling of hope is in today’s society very much needed so the creators even

highlighted it.

33

4.3 Guinevere: The Once and Future Queen

Guinevere, or, as she is called for short in Merlin, Gwen, is the most famous and

important female character in both Malory’s and Ackroyd’s version. In Merlin, her

popularity is kept though she shares it with Morgana.

In The Death of King Arthur, she is known as a “daughter of King Lodegraunce”

(46). When Arthur says to Merlin about his intention to marry her, Merlin warns him that

she will cause him “great anguish,” (46) because she will fall in love with Lancelot.

However, Arthur marries her anyway for she is “the fairest and most fearless woman”

(46) that he has ever met. Her bravery is proven for example in the scene where she and

Arthur are being followed by the five kings, the enemies and they must cross a river with

high and rough waters. Guinevere argues: “I would rather drown than fall into the hands

of those men” (50). This feature of her character is kept in Merlin where it is even

accentuated.

In early episodes, before her romance with Arthur begins, Merlin’s native village,

Ealdor is being attacked by bandits, Arthur, Gwen and Morgana travel to Ealdor to help

him defend it. Guinevere proves to be fearless and able to take care of herself as she

convinces Arthur to let her, Morgana, and the other women of the village fight. At the

same time she also scolds him for his lack of gratitude for the food the people there give

him. Arthur is surprised by her courage and instead of accusing her of showing him

disrespect, he apologises for his behaviour and starts to be more and more fascinated by

her. Guinevere’s character is in Merlin shown to be not only of a great courage but also

of a great influence, which she has especially on Arthur. She is shown as a wise woman

with her own opinions, not afraid to speak up, almost like a feminist. This would be quite

impossible in the Middle Ages where there was nothing like gender equality but in Merlin,

her character serves as a model for younger female audience.

34

With this feminist portrayal of her is connected the fact that in Merlin she is no

longer a daughter of a king but of a blacksmith. She works as a servant at the castle, in

the beginning as personal maidservant of Lady Morgana. This is one of the main

differences in her portrayal in the two discussed adaptations. In the traditional tales, her

character has to be of noble origin, otherwise her marriage with Arthur could not take

place and, perhaps even more importantly, so could not the courtly love with Lancelot as

the essentiality of courtly love is the knight fighting for his lady, not for a servant. In

Merlin, her transformation into the poor girl makes her much more sympathetic to the

ordinary modern viewer who can identify with her character, with the image of an

ordinary person who can one day become important, as she will become a strong

independent queen. This romantic, almost fairy tale like element gives the viewer hope

that everything is possible.

As mentioned above, in the traditional tales Guinevere is not only known as a wife

of King Arthur but also, and mainly, as a lover of Lancelot. Their affair and their love

forms an important part of the legend. In The Death of King Arthur, there is said almost

nothing of the relationship of Guinevere and Arthur, almost no scenes of them two are

mentioned, but great space is allowed to the love of Lancelot and the Queen. For instance,

when Lancelot is about to depart for the Quest of the Holy Grail, Guinevere is deeply

saddened, angry even, by the fact that he will leave her: “Ah, Lancelot! You have betrayed

me. You have sentenced me to death by your absence …I curse the day I first saw you.”

(180) However, he promises he will return to her and after his promise is fulfilled, the

two of them are even “more ardent than ever before” (227). The emphasis placed on this

relationship is caused by the medieval interest in courtly love.

Guinevere is in the traditional stories portrayed as “generous, passionate, tragic”

(Lacy, Ashe an Mancoff 320). Her character is pitied as “she is married to Arthur whom

35

she respects but can never love, she loves Lancelot, whom she can never marry” (Lacy,

Ashe an Mancoff 320). When the king askes her father for her hand in marriage, she does

not really have a choice, she cannot say no to the king. For that reason their marriage is

not entered into with love, even though Arthur finds her very beautiful and worthy to be

his wife, it can be viewed more as a political move. This claim also supports the fact that

he has no problem to sentence her to death after being told about her affair: “To save my

honour, I must also consign my wife to the flames” (275). Gawain tries to talk him out of

it, saying there is no proof of her guilt but Arthur remains strict and says: “The law is a

law. The queen must go to the stake” (276). However, in Merlin, their relationship is of

completely different nature and subsequently, so is her romance with Lancelot.

When Lancelot appears for the first time in the show, there is yet no relationship

between Guinevere and Arthur. This differs from Ackroyd’s version, where Guinevere is

already married to Arthur when she meets Lancelot. In Merlin, Guinevere develops

romantic feelings for Lancelot right away as he does for her. However, nothing further

happens between them because Lancelot features in only one episode. After some time

they are reunited when Guinevere is kidnapped and Lancelot tries to save her. He admits

to her he feels lost and Guinevere comforts him saying: “You are everything that is right

with this world” (2.04 “Lancelot and Guinevere”). He replies she gave him hope, a reason

to live for and he also admits his feeling for her, claiming that he would die for her one

hundred times (2.04). Unfortunately, during Lancelot’s attempt to save Guinevere, they

are caught and would be killed if Arthur, whose feelings for Guinevere are already

developing, did not save them. Lancelot realizes that Arthur loves Guinevere. He proves

to be “the most noble of them all” (4.02 “The Darkest Hour II”), saying he will not come

between them and leaves. In this episode, the creators of Merlin give the audience

something from the medieval legend, the known romance of Lancelot and Guinevere but

36

they recreate it in their own way. They show Lancelot as a better man than the legend

does, as he is loyal enough to Arthur to not let his feeling for Gwen change that.

