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#merlin character analysis
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i was talking with someone earlier and i told her, "I love you and so I know you, I know you and so I love you" and i started to think about how merlin knows arthur the best.
he knows arthur's moods and arthur's smiles. he knows what arthur doesn't say, all the hidden words, all the misplaced phrases. he knows the "i want to see your smile, i dont want you to suffer, im worried" behind his "thats better". he knows his trust and where is given, he knows the truth behind the lies, he knows the person under the crown. he knows what makes arthur brave and what makes arthur courage, because they may be similar but are also different. he knows arthur's threats and arthur's flaws and arthur's failures, he knows arthur's abilities and arthur's potential and arthur's kindness. he knows arthur and he notices arthur and he sees arthur.
merlin knows arthur the most.
and he loves arthur the most.
merlin knows arthur and so he loves him. merlin loves arthur and so he knows him.
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sexy-sapphic-sorcerer · 4 months
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BBC Merlin being about 'magic' for 7 minutes gay
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I love this scene so goddamn much.
Look at Arthur's face. Look at where he's looking. Not Aredian. Not Gaius.
But Merlin.
Expectantly. Tensely. He knows he's going to do something.
Look at how instantly he gets up when he sees Merlin charging forward - to him this is not surprising at all.
How well Arthur knows Merlin and how much he's willing to do for him isn't a blaring light in this episode - it's shown in small pieces like this, which is why I love this episode so much.
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Writing Mordred is slowly making me realise I don’t actually hate him.
The more I think about it, the more I realise he’s just a traumatised child who felt trapped and ran out of options when every single person in his life who was supposed to help him failed in some way or others. Most in more than one way if we’re being honest.
The kid literally had no one to turn to when the girl he loved died and was openly hated by the guy he’s thought of as a god since he was a child.
Like let that sink in.
Merlin openly wished him dead, and Mordred literally worshipped the ground he walked on.
(I’m usually a Merlin apologist but bloody hell he fucked up at every opportunity when it came to Mordred)
Morgana was the exact opposite of his morals but wanted magic free, (at the cost of non magic users lives which is also problematic, but that’s a different conversation) so he didn’t stick around with her, but when Camelot no longer felt safe for him, he ran.
Which is definitely a trauma response considering how he grew up with the Druids and then whatever the fuck happened after he left them.
Arthur was the only person who was continuously good for him, saving him as a child and later becoming a brother/father figure, but then he killed Kara and Mordred had to watch another magic user be killed by Camelot except this time it was someone he truly believed was good. He didn’t see her attacking Arthur like she did, just that the king of Camelot was killing another magic user which was bound to bring up trauma that he hasn’t felt safe enough to unpack and heal from.
I have a lot more to say on this, but I’ve got to leave for work in a few minutes so I’ll come back and scream about it another time
Fucking Mordred though, poor kid. He really went through it.
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larluce · 3 months
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I want to talk about Arthur's reaction to Merlin being a sorcerer in magic reveal fics.
There are the ones that portray a very violent and cruel Arthur. Fisically injuring Merlin on impulse or trying to supress his magic with cold iron. Almost killing him by accident due to outburst or ignorance for him to feel very guilty afterwards. I get why they do it. The angst and drama. And, while there are very well written fics with these prompts, I don't actually believe Arthur would react that way. No matter how betrayed, angry and hurt he feels.
True, there were occasions where Arthur reacted badly, or really, just two occasions: when Morgause told him the truth about his birth and he almost killed his father, and when Gwen "cheated" on him with Lancelot and banish her. However, in the first scenario he genuinely believed his father had killed his mother just out of selfishness, the mother he never got to meet and blame himself for her death all his life, and then killed thousands, not really out of guilt or revenge which probably was Uther main motive, but out of pure hypocrisy. Honestly, even the most kindhearted and nonviolent person would react that badly! I don't think we can compare learning your best friend lied to you about being a sorcerer for years with that. When it came to Gwen though Arthur was actually merciful. As King he should have had her executed, he couldn't NOT punish her in some way because there were witnesses and he couldn't be look as a weak or unreasonable King. And even as angry as he was, he let her explain herself, he was willing to listen to what she had to say. Looking a little backwards, when Arthur found Gwen kissing Lancelot and went on full rage, he never draw his sword at her and is actually when she put herself between Lancelot and his blade that he stops. The woman he loved betrayed him, made him look like a fool infront an entire council and probably the entire kingdom as well and yet he never once insulted her. The much he did, besides banish her of course, was shaking her by the arms in his anger but it's short lived and he quickly apologised after that, because even after what Gwen did to him he can't bare the though of hurting her.
