During
class, we started discussing Merlin, and how he has changed throughout the
stories we have read as well as his portrayal in the BBC television series. One
of the conclusions we came to was that Merlin has lost power and magic
throughout time. Perhaps I am alone in thinking this, but I don’t think that he
has become any less powerful. I see it more as he is becoming a more rounded
character.
Instead
of seeing all these stories as separate pieces, try thinking of them as parts
of a whole. What we would get is a version of Merlin who is a wide-eyed youth (Merlin,
BBC), who becomes a kind elderly chap who takes care of lost kids (sword in the
stone), and who is deeply troubled by the loss of his dear friends (Monmouth). When
you combine all these stories of Merlin together, you get a more personable
character rather than an extreme attribute of a personality. I remember a book I
read for fun in high school called…..Magic Inc. Merlin was a background
character but he was portrayed as a CEO of the magic industry and looked sharp
in a pinstriped suit.
Unfortunately my need combine things
I read or see have now permanently given me the image of Merlin as the ultimate
magical being with a pointy hat who can see the future and the past, adorkable
in his youth, and can run a company pretty well.
It is possible that this is a stretch but Merlin
is supposed to be immortal, right? And, he is awaiting the return of King Arthur
when the world needs him most? Couldn't that be said that even if Merlin is a
fictional character, by having him appear in stories and TV shows today, you
are keeping Merlin alive? I know that in
a lot of lore from around the world to speak, a name is to give it power, and
in some cases it gives it life. Perhaps Merlin’s immortality is dependent on
how long people remember him. And if nothing else at least he looks good in a
suit.
Blog 2 of 5
Taking your approach and putting all the reading together, I can see how you have come to the conclusion that Merlin has not lost his power, he is merely adapting to change. Merlin is supposed to be this magician that can see the past and tell prophecies. What if Merlin's powers adjust to his surroundings, when approached by the boy, in the text The Sword and The Stone, there is no need for Merlin to use his powers to see into the past. Maybe Merlin only activates the powers most vital when facing a situation. Using his powers could be strenuous and tiring.
ReplyDeleteAlso each story has different focuses, this could be one reason why Merlin is portrayed differently in each text. Each story is not going to touch up on every little detail pertaining to Merlin. This could cause readers to assume Merlin is different in each text, but maybe Merlin is the same in all the text and we just did not receive enough information to draw this conclusion.
I don't know about Merlin in a suit (I tries to Google it and I mostly got a bunch of baby pictures). However, you bring up an interesting idea. By keeping the character of Merlin (all be it in different forms) alive over the centuries, we have given him a form of real world immortality. It is interesting how a character from an age long ago still holds value and meaning for people today.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help combining all of the stories too! It's like having a timeline that's broken up into different parts and it's up to us to put them together. I also agree with names giving people power/making them immortal idea too. Characters have power too and their impact and influence depends on how many people still remember their names, no matter how much time has passed.
ReplyDeleteI think we see a lot of growth in the character of Merlin. I don't really see him as losing power, but rather changing it. We look at previous versions of Merlin where he can see in the future or the past, which seems like a passive form of magic, but on the BBC Merlin he can move object, which is more active. This change does not seem like someone losing power to me.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting that you combine the different Merlin's into one character. I don't think I really have, but rather think a Merlin has been developed to fit the standards of a certain time and society. Like one generation have a wise old wizard, and another having a young one,
I have to agree with your post. I think looking at the Merlin stories in isolation isn't very telling of his entire character. For example most of the stories we read in class focused on Merlin when he was old, or he was already born with all his powers. I think the BBC approach is to give Merlin a more human character, one that has to unlock his powers by learning how to control them rather than being born all powerful from the start.
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