After Lancelot’s departure, the love between Arthur and Guinevere develops.

Guinevere falls for Arthur and their love is shown as a true love and is turned into purely

romantic love as Guinevere, a maidservant loves the prince and the prince loves her back.

In the early episodes, Arthur argues “nothing can ever happen between us [him and

Gwen]” (2.04 “Lancelot and Guinevere”), knowing his father would never allow him to

marry a person of a humble birth. Nevertheless, he loves her too much to not express his

feelings and they meet in secret. This forbidden love between Arthur and Guinevere

brings another fresh twist to the Arthurian legend and an interesting storyline to watch.

As Arthur becomes the king, their love can become more public, they do not have

to hide their feelings anymore and Arthur proposes to Guinevere. “With all my heart”

(4.09 “Lancelot du Lac”) is her response and the preparations for the big wedding start.

However, the creators decide to follow the legend once more and bring Guinevere’s

adultery to the screen. Morgana says “I will not see that woman upon my throne” (4.09

“Lancelot du Lac”) and comes up with a scheme how to separate Arthur and Gwen. She

enchants Lancelot to seduce the future queen. Guinevere’s love for Arthur is, however,

too strong and she does not fall for his affection. In response to that, Morgana comes up

with another scheme, she enchants Gwen too. In the end, their affair takes places in one

episode, however, magic has to be used here to force Lancelot and Gwen to cheat on

Arthur. It is made clear that, had they not been both under the influence of magic, they

would not have betrayed Arthur. Lancelot is too noble and loyal for that and Guinevere

is extremely faithful and loves Arthur truly. “Gwen is the most kind, loyal person you

would ever meet” (2.04 “Lancelot and Guinevere”). The weakness of character necessary

for Guinevere to betray her king and her future husband has not been a part of her

37

personality in Merlin. This is also a huge difference from her traditional portrayal which

is given in The Death of King Arthur where Guinevere seems to remorselessly cheat on

her husband. Her character is shown in the best light in Merlin and adultery would ruin

that.

As any other character analysed in this chapter, also Guinevere has gone a long

way from the first episode. From an insecure young maidservant, she turns to a capable,

strong woman, a queen. After Arthur’s being mortally wounded, he gives his ring with

Royal seal to Gaius saying: “Give this to Guinevere. If I am to die, I can think of no one

who I would rather succeeded me” (5.13 “Diamond of the Day II”). And this last wish of

his is fulfilled. After Arthur’s body is taken to Avalon, the viewer sees Guinevere sitting

upon the throne, holding Arthur’s ring with a crown on her head and the remaining

Knights of the Round Table shouting: “Long Live the Queen” (5.13). The creators admit

they had it in their minds since the third series: “…to take Gwen from a servant girl to a

powerful and strong queen, a person who can bind the kingdom together, was the journey

we wanted to do” (Murphy). This fairy-tale like element, where a servant girl becomes a

queen is a major difference from Guinevere’s portrayal in the traditional stories and

leaving her to bring peace to Albion alone is a huge feminist feature allowed only in

modern adaptations.

38

4.4 Morgana: The Witch Consumed by Bitterness

Arthurian names can take many forms. This is the case of the character analysed

in this subchapter, Morgan le Fay or, as she is called in Merlin, Lady Morgana. She is

one of the best-known villains of the Arthurian tales. Though Ackroyd mentions her name

only a couple of times and she figures in only few adventures, in Merlin she becomes one

of the main characters and she features in every episode. Perhaps Merlin is the one

Arthurian adaptation that gives this character the most significance and space for

development. While in mediaeval versions it was mostly about chivalry and therefore the

main figures were men, knights, today’s viewer is more interested in some emotional

scenes, some character’s development and he expects to find in the TV programme both

female and male characters. For that reason, Morgana becomes one of the main

characters, so that Guinevere is not the only woman in the show and also because villains

are today “often the most interesting characters, often the characters you love the most”

(Murphy).

In the traditional tales, she is known as the person who wanted to bring doom to

Arthur. She is his half-sister, as they share the same mother. When Ackroyd mentions her

for the first time, it is said that she was put into a nunnery to “learn the mysteries of the

magic stone and other secret arts” (10). Right after that is noted that “much trouble was

being stored for the future of the kingdom” (10) Further, she is described as an evil

woman, as “an earthly demon” (61) who wants to see King Arthur dead because she longs

for power and wants to rule instead of him. Therefore Arthur is “the man she most hates

in the world” (58). She is shown as a villain but the reader never finds out why she is the

way she is, there is nothing to be found about her story. From the start she is the evil witch

that has no problem to destroy everything that stands in her way, not even her husband as

39

she tries to kill him once (61). However, there is given no explanation for her crimes, for

her hatred, there is no motif.