Then there are the fics were Arthur reacts too nicely to the news. He is understanding, he doesn't even get mad at all. He is fine with Merlin being a sorcerer right away. While these fics tend to be cute and all fluff, they make less sense to me that the first ones I mentioned. Arthur still was raised to hate magic, that doesn't go away just in a minute. Also while he can be a very reasonable man, he is a very resentful one too, at least when it comes to trust. We've seen this through the series, nothing breaks his heart more than someone he cares for betraying his trust. Returning to the previous example, while he let go Gwen unharmed after the infidelity, it took him a long time to actually forgive her. Also, while not being a violent man normally, Arthur can be very hurtful with words when he's upset. He threathened Merlin with banishment when he was still hurt about Gwen and Merlin kept reminding him about her. When Merlin decided not to go with him to the most important battle in his life, he said his famous "I always though you were the bravest man I ever met... I guess I was wrong". He didn't actually mean the words, but he's hurt so he hurts others to appease the pain. Was he being unfair and selfish when he said these things? Yes, he's not perfect, he has flaws but that makes him human.
So, how do I actually believe Arthur would react if he had found out about Merlin's magic before Canmlan? Not so different really. He would have said hurtful things, would demand to be alone, for Merlin to leave (not banishment), but he wouldn't fisically injure Merlin in any way. He also wouldn't arrest him at least there were other witnesses and he had to keep appearences, because he's still king of a kingdom that bans magic. But even then he would late let Merlin explain himself and make sure he has a fair trial, a trial Arthur would definitely arrange in a way Merlin is found innocent, or he would give him a royal pardon, and he would make sure Merlin is not harm while he's in the dungeons. Banishment would be a last resort if the council is firm about Merlin being punish, because laws and mentalities can't be changed in a day after all.
But if there're not other witnesses, Arthur would simply not require his servicies for a while, ignore him for some days, weeks maybe, but not a long time really. Again, he can be a resentful person, but not an unreasonable one, he would eventually call for Merlin and be willing to listen to him. The intesity of his anger and hurt, and how troubled he feels about his believes on magic, would depend on which season the magic reveal happens. But, generally, the actions he would take would be the same. Let's remember that even when he found out about Merlin's magic in Camnlan, after all the betrayals he suffered, when Merlin left him alone with Gaius, he ordered Gaius, not for Merlin to be arrested or to disclose to someone Merlin was a sorcerer, but to have Merlin take a word to Gwen! To his wife! If he really believed Merlin was evil, that he could hurt him, he wouldn't dare to do that. Also, as soon as he learned he needed Merlin to have a chance of survival, he accepted his help, reluctantly yes, but he did let him take him to the sidhe when he could easly refuse and demand Gaius to do it or refuse to do it all together cause going to the sidhe would mean using magic on himself and put faith in a sorcerer. So, no, I don't believe he ever planed on taking Merlin to the dungeons, much less kill him, even then. He just wanted to be left alone for a moment, he needed Merlin to leave because it hurt to see him after the revelation, after the betrayal.
Anyways, those are my thoughts. What do you think?
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hakka84 · 3 months
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I don't think Merlin ever stopped thinking of himself as a monster.
His mother was a very careful woman, never use magic, control it, never tell anyone, hide it. Always hide it. And yes, hunith was doing it to protect him, but she also never considered that her son was magic, that maybe she should have let him talk about it, at least with her. She never let merlin express his magic, so merlin never learned how to let others see his magic, see him.
