The Role of Merlin in Le Morte D'Arthur
One of the most interesting characters in literature is Merlin themagician. His name conjures up images of mystery and his actions reflect amedieval mysticism. Thomas Malory brings the role of Merlin into a placeof significance in his tale, Le Morte D'Arthur by combining the elements ofmysticism and religion. Malory adds a depth and texture to the characterthat represents Christian and mystical skills alike. Through this unlikelycombination, Malory creates a Merlin that is worthy of inspection. Thegoal of this paper is to examine the character of Merlin as he is depictedin Le Morte D'Arthur and how Malory utilizes this character. The most interesting aspects of Merlin are that he is a splendidcombination of secular and religious characteristics. In regards tounderstanding the role of Merlin and the mystical in Malory's Le MorteD'Arthur, we must first examine the context in which medieval stories werewritten. According Geoffrey Ashe, author of The Discovery of Arthur, it isimportant to realize that medieval writers often crafted characters to bemedieval. To put it simply, "Arthurian adventures . . . were handled inmedieval terms and expressed medieval interests" (Ashe 14). It is safe t
According to Ashe, Celtic Christianity was Catholic;however, it manifested itself in a variety of ways, that were conspicuousin their "attitude to the old gods and mythologies" (132). When Arthurfollows these instructions, "he slew many people" (23). Additionally, Merlin wants Gawain to tell of his adventure of murder. For example, he appears to Arthur as a young boy. He is the sage and counselor that individuals turn toin their moments of dire need. What is interesting about this aspect of Malory's style isthe fact that he never tries to attract complete attention on Merlin'smagic alone. (Field) This mysterious quality in association to Merlin canalways be traced back to the Christian God. In conclusion, we can see how Malory used the role of Merlin to operateon several levels in Le Morte D'Arthur. It alsoillustrates how the two work so well together in Malory's tale. This is significantbecause of Merlin's purpose in the beginning of the tale. First, Merlin has obviously morphed himself into the image of a youngboy and when Arthur refuses to believe the boy, Merlin changes hisappearance to that of an old man. The powers that produce supernatural effectsare themselves apparently subject to rules, although the powers and therules, and their relationship to fate and providence, all remainmysterious. Additionally, Merlin isan essential character because he links the old pagan myths withChristianity in way that is acceptable. Merlin is alsoresponsible for instructing Arthur and his barons to recruit King Ban ofBenwick and King Bors of Gaul. (Vinaver)No doubt Celtic Christianity can trace its roots through British historyfor centuries.
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