In Merlin, her character is not so simple. A cocreator of Merlin, Julian Murphy

says that it would be “too easy to set up Morgana and say here is the villain of the show.”

He adds he does not believe anyone would really “be intrigued or cared about a character

like that.” So in Merlin her character is made a little more interesting, a little more

complicated. She is introduced as Uther’s ward. She lives at the castle with Arthur and

Uther but she is not a daughter of Igraine, it is said and believed she is a daughter of a

friend of Uther, Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, as she is in Ackroyd’s book, and his wife

Vivienne. It is only later revealed she is actually Arthur’s half-sister, as the traditional

tales tell, however, in this version she is not his sister through Igraine but she is an

illegitimate daughter of Uther with Vivienne.

In the beginning Morgana is nice, sensible, a lovable character. She cares for

everyone, even her servants. However, things start to change when her magic powers start

to show up. She begins to have nightmares that turn up to come true. As Uther, her

guardian, has outlawed magic and hates it more than anything, her struggles begin. She

tries to protect those who Uther sentenced to death for practising magic, arguing: “What

if magic isn’t something you choose? What if it chooses you?” Nevertheless, Uther does

not listen, he really is even in the show portrayed as a tyrannical king, “a dragon in wrath

as well as in power“ (Ackroyd, Arthur 5) and Morgana’s hatred for Uther starts to

develop.

The breaking point comes when she finds out she is Uther’s daughter, that Uther

had an affair with Vivienne, Morgana’s mother, and that for Arthur’s sake he means to

never reveal it to anyone, as Arthur’s succession to the throne would be endangered. “In

40

Malory, Morgan Le Fay is the daughter of Igraine with Gorlois, and thereby Arthur’s

maternal half-sister, without claim to the throne of Camelot. In Merlin, she is a royal heir,

a Pendragon” (Nygard 26). Morgana loses the little affection she has left for her guardian

believing he cares more about his reputation than he does about her and the legitimate

right to the throne drives her to plot against both Uther and Arthur to seize the throne

herself. “Every day I must look Uther in the eye knowing that if he were to discover who

I really am, he'd have me killed” (2.11 “The Witch’s Quickening”). By saying this she

proves that she really believes she has no other choice than to take matters in her own

hands and her becoming the main villain of the show is not completely her fault.

For a while she is successful in her plotting as she really manages to seize the

throne for herself and is crowned the Queen of Camelot. She is defeated soon by Merlin

and Arthur though, ruling for only two episodes, however when she rules, she turns out

to be just the same as Uther. She initially wants to decriminalize magic and stop

persecuting those with magical powers but in the end she ends up killing innocent people,

too. She is consumed by power and hatred and it takes out the best of her. She says to

Uther she hates him more than he can imagine and she will kill him, but not just yet. “First

I want you to suffer as I suffered. To know what it's like to be alone and afraid. To be

disgusted with who and what you are” (3.13 “The Coming of Arthur II”). It is once said

to her: “You’re consumed by bitterness Morgana. It spreads within you like a diseases”

(4.05 “His Father’s Son”). And it really does. However, it is shown it is not entirely her

fault. Morgana’s character shows that society can be sometimes full of prejudices and its

rejection of sorcerers, people like Morgana, can lead to their corruption. Societal

prejudice is an issue that is common even today and therefore is interesting for modern

viewer, as he can in a way understand Morgana.

41

There can be found some other differences in the modern and the traditional

portrayal of Morgana. In Ackroyd’s version, she is married to King Uriens (10). In

Merlin, she remains single, unmarried. As there is so much focus on her personal

development, there is no room for her character to have any romantic relationship and on

top of that, all she cares about is taking down the kingdom. An important difference is

also the fact, that in The Death of King Arthur, she is the one who accompanies Arthur to

Avalon in his final moments: “...king was carried across the lake in the company of the

three queens. One was the sister of Arthur, known as Morgan le Fay” (308). This indicates

that she has found a right path, redeemed herself. This does not occur in Merlin as

Morgana remains the villain until the end. In the last episode she is killed by Merlin who

says that “the time for all this bloodshed is over” (5.13 “Diamond of the Day II”). He

adds: “I blame myself for what you’ve become but this has to end.” Morgana says she is

the Hight Priestess and therefore no mortal blade can kill her, however, Merlin has no

mortal blade, he uses with Excalibur and Morgana dies a villain.

The journey of Morgana is perhaps the most elaborated one. Julian Murphy admits

that they “spent a long time building her.” “The fact that she became bitter and vengeful

was a product of circumstance; it wasn’t what she was born as.” She had to begin as

somebody the viewer cared about, someone likable. Her transition into the villain is then

more interesting as she is not just an evil witch but also “a complicated, broken, wronged

character” (Murphy) that according to the creator of Merlin “all the time sort of has a

case”. However, even though she has a case, a motive, her hunger for power becomes so

excessive that it almost makes one wonder if it is even possible for a person to undergo

such a personality change. Nevertheless, her character is certainly fascinating and better

worked-out than in previous Arthurian adaptations and the goal of the creators to make

42

her “much more fascinating and so much more interesting to be with” (Murphy) is

accomplished.