Gaius was, in many ways just like his mother. Even more careful, he lived in Camelot after all, he witnessed the purge. He did acknowledge it, helped merlin to control it but he also sucked the fun out of it. Magic is a tool, use it for good, not fun it's too dangerous. And like that, merlin lost yet another part of himself. He was taught to not even express himself alone. His existence was tied to Arthur's well being, his magic stopped being a part of who he is, he became a tool for Arthur. And Merlin lost his sense of self.
The dragon scared him. Not with his teeth and fire, with the knowledge that this majestic being that was made of magic could be so full of hatred. The dragon was a monster. So he who was also made of magic, who had done so many horrible deeds, must also be a monster. And that's how his belief was reinforced, he must truly be a monster.
Morgana turned evil. This fierce, stubborn and truly good woman turned evil. And yes, he knew it was because of fear, but maybe, just maybe there was a little voice in his head, telling him magic does corrupt after all, it does change people. And that's how he lost his hope.
Arthur was his purpose, his reason for existence. And in the end he believed magic was evil. Merlin understood then, that he could never be free, never be understood. Maybe he kept dreaming, but they were just that, dreams. And that's how he lost his purpose.
Merlin never supported magic in a way that mattered. At the most important moment he betrayed it, betrayed himself. Yes, he lived Arthur, he didn't want to loose him, he was scared, he wanted to protect him. But there must have been another reason, a voice in his head thay kept saying he didn't deserve to be free, that magic didn't deserve to be free. Merlins life was made difficult by his magic and he had just as many bad experiences with it as Arthur had. So would it be that surprising if he, deep down, had the same resentment as the rest of Camelot for it?
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albentelisa · 7 months
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Hi! So, was there any headcannon or theory you had of Merlin in Trollhunters while writing Mirrored Conviction's? Because he could easily be seen as the villain given how it looked like he manipulated Jim when he was trying to make him into a half troll if Wizards hadn't shown why he did that.
Hi, sorry for the delay with the response - I've been rather busy lately. So, without further ado let's proceed to the question.
Honestly, I've never viewed Merlin as a villain. Yes, he totally sucks as a person, and even the fact that he acknowledged Douxie in Wizards changes nothing. On the other hand, I find it interesting that a deeply flawed character like Merlin is one on the good side (and has always been).
And now to some headcanons (which I also use while writing my fics):
Merlin is commonly disliked in the magic community because he's arrogant and mostly acts according to what he considers the most beneficial to his goal (which is humanity's survival). Obviously, that led to countless situations where he outright abandoned his allies when there was an option to save them while jeopardizing the plan. The situation with Jim in Wizards proves it good enough and I feel that one wasn't the first or only time Merlin did that. And obviously, that wouldn't give him much love from everyone else (and Zoe hates him for a reason too).
Merlin led both Arthur and Morgana to their downfall or at least, partially responsible for that. Why do I think so? Let's start with Arthur. I believe that Merlin to Arthur was the same kind of figure Blinky was to Jim - a mentor, an older friend, and kind of a father. However, unlike Blinky who can always find the right words for Jim in his darkest and lowest moments, Merlin either didn't know what to do or outright ignored the problem (somehow, I more lean towards the latter). It seems like after Gwen's death, Morgana was the only one trying to reach her brother. If Merlin had joined her, everything might have ended differently.
As for Morgana, instead of leading her and helping to find control over her shadow magic, Merlin tried to correct her magic, most likely putting her within some strict regulations. He obviously finds shadow magic vile and corruptive, refusing to see that it might be not different from a knife - a tool that could be used both for good and evil. Obviously, Morgana lost all the respect for her master she had most likely possessed initially as Merlin had never listened to her or her opinion.
Merlin is also incredibly stubborn and frigid. He lacks adaptability and fails to either have some backup plans or adjust his plans on the spot. That one is his clear weakness.
And another of his problems is that he's a genius and has convinced himself that he knows better than everyone else. It led to the mindset that only his plans were right and everyone else just told him some unhinged and dumb stuff that would never work (which could be as far from the real state of things as possible). Merlin also genuinely believes that if he cannot do something, no one will be able to do a thing and that if something didn't work for him, it wouldn't work for someone else.
So? Merlin may be intelligent, but he isn't wise. He's too short-sighted to see the bigger picture and too stuck to his own beliefs to see alternatives.
