Who is He Really?

After reading Malory's text, I believe it's fair to say that the picture we may have painted of King Arthur's character is now a little blurred. We were led to believe he was a just and noble king, however, some of his decisions are a bit contradictory to that claim.

My concern primarily lies in the fact that Arthur would not be the same person had Merlin never taken hold of his life. In the beginning, it seemed as though Arthur relied on Merlin for advice and guidance, but as the story progressed, it becomes clear that Merlin really needs to be around so that Arthur doesn't lash out and do anything insane.

Merlin is also around because, well, Arthur may not be as strong and powerful as we originally thought either. After all, Merlin saves Arthur's skin on multiple occasions, including the battle against the kings and the confrontation with Pellinore. Merlin also prevents Arthur from exacting his revenge on Pellinore after obtaining Excalibur, saying, "to win would bring you no honor, to lose would be to increase your shame. And lose you might, because he is still stronger than you." This also made me realize - Arthur isn't really a merciful king either. He's perfectly human, but maybe not necessarily perfect for the throne.

There are some instances that display Merlin's rashness as well, including the very obvious example of advising Arthur to send a ton of babies out to die. Taking all of this into consideration, I couldn't help but wonder: who is Arthur really - could he exist without Merlin? More importantly, I just can't trust Merlin as far as I can throw him; something about this puppeteer doesn't sit right with me.

GIF from giphy.com

Fantasy and Magic

Malory's piece on King Arthurs allows the reader to explore some key differences between the tale and Geoffrey of Monmouth's piece. Malory's story reads more like a novel. There was a wider range of characters, deeper narratives, and an emphasis on magic and trickery. Geoffrey's piece reminds of a  modern propaganda with a disproportionate emphasis on warfare and religious fervor. The major difference that stood out was the major role that Merlin played in Malory's work in comparison to the minor role that he played in Geoffrey's work. Merlin's character represented a split from a focus on the crusading and religious fervor to a focus on the internal conflict and fantasy. Both narratives posit that War of the Roses and rising problems with the Catholic Church made the common folk look for something that would give them a reprieve from the harsh world they inhibited.

                                   Image source-BBC.UK.com

God and Arthur

One of the quotes I found most interesting in Arthur in Geoffrey of Monmouth was on page 61 where Merlin is asked to explain the meaning of a star that had just appeared. He proclaimed "The glorious king of the Britons is dead, Aurelius Ambrosius, by whose death we shall all die, unless God brings help."

This really made me wonder what role God and religion played in Arthurian times, and how it weaved its way into Geoffrey of Monmouth's literature. Perhaps he thought that there must be theology, or no one would believe him. After all, aren't we all still asking whether or not King Arthur was "real?"

Merlin from giphy.com