43

5. Motifs and Themes

As the Arthurian legend would be nothing without its characters, it would be also

quite a different legend without its themes and motifs. The atmosphere that the audience

gets from this legend is a crucial element that determines the course this legend will take.

For the mood this story leaves on the reader or the viewer, the Arthurian legend found a

permanent place in the hearts of people. Not only chivalry and with that connected

loyalty, honour and friendship but also the motif of fate, predestination, the presence of

magic and supernatural features are an essential part of these tales that has to be kept in

each adaptation to convey the message of this legend. In this chapter will be further

discussed the importance of the motif of magic and supernatural, and of destiny and

prophecies.

44

5.1 Magic and Supernatural

In Arthurian romances the presence of magic in a world seems to be common,

normal, almost like in fairy tales. “Magic is all around. It is woven into the very fabric of

the world” (4.03 “The Wicked Day”). In both The Death of King Arthur and in Merlin,

magical atmosphere, magical creatures or magical objects can be found in a large number.

However, in Merlin its importance is even greater than in Malory’s and Ackroyd’s work

or perhaps in any other adaptation. Magic in Merlin is one of the main issues of the story.

It is not only about enchantments and supernatural creatures but magic here is also used

as a metaphor for religion or faith and the determining force of good.

In both versions, “magic plays a significant part in Arthur’s conception” (Saunders

181). Arthur would have never been born if it were not for magic. In Ackroyd’s book,

Arthur is conceived thanks to Merlin’s usage of enchantments as he gives Uther the shape

of Igraine’s husband and thanks to that, Uther is allowed to lay with her. In Merlin, Uther

is the husband of Igraine so he does not need to change his shape to be with her, however,

the creators keep the presence of magic surrounding Arthur’s birth. It is said that Igraine

cannot have children thus magic is needed to get her pregnant. She and Uther use help of

their friend, sorceress Nimueh. However, subsequently Igraine dies because “the balance

of the world needs to be restored” (1.13 “Le Morte d’Arthur”), and by using magic to

create Arthur’s life, another life has to be taken in exchange. Magic plays an important

part right from the beginning and surrounds Arthur’s life right from his birth, even though

it differs in each adaptation. The presence of magic and mystery surrounding Arthur’s

conception is kept in order to make his character look more mysterious, more special. In

order to give him the image of the once and future king, the interference of the

supernatural, of some unearthly forces is required.

45

Magic then keeps playing a significant part in the Arthur’s life, not just his birth.

Magic “both human and otherworldly” (Saunders 181) serves in both adaptations as “the

frequent catalyst for adventure” (181). In Merlin, magical creatures appear in almost

every episode trying to bring the kingdom down and Merlin, using his magic, fights them.

Also in The Death of King Arthur magic often plays a part in the adventures of the knights

for example when Lancelot is fighting giants (78) or when Galahad finds a buried fiend

talking from his grave. (187) However, most importantly, the magic is connected with the

adventures of the swords of Arthur, Excalibur and the sword from the stone.

In Malory’s version, Arthur initially pulls out the sword from the stone. It is

written upon the side of the sword that “whoever pulls out this sword from the stone and

anvil will rightly be king of all England” (Ackroyd, Arthur 12). Anyone who tried “could

by no means move it” (13) until “Arthur stepped forward and with the greatest ease

withdrew the sword” (14). With this sword he then wins his first battle: “He drew out the

sword he had lifted from the stone. It was so bright that it gave out a light like thirty

burning brands and its rays seemed to pierce the sky. Once he had borne it aloft, he carved

it through the ranks of the kings” (18). This magical feature of Arthur being the only one

to pull out this sword ensures the reader that Arthur really is the once and future king.

The other sword, Excalibur is given to him by the Lady of the Lake: “from the

surface of the water there emerged an arm clothed in white that in its hand held a shining

sword” (27). The sword comes with the scabbard, which is said to be “worth ten times

more than the sword” because nothing can happen to him while he carries it (27). This

scabbard is later stolen from him by Morgan le Fay, however, Excalibur stays with him

until his last day. Upon being mortally wounded, he orders one of his knights, Bedevere

to take Excalibur “to the lake that lies just beyond the edge of the forest” (305) and then

“throw the sword into the water” (305). Once he does this, a hand rises from water,

46

catches the sword and then “disappeared with it beneath the surface of the lake” (306). It

is the same lake, where Arthur’s body is then taken, so his magical sword is there waiting

for him once he rises again.

In some modern adaptations, it has gone from being two different swords to only

one, which is the case of Merlin. In this TV series, Excalibur is forged with Dragons

breath. The Great Dragon says it is a weapon of “great power” (1.09 “Excalibur”) made

for Arthur and Arthur only and that in wrong hands it can cause “a great evil” (1.09

“Excalibur”). By mistake, Uther uses this sword. Dragon orders Merlin to “take the sword

far from here and place it where no mortal man can ever find it” (1.09 “Excalibur”).