There's some curious detail about Nari. It makes some sense that she came to Merlin after abandoning the Arcane Order because despite all his flaws he was probably the best when it came to giving her shelter. However, Nari also seemingly treats Merlin nicely, despite being his enemy for a long time before coming to him. It may have something to do with Nari's personality, but I also have a headcanon that Nari knew Merlin before he grew to become the unpleasant person he is now. Nari is hopeful, so, perhaps, she still believed he could change his ways.
And now, there's some heavy speculation part. The scene when Merlin manipulated Jim made me think that Merlin was projecting his own experiences there. He seems to be the kind of person who absolutely loathes their younger self. Most likely, Jim was unlucky enough to remind Merlin of his younger days.
I feel that Merlin lost some dear people during his young years, most likely because of his own reckless actions. He probably thought that if he took some precautions it might end differently. That is why he chose to force Jim to undergo the transformation. In Merlin's eyes that might even count as some kind of redemption for his youth's mistakes. He sees nothing wrong with that and believes it is a good thing and that Jim is simply too young and naive to understand and will come to appreciate it later. And obviously, Merlin believes that ruining Jim's everyday life wasn't a big deal. To his mind, it was an adequate sacrifice. Well, Merlin simply forgets that Jim is not him or even his younger self.
I had a discussion with a friend once, who claimed that younger Merlin was like Douxie, but personally, I feel that Douxie reminds Merlin of the close person he had lost in the past (best friend, perhaps?). That would explain why Merlin ordered Douxie to stay away from everything until he woke up - so that Douxie didn't end in some kind of trouble. I feel that Merlin was scared to lose Douxie, because it would be a second time for him.
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sakuraswordly · 2 months
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Source: Merlin Season 4 Episode 13 Guinevere vs Morgana
As you can see, this scene is very important. Although this fight scene is not the best like in Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. But this shows how courageous Guinevere is, and why she's worthy to be a queen and this scene shows that Morgana still cares about her, but it's fate and Morgana knows that her betrayal will betray her because of fate, that's why Morgana make her decision to fight Guinevere as destiny.
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queerofthedagger · 7 months
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even if it's full of love all a ghost can do is haunt (x)
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doyoueverstopandthink · 6 months
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me: i’m perfectly normal about this show thanks‼️
also me: is actively analyzing the music from said show
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merlin magic reveal analysis
"I am a sorcerer, I have magic… and I use it for you Arthur, only for you."
I was thinking about this (as i often find myself doing of lately) and something i have already mentioned somewhere but never deeply explored is the deeper meaning behind Merlin's words.
in the episode, Balinor appears to Merlin when everything seems lost, and he tells him the truth about him: he is not only a magic haver, he is magic itself.
Merlin, you are more than a son of you father. You are son of the earth, the sea, the sky, magic is the fabric of this world, and you were born of that magic. You are magic itself. You cannot lose what you are.
without dwelling right now about how inspiring and beautiful the message itself is (maybe ill write an in-depth analysis on that later on), it is known that Merlin IS magic. he doesn't simply have magic, he isnt only born with magic, he is magic. Merlin is a part of the essence that magic is, a being of nature, in a way just like a mystical creature. he is both human (he has human parents, he is made of flesh and bones and blood, he was born like a normal child) and magical.
magic, the same magic that is the fabric of the world, gave birth to itself under the form of a boy - Merlin.
so. Merlin is magic. and magic is Merlin.
and, when he confesses to Arthur that he is a warlock, that he has been using magic for years, he knows this. he knows that Merlin and magic are synonym.
and thats why his confession of magic is also something deeper. when Merlin tells Arthur that he has magic, and that he uses it only for him, he is not just admitting of his powers.
he is giving himself to Arthur.
by saying that Merlin's magic is only Arthur's, he is saying that Merlin himself is Arthur's. Merlin whole existence belongs to him, is his. I have my reasons to believe that, if the circumstances were different and Arthur had discovered about Merlin's magic in a different way, Merlin would rather die than leave Arthur's side. even if Arthur exiled him, Merlin would either stubbornly refuse to go, or find another way to stay.
because Merlin's magic, without Arthur, has no reason to exist - and so Merlin himself.