Merlin throws it to the lake of Avalon. However, later this sword is needed once more

and Merlin goes to the lake to get it. Now, just like in the legend a hand appears from the

lake holding the sword. Merlin uses the sword and once its task is done, Kilgharrah

repeats to Merlin to “place it where none can wield it” (3.13 “The Coming of Arthur II”)

and Merlin places it into the stone. When Arthur starts doubting himself, wondering if he

really deserves to be a king, Merlin remembers this sword and to restore Arthur’s

confidence, he tells him the tale of the sword, stating that only a man being destined to

be the greatest king of Albion can pull it out. Arthur, of course, succeeds. After he dies,

Merlin casts Excalibur back into the lake of Avalon where it is caught by the Lady of the

Lake. In the series, Arthur is not handed Excalibur directly by the Lady of the Lake,

Merlin gives it to him instead and the two swords become one, but otherwise the story of

the swords in Merlin mirrors the one told in the legend. This shows the importance of

these magical objects, how their supernatural features emphasize the exceptionality of

Arthur and once again prove the importance of magic in the life of Arthur.

However, as argued before, in Merlin magic serves not only to bring enchanting

atmosphere but also as an issue of greater importance. Whereas in The Death of King

47

Arthur, Christianity and religion plays an important part, as was illustrated on the example

of the Quest for the Holy Grail and pure and sinless Galahad being the only one able to

succeed in it, in Merlin, religion as we know it is not mentioned at all. The only religion

that appears in the series is the Old Religion. The Old Religion is a form of extremely

powerful magic. “The Old Religion is the magic of the Earth itself. It is the essence which

binds all things together. It will last long beyond the time of men” (1.13 “Le Morte

d’Arthur”). The Old Religion is widely practised in Camelot before Uther forbids it after

he loses his wife because of it. It was led by the High Priest or Priestess, which Morgana

later becomes. The dilemma that Arthur in Merlin faces is whether to allow the practice

of the Old Religion, which Uther forbade. Whether to stop with persecution of its

followers who have to hide their beliefs and practises this magic in secret. All of these

features remind us of the religious persecution and the problem which many kings faced

in the past, whether to be tolerant and allow the practice of the given religion or not. That

is why it can be argued that magic in Merlin serves as a metaphor for religion, particularly

Christianity, that is today not so crucial as it was in the medieval and thus the creators

tried to come up with something which could attract the audience more, in this case,

magic.

The practice of magic is obviously quite often found in The Death of King Arthur

and even more frequent in Merlin, even though the practice of magic is banned here under

the penalty of death. When Arthur becomes king, he still keeps the magic outlawed but

he tries to distinguish between good and bad sorcery. This contrast of good and evil magic

is a key issue in both modern adaptations. Should magic be allowed? Is it a force for

good? Or is it bad, a force for evil? Merlin once says: “There is no evil in sorcery, only

in the hearts of men” (5.09 “With All My Heart”). This claim is proven to be true in

Merlin and also in The Death of King Arthur. “Malory imagines good and evil

48

forms of enchantment” (Saunders 248). Whereas Merlin symbolizes natural, light magic,

Morgana is the inverse. Her magic is dark, full of necromancy.

This contrast between them is clearly shown already in the traditional story as on

one side is Morgan le Fay who uses her magic as “arts of illusion and shape-shifting

characterized by the deception, jealousy and betrayal” (Saunders 248) and seeks the

destruction of the kingdom and on the other side is Merlin, who uses his magic for good

and wants the kingdom to flourish. However, in Merlin this conflict of bad magic,

represented by Morgana, and good magic, represented by Merlin, is even highlighted as

the main focus of this modern adaptation is given to the characters, their development and

relationships and therefore the fight between those two protagonists and their opposed

approach to magic becomes one of the main storylines.

“She is the darkness to your light, the hatred to your love” (5.13 “The Tears of

Uther Pendragon II”). This sentence said to Merlin about Morgana is proven to be true

throughout the series. It is said that magic is “neither good nor bad, it's how you use it”

(1.03 “Nimueh”) and these two support that claim. Merlin had Gaius to teach him how to

use his gifts rightly, however, Morgana was alone, she had no one to show her the way

and the magic corrupted her. Merlin once tells her: “It does not have to be like this, we

can find another way” (3.02 “The Tears of Uther II”), but she answers “there is no other

way” (3.02), clearly believing that. Had Merlin told her that he also possesses of magic,

she might have seen there could be other way, that she can also use her magic for good.

However, she does not know about his magic until the very end. Merlin once argues: “I

thought... because she has magic, I thought we were the same.” And the Dragon says:

“And in some ways you are.” However, Merlin denies it arguing: “No. I will never be

like her.” (3.02 “Tears of Uther II”). “Morgana functions as a cautionary tale for the titular

hero. She is what he could become if he makes the wrong choices” (Nygard). Fortunately,

49

he does not make the wrong choices and magic is proven to be not something evil but a

force for good, however, when it appears in the wrong hands, magic can corrupt, people

tend to use it for their own ends.

Ultimately, the magic is proven to be the crucial part of the Arthurian legend. Not

only for the atmosphere the magical and supernatural features induce, but also for what it

symbolizes, in traditional stories the contrast between good and evil and in Merlin even

the religion. There would not be a story of King Arthur without the magic he is influenced

by. Morgan Le Fay, The Lady of the Lake and, of course, Merlin play vital roles in the

story of King Arthur, making it fascinating and with the help of magic the greatest king

is born.

50

5.2 Destiny and Prophecies

“None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin, and none of us can escape it” (1.01

“The Dragon’s Call”). This quote said to Merlin right in the first episode of the series

reveals the conception of destiny throughout the whole story. Destiny is the major theme

of the Arthurian legend. The inevitability of fate is constantly reminded of in both chosen

adaptations. The prophecies made by Merlin or by some other person with magic come

true every single time. The fatalism is mostly bound with the character of Arthur or Merlin

but there can be found some motif of destiny also with connection to Morgana or

Guinevere.

Just as magic does, also destiny surrounds Arthur’s character from the beginning

till the end. He is destined to be a great king as is proven in The Death of King Arthur by

being the only one able to pull the sword from the stone. In Merlin, it is said also right in

the first episode that Arthur is “the once and future king who will unite the land of Albion”

(1.01 “The Dragon’s Call”) and it is mentioned numerous times in the series. This

predestination of Arthur to be the greatest king that Albion has ever seen is in Merlin even

more highlighted than in the book as it creates this magnificent mood and makes the

character of Arthur more interesting, more respectable to the viewer.

Another prophecy that surrounds his character in both adaptations is the one about

Mordred. It is said that Mordred will be the bane of Arthur’s kingdom (Ackroyd, Arthur

26), that he is destined to play a part in Arthur’s death (5.05 “The Disir”). This once again,

comes true in both adaptations, even though in Merlin it seems unlikely as Mordred is

introduced as such a kind boy. The creators do this on purpose, making the audience

curious, what is going to happen that will turn Mordred against Arthur or if there is a

possibility that this prophecy could be prevented from fulfilling. However, it fulfils in

both adaptation showing that even Arthur cannot escape his fate. There is this promise of

51

Arthur coming back to life though. This prophecy is said with same certainty as the one

about his death. In Merlin, it is literally said that it is Arthur’s destiny to rise again (5.13

“Diamond of the Day II”) and as no one managed to escape his destiny yet, this gives

hope of Arthur’s return.

The destiny in The Death of King Arthur is just as importantly connected to the

character of Merlin as it is to Arthur. Merlin is the one to make here all the prophecies.

He is the one to foretell the greatness of Arthur (8), the adultery of Guinevere (46) or the

death of king caused by his son (28). He also foretells his own fate which is being buried

alive (48). Arthur asks “if you see your fate so clearly, why can you not avert it by the

force of your magic?” (48) Upon which Merlin replies: “It cannot be. This is my destiny”

(48). This once again proves the importance of the motif of destiny in Arthurian legend,

it proves that all our deeds are already foretold. Saunders says that “Merlin figures as a

shaper of destinies” (238) however, this thesis argues that he functions more as the

mediator of destines than its shaper. Had he the ability to shape destiny, he probably

would not choose to be buried alive. The destiny is more likely to be shaped by some

otherworldly forces and cannot be changed by any human, not even by the one with such

great powers as Merlin. He can foretell destinies but not shape them.

One of the prophecies made by Merlin states that the woman Arthur trusts most

in the world will steal Excalibur from him (48). This later turns out to be Morgan le Fay.

In Merlin, the Dragon warns Merlin about her even before she shows even a slightest

indication of evil arguing that the “ancient prophecies speak of an alliance of Mordred

and Morgana, united in evil” and that “she cannot be trusted” (2.03 “The Nightmare

Begins”). These examples prove that the fate of Morgana was sealed a long time ago. The

creators of Merlin emphasize this inevitability of fate, as she is such a warm-hearted

person in the beginning but she becomes the villain despite that.

52

The Dragon tells Merlin he should kill Morgana before she causes any harm.

However, Merlin refuses to believe that as she is initially such a warm-hearted person.

Unfortunately, the prophecies do not lie and the fate proves to be inevitable. After

Morgana shows her darker side, Kilgharrah says to Merlin “your futures are now joined

forever” and to Morgana is said another prophecy proving the link between their destinies:

“The one they call Emrys will walk in your shadow. He is your destiny and he is you

doom,” which once again turns out to be true as Merlin thwarts every single one of

Morgana’s plans and in the end is the one to kill her, to bring her doom.