Merlin, in this scene, is baring himself to Arthur, he is saying "I am yours. everything i am, my very soul, my very essence, has always been yours, and always will be. i use magic only for you, and magic is me, we are the same."
and what does Arthur replies to his admission? he orders Merlin to leave him.
he rejects him. even if Arthur has every right, at this point, of feeling confused and not knowing how to act (and I think that Arthur sends him away also because he doesnt want to hurt him, or do and say anything he might regret later, but he needs time, to process everything that happened), he rejects Merlin.
and Merlin's face is the most heartbreaking thing ever.
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he is confused. Merlin. he is confused because Arthur told him to leave him. he is hurt because Merlin just told him that everything he is belongs to Arthur, that he is Arthur's, and, even if he knew that it would have not been taken easily, he is still hurt and upset and confused.
that's what breaks my heart the most. because by rejecting his magic (first by saying that Merlin cannot have magic, he would know, and then by telling him to leave), Arthur is rejecting him. he is not simply rejecting a part of Merlin, he is rejecting everything Merlin is.
if Merlin is magic, and Arthur rejects magic, then Arthur is rejecting Merlin as well.
not that Arthur knows the extent of what Merlin says, and this is the real tragedy, because we know, and Merlin knows, but Arthur doesnt. Arthur doesnt know everything Merlin did for him, he doesn't know what Merlin's confession truly is (one could say that it's a love confession, whether you call it romantical or not, it's a confession of love and loyalty, as Merlin is giving all of himself to Arthur).
Arthur spent ten years without knowing just how much Merlin gave him and, when Merlin tells him, Arthur doesn't completely get it, he doesn't know.
"I thought I knew you."
"I'm still the same person.
this part is important as well, because Arthur tells Merlin that he thought he knew him - he thought he knew what he was. and Merlin answers by saying that he is still the same person. because he is.
just as Merlin is magic, magic is also Merlin. it's not another part of him. it's him, and even if Arthur didnt know that Merlin is the most powerful sorcerer alive and Emrys and all that, even if Arthur didnt know what Merlin did, Arthur still knew (and knows) Merlin.
but the depth of it all is lost in translation. Arthur is dying, and won't ever know about everything. Merlin is trying to save him, but he knows that he can't make it. they dont have the time to understand each other, not anymore.
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fluffypotatey · 1 year
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Random but how old do you think the knights, Gwen, and Merlin are?
*pulls down that giant rolled up projection screen they use in classrooms* okay sO
from what i remember, BBC Merlin canon timeline is 10 years (give or take) with some timeskips here and there just to speed up the process for a 5 season show.
now, here is a list of my assumptions of the characters' ages based on what hints canon provides us as each season begins
s1 character ages:
arthur - 21
merlin - 19
gwen - 20
morgana - 19
the knights? come back to me in 5 business days
s2 (i'm assuming there's a year timeskip here but y'all can correct me if i'm wrong)
arthur - 23
merlin - 21
gwen - 22
morgana - 21
s3 (year timeskip, meaning we miss 1 year of stuff)
arthur - 25
merlin - 23
gwen - 24
morgana - 23
s4 (year after finale; missing a year of arthur being a regent)
arthur - 27
merlin - 25
gwen - 26
morgana - 25
s5 (timeskip of 2 years according to the wiki)
arthur - 29
merlin - 27
gwen - 28
morgana - 27
s5 finale
arthur - 30
merlin - 28
gwen - 29
morgana - 28
more analysis under the cut because goddamn did i go off
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edit: ok so first time it didn't cut off so hopefully i fixed it
s1 ep9 the show celebrates Arthur coming of age and being officiated as the crown prince of camelot. ergo, it's his birthday and he's turning 20/21 and it's been about 20 years since the Purge Uther started after the death of his wife wherein he directed all his anger and blame to the magic community because the man can't take failure well
however, short research shows that a typical age chosen for coming of age falls around 15, 18, and 21. doing process of elimination, it can't be 15 or 18 because arthur would have to be born after the Purge began, and Uther started all of this when Ygraine died, making arthur's birth very strange if he was born after her death lol.
so, we can conclude that arthur is 21 in s1 because he turns 21 on his birthday.