In the series, Merlin is not the one to make prophecies, as he is too young for that

but they are always told by someone else, they play here as important role as in the

traditional story. To give an illustration, the prophecies about Mordred killing Arthur are

repeatedly said by the Dragon, as is mentioned above. Also right in the first episode it is

told to Merlin: “How small you are for such a great destiny”, indicating his future is

already known. Later, Merlin is said to be “a man destined for greatness” (4.07 “The

Secret Sharer”). Merlin says that this weight of destiny sometimes makes him feel

trapped: “Like your whole life has been planned out for you and you have no control over

anything, and sometimes you don't even know if what destiny decided is...really the best

thing at all” (3.06 “The Changeling”). This shows that the power of prophecies and

destinies is not only used to amuse the viewer but it once again serves as way that the

viewer can sympathize with Merlin.

In the beginning of the season five, Merlin is shown a vision of Arthur dying at

Camlann. Morgana sees also a vision in which Guinevere becomes Queen long time

before she actually does. Those two examples of the prophecies given in Merlin are based

on the legend and function “as teasers for the audience, promising them great drama to

come” (Nygard). Every single prophecy made in Merlin comes true, proving that “none

53

of us can choose our destiny and none of us can escape it” (1.01 “The Dragon’s Call).

This gives the audience a hope in the very last scene of Merlin that also the prophecy

made about Arthur rising again will come true.

54

6. Conclusion

The Arthurian legend that first appeared in the Middle Ages managed to keep its

popularity for centuries until today. Many literature works dealing with this topic were

created in past and are still being created even nowadays. Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur,

can be considered as the most significant piece of writing that talks about this legend as

the newly created adaptations are mostly inspired by his work.

This is the case of the first discussed adaptation of this thesis, The Death of King

Arthur by Peter Ackroyd. This thesis argues that as he is a writer focusing on history, he

tends to be more conservative and tends to put the emphasis on staying faithful to the

original, to Malory’s version. He modernizes the style of writing and simplifies the story,

but otherwise, he tells the story of the legend the same way Malory does. He manages to

transform this extensive work into a brief story, however at the same time he manages to

keep the characters, episodes and the key story points unchanged. In this he differs from

the second discussed adaptation, the TV series Merlin.

The modern age allows the legend to be taken from paper to the TV screen and

this new form of spreading of this mediaeval story also brings new ideas, new

possibilities. TV adaptations of this legend usually differ from the traditional story and

Merlin is no exception. This series reimagines the story and the characters, it shows the

legend from a new point of view, it shows the events prior to the legend. The famous

characters are shown in their young age, before becoming famous. The authors of Merlin

recreate the characters so they are more interesting for modern audience. They create

characters that young people today can relate to, as young people form a huge part of the

audience. For instance, Merlin’s struggle with not being able to be who he really is, is

something a young viewer can identify with. Or Morgana’s journey to becoming the

villain is so elaborated that her character also becomes one that the viewer can sympathize

55

with. Some features of certain characters are also idealized so that the character is more

likeable by today’s viewer. This is the case of especially Arthur’s character and his love

for Guinevere, a servant or his close friendship with Merlin, another servant, which could

not take place in medieval time, however, today it shows Arthur as a man who treats

everyone as an equal and that is viewed very positively by the modern audience.

The creators of Merlin keep the major scenes and themes of the story but they also

reshape it so they are more attractive to today’s viewer. For instance, the religion as we

know it is replaced by the Old Religion, a form of magic. The adultery of Guinevere with

Lancelot is shown as a result of enchantment. The interesting theme of destiny is

highlighted and the prophecies made in the series serve as a teaser, something that the

viewer can look forward to. Comical elements that are completely absent in The Death of

King Arthur are also added in order to liven up the legend a little.

The creators of Merlin were right to use their imagination as they managed to

revive the Arthurian legend and make it once again attractive for the current audience. It

is said in Merlin once: “The story we have been a part of will live long in the minds of

men” (5.13 “Diamond of the Day”). And it indeed does. The legend of the once and future

king found a permanent place in the hearts of people. The extraordinary story of this

ancient monarch and the characters that surround him lives on through this legend and so

does the promise of Arthur’s return and the hope it gives to the audience.

56

7. Bibliography

Primary sources

Ackroyd, Peter. The Death of King Arthur. London: Penguin, 2011. Print.

Malory, Thomas. Le Morte D'Arthur in two volumes. Trans. Cowen, Janet. Vol. 1, 2.

Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1969. Print.

Murphy, Julian and Johnny Capps, creators. Merlin. Shine Limited. BBC, 2008.

Television.

Secondary sources

Archibald, Elizabeth, and Ad Putter, eds. The Cambridge Companion to the Arthurian

Legend. New York: Cambridge UP, 2009. Print.

Ackroyd, Peter. Albion: The Origins of English Imagination. New York: Anchor Books,

2002. Print.

Ackroyd, Peter. “Interview with Peter Ackroyd.” Twentieth Century Literature. 42.2.

(1996): 208–220. Jstor.Web.18 November 2016.

Child, Ben. “Why I’m mad for Merlin”. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media,

29 Sept. 2011. Web. 15 April 2017.

Geoffrey of Monmouth. Histories of the Kings of Britain. Trans. Sebastian Evans.

London: J.M. Dent, 1904. Print.

Daniel, Martin. “It might take a magician to make Merlin work”. The Guadrian. Guardian

News and Media, 19 Sept. 2008. Web. 1 April 2017.