Merlin, following what the canon storyline gives us, is born a year or so after Arthur's birth and Ygraine's death. given Balinor's account on how he fled camelot, he was tricked by Uther into leading many dragonlords and dragons to their death which possibly happened a couple months (at most 6 imo) since Ygraine's death. then he fled and spent some time in ealdor, meeting Hunith and they were probably together for a year? until he left again some time before she gave birth to Merlin.
so, Merlin falls into the 18/19 age range by s1
Gwen I feel could be the same age as Merlin or she's just a year older. I know she's older than Elyan but by how much i don't remember the show saying. so it's possible Gwen started off as 19/20 in s1
given these estimations, we will now try and fit them into the story's timeline and see if we're able to find a somewhat accurate assumption on where the characters' ages fall by s5.
in my mind by "Moment of Truth" (s1 ep10) it's been a year (or close to, like 10 months) since Merlin's been serving Arthur. and by the end of s1 it most definitely has been at least a year since Merlin came to camelot.
by s3 there's been a time jump: Morgana has been "kidnapped" by Morgause and Uther's had his men searching for his ward for a year at most. doing the math, that means Arthur is 24, Merlin is 23/22, and Gwen is 23/24. in s3 we do celebrate Morgana's birthday (s3 ep5) but it's never clear how old she is.
i, at first, assumed she was older than Arthur simply because she was older in the legends. of course, the legends are used more as an outline than a set script so they have her younger than Arthur. also, in the show Morgana is the illegitimate child of Uther, so, to me, it'd be strange for Uther to cheat on his wife (who he mourns in the show) rather than him just having and affair with Morgana's mother, Viviane, after Ygraine's death.
using that string of logic, Morgana probably was born a year or so after Arthur, making her closest in age to Merlin which....plot-wise is interesting now that i think about. what if they were born on the same day, same time, cementing the idea that they are one in the same yet foils of the other, each other's doom.
anyway,
i don't think i'm going to touch the knights' ages simply because that will make this post so much longer than it needs to be. i might do a separate one when i have time or when i'm ignoring my midterms lol.
but yeah, long story short: BBC Merlin is very good at being vague with time and ages but not in a way that super confusing and takes away from the plot. also it's fun to piece together the timeline of this world with the hints provided.
tldr: story takes 10 years and began when our lovely characters were in their late teens/early twenties and ended with them in their late twenties to early 30s
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Can we just take a moment to appreciate that Bradley James put so much into Arthur's character that wasn't on the page? Interviews with him where he talks about how he approached the character are so enlightening because he literally did it so perfectly. The only reason we can watch the show thinking about what Arthur must be thinking is because Bradley James spent so much time making sure as much as possible made sense. And honestly, the main reason I cry in the finale is because I understand Arthur so well. Bradley James is an incredible actor and he's my King Arthur and I highly doubt there will be another performance like that in my lifetime that does the legend justice.
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What do you think are Merlin and Arthur’s greatest personality strengths and weaknesses? Why? What do you love about their dynamic?
Heads up, I’m autistic and this has been my special interest for way too long and I don’t have anyone to talk to about it so this post is going to be a very long one.
My favourite thing about the writing of the show (which isn’t great, but separate issue) is how every character manages to make a complete 180 from the beginning to the end, turning their initial positive traits into negative traits while not sacrificing character development to do so. It’s a skill I haven’t figured out how to use very well in my own writing and envy greatly, but I can talk about it for hours.
For Merlin, his devotion to Arthur is easily his most interesting strength and weakness to me.
In season 1, it’s great because he finds out he has this grand purpose and suddenly all the things he’s struggled with, feeling like a monster, feeling cursed etc, suddenly make sense to him. It’s too much to put on a child (because he’s somewhere between 16-18 at first but that’s never confirmed) but if it helps him to see the beauty of magic and to see more than just “I felled a tree and almost killed a man” -based on the conversation with Will in season 1 episode 4- then that’s great.
So as the show progresses, he starts getting to know more about himself and what he can do, but because his two mentors reinforce that he’s solely tied to Arthur, every good thing he learns about magic is connected to a man who hates and doesn’t understand magic. Also someone who he has to hide from in order to protect himself and not end up on the pyre. At the same time, he also never has a chance to learn about his magic and where it came from like Morgana did with visiting the Druids and Kilgharrah was never exactly forthcoming with information.
I think that’s why Morgana and Merlin’s differences and similarities are so interesting to me, but that’s a different thing.
Anyway, by the end of season 4, Arthur is betrayed by Agravane and we see just how devoted Merlin is to Arthur in all the best ways. He assembles an army, restores Arthur’s hope and belief in himself, saves Arthur’s life while risking his own and then killing the uncle who betrayed him, (the brilliance of Agravaine dying with magic and Merlin simply stabbing Morgana was absolutely amazing, but again, I digress.) he also reunites Arthur with his love, and swears fealty to him despite being ‘just’ a servant.
At the same time, he uses magic to block Morgana’s powers to make sure they can win, and he does this by sneaking back into Camelot in the middle of the night and not sleeping for over 48 hours in order to do it. His devotion to Arthur goes so deep that he’s willing to destroy himself for it. That’s one of the less extreme examples, he does try to die for Arthur multiple times, but you get the point. Even if he isn’t dying, he’s living just for the purpose of serving Arthur and doing anything it takes to keep him safe. Even at the cost of Arthur himself, (not wanting him to choose between magic and his beliefs, which was literally Arthur’s job to choose as a king who’s responsible for all the people in his kingdom)
And he even says this in season 1 episode 13 when he says “his life is worth a hundred of mine” when he believes he’s going to die to save Arthur’s life after the questing beast and again at the end of season five, “I didn’t want to put you in that position”
I’m sleep deprived, please don’t make me recite whole episodes to remember quotes.
I just realised how long this is getting, so I’m going to try and wrap it up.
Anyway, by season 5, Merlin becomes so consumed by his fear of losing Arthur that he completely loses sight of what’s important, returning magic to Albion and ending the purge. I know they said the goal was peace at the end but in season 1, Kilgharrah sort of cryptically said he’d be returning magic. So he thinks Mordred needs to die, but he can’t get Arthur to see that because even if Arthur knew he was going to die by Mordred’s hand, I think he’d probably let it happen and just do the right thing as long as he did live.
Merlin knows this so he feels responsible for keeping Arthur alive by keeping secrets which is ultimately a final betrayal for Arthur in his last days while he’s coming to terms with it. He was more upset about the lies and the deception than the magic, which I’ll get onto in a minute, but Merlin’s solution of shielding Arthur instead of doing the right thing is ultimately what leads to his downfall. (Basically the Disir episode)
That’s a very condensed version, I’m more than happy to do a separate post with a full character analysis going through each major episode and what it says for anyone in the show if you want to see it.
Anyway.
Arthur’s greatest strength and weakness is his goodness and the trust he puts into the people around him so blindly.
In episode 2, he has a conversation with Merlin about Valiant cheating with magic to kill knights. Arthur believes him, albeit cautiously, and Merlin proves him right to do so in the end.
So he knows from the beginning that Merlin is trustworthy and loyal to a fault, but then he starts seeing all the other people in his life believing he’s doing better and opening up to him more. By episode 4, we see Gwen feel comfortable enough to call Arthur out for being ungrateful with Hunnith’s food in Ealdor, we see Morgana repeatedly encouraging Arthur to stand up for what he believes in, even if that belief is different from her own which he absolutely needs and will forever be her greatest act of love for Arthur in my opinion, Uther is slowly becoming less cold towards him too since Merlin came into his life and he started making these changes.
I’ve more to say on Uther, but separate thing.
He loves these people, even if he’d never admit it, so he sees the best in them. Love is blind and all that.
In season 2 episode 8, Merlin chooses Arthur over magic and even Arthur himself when it’s revealed that Uther used magic to conceive an heir. Merlin sets Arthur back in his progress to seeing that magic could be used for good and isn’t inherently evil, but at the same time sets himself up as choosing his side with magic while Arthur has his first betrayal from Uther.