De Troyes, Chrétien. The Knight of the Cart. Trans. Burton Raffel. New Haven: Yale UP,

1997. Print.

57

Lacy, Norris J., Geoffrey Ashe, and Debra Mancoff. The Arthurian Handbook. 2nd ed.

New York: Garland Publishing, 1997. Print.

Layamon. Brut. Trans. Eugene Mason. Project Gutenberg. 8 Dec. 2004. Web. 28 Mar.

2017.

Lezard, Nicholas. “The Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd – Review.” Rev. of The

Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd. The Guardian. Guardian News and

Media, 23 June 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.

Murphy, Julian. “‘Merlin’ co-creator Julian Murphy on series’ emotional conclusion.”

HeroComplex.LaxTimes.com. Los Angeles Times. 06 Feb. 2013. Web. 10 Apr.

2017.

Nennius. Historia Brittonum. Trans. J. A. Giles. Project Gutenberg. 25 Feb. 2006. Web.

30 Mar. 2017.

Nygard, Ingrid. “The Arthurian Legend on the small screen: Starz' Camelot and BBC's

Merlin.” Diss. University of Oslo, 2013. Duo Research Archive. Web. 15 April

2017.

Pullman, Philip. Rev. of The Death of King Arthur, by Peter Ackroyd. The Death of King

Arthur 2011. Print.

Saunders, Corinne J. Magic and the Supernatural in Medieval English Romance. Boydell

and Brewer, 2010. Print

Wace. Arthurian Chronicles: Roman de Brut. Trans. Eugene Mason. Project Gutenberg.

16 Dec. 2003. Web. 28 Mar. 2017

58

8. Resumé (English)

This bachelor’s thesis focuses on the modern retellings of the Arthurian Legend,

namely on BBC’s TV series Merlin (2008), which is compared with the book The Death

of King Arthur (2011) by Peter Ackroyd.

The Arthurian legend forms an important part of British national mythology. It is

one of the best-known stories of mediaeval literature of Great Britain and even nowadays

is still widely popular. Numerous books, plays or even poems that deal with this story

were written in the past. Perhaps the most significant one is Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir

Thomas Malory. This masterpiece was published in 1485 and for centuries has kept its

popularity as even today modern authors still draw inspiration from this text. One of them

is Peter Ackroyd in his book The Death of King Arthur. He retells here the story as one

knows it from Malory’s book. Though he adapts the style, modernizes the language and

shortens the story, he keeps the storyline, the events and the characters unchanged. In

this he differs from TV series Merlin, whose creators let their imagination run wild and

highly modernize the story and characters.

In this thesis is analysed the portrayal of the main characters and interpretation of

the main themes and motifs that can be found in Merlin and compared with their

traditional depiction that is given in The Death of King Arthur. Throughout the thesis is

proven the fact that the changes made are influenced by the modern audience, in order to

make the character more likable by the modern viewer, in order to make the viewer

identify with the character given and to make the themes, motifs and scenes known from

the traditional story more attractive.

59

9. Resumé (Czech)

Tato bakalářská práce se soustředí na moderní převyprávění legendy o králi

Artušovi, a to zejména na seriál Merlin (2008) z produkce BBC, který je porovnáván s

knihou Petera Ackroyda The Death of King Arthur (2011).

Legenda o králi Artušovi tvoří důležitou část britské mytologie a příběh, který tato

legenda vypráví, je jeden z nejznámějších příběhů britské středověké literatury, a i dnes

je stále velmi populární. V minulosti vzniklo mnoho knih, divadelních her či básní

založených na této legendě. Za nejvýznamnější dílo, které o této legendě hovoří, může

být pravděpodobně považována kniha Artušova smrt Thomase Maloryho. Toto veledílo

bylo vydáno v roce 1485 a po dlouhá staletí si udrželo svoji oblíbenost. I dnes čerpají

současní autoři z tohoto díla inspiraci. Jedním takovým je Peter Ackroyd ve své knize

The Death of King Arthur. Ackroyd tu převypravuje příběh tak, jak jej můžeme znát

z Maloryho knihy. I když styl psaní své knihy přizpůsobuje modernímu čtenáři, zkracuje

ji a používá současný jazyk, děj zůstává nezměněn, stejně jako postavy. V tomto se liší

od TV seriálu Merlin, jehož autoři se nebáli zapojit svoji představivost a modernizují jak

postavy, tak příběh legendy.

V této bakalářské práci je rozebráno zobrazení hlavních postav a hlavních témat a

motivů, které mohou být v seriálu Merlin nalezeny, což je následně porovnáno s jejich

tradičním zobrazení, které je poskytnuto v knize The Death of King Arthur. Tato práce

dokazuje, že změny, které jsou v seriálu provedeny, jsou ovlivněny moderním publikem.

Postavy jsou zobrazeny tak, aby se s nimi mohl moderní divák ztotožnit, najít si v nich

zalíbení. Scény a motivy jsou taktéž adaptovány tak, aby byly dnešnímu publiku jistým

způsobem bližší.