(Arguably from Merlin as well, but one is a young man in a crisis situation, the other was a fully grown adult with all the information available to him and time to think it through before still deciding that a life for a life was worth it)
In that betrayal, that’s the first time that he really has anything negative to say against magic since in his mind, it deceived him and made him almost kill his father. Any hope he has of seeing magic for good is delayed, proven when he tells Merlin he was “confused” and I can’t remember the exact quote but that he’d also lost sight of what was important.
This is set further when Morgana reveals her magic at the same time as she’s revealing that she sides with Morgause, in Arthur’s eyes he just sees that his sister (who is apparently also his biological sister, another betrayal by Uther) has turned to magic and then turned evil. Merlin doesn’t do anything to dissuade this idea other than a few comments of his own guilt about there being people better suited to helping her.
He never questions Merlin on why he believes that because he trusts him so deeply and unconditionally.
If he had, Merlin wouldn’t have needed to confess to Magic. Will in Ealdor could’ve been his excuse for knowing that magic isn’t inherently evil. He could’ve explained that Morgana always had magic, that she was terrified, that he sent her to the Druids to help but Uther would’ve killed them so when Morgause offered her unconditional support and told her that she wasn’t a monster or anything in that vein, of course Morgana latched onto that because it was finally an answer and something hopeful. She did exactly the same thing Merlin did with Arthur, Kilgharrah, and Gaius, and I really can’t blame her for it. Her earlier actions can be justified but from season 4 onwards, there’s only so much I can say to defend her.
But if Arthur would’ve known that, he would’ve been a lot more open to the idea of accepting Morgana’s magic, maybe even learning about it if it meant getting his sister back.
But his blind trust is what gives him this huge disadvantage.
Agravane, a man who’s been completely absent from his life, is immediately given trust because he has a connection to Arthur’s mother. Arthur wants to have a family when his have all either died or betrayed him, so he lets Agravane be his chief advisor and despite several warnings from Gaius and Merlin, he’s still surprised when he’s betrayed by this man he’s never met.
Arthur has this such inherent goodness that the idea of betraying anyone is inconceivable to him. (There’s a joke in there somewhere about Arthur being quite literally inconceivable too)
I’m once again realising how long this post is, I didn’t think it’d get this long so I’m going to wrap it up. If anyone wants more in depth character analysis, please let me know. This is fun.
As for my favourite thing about Merlin and Arthur’s dynamic. Merthur. Basically just the ship stuff and their banter. Also the nuances in their relationship that are fun to read into and analyse but this is already too long so I’m just going to leave it there.
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larluce · 17 days
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A couple of things I recently discover about BBC Merlin
It was actually my best friend who did the first discovery.
My friend: You think Arthur blamed magic for what happened to Morgana?
Me: Yeah, he thought magic took away his father and his sister from him. Why?
My friend: It seemed more like he blamed Morgana for turning to magic that magic itself.
Me: What do you mean?
Ny friend: Well, if he only blamed magic, wouldn't he try to 'save' her? Find a way to 'descorrupt' her? But he never once tried.
Me: ...
IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE, GUYS!! And it complements with the second discovery.
Rewatching the conversation Arthur had with Sarrum about Morgana, I paid more attention to Sarrum's words referring her.
"I kept her like an animal"
"Such a shame. All that power, all that beauty forgotten in a living grave"
"Not that her time with me was entirely wasted"
"At night you could hear its cries. It were more heartbreaking than Morgana's"
I gasped, because I finally understood why Morgana went practically insane in series 5. Sarrum did not only held Morgana prisoner, not only did he torture her. She was abused. She was raped for three years.
And what was Arthur’s reaction to this information? He kept quiet and took seep his cup. It's not that he didn't care, his face contorted, clearly affected by this, but he still said nothing, NOTHING! To the man who did that to the person he considered a sister for so long.
I don't believe he thinked she deserved or asked for it but just thought it was the consecuences of her actions. Which solidifies my friend’s point. He definitely blamed Morgana for turning to magic, for turning evil.
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