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Merlin character analysis in king arthur
Merlin character analysis in king arthur
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Geoffrey of Monmouth's Life of Merlin
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s “Life of Merlin” is a text that makes its readers struggle with finding criteria for madness. What does it even mean to be “mad?” Madness seems to define a person only when he or she does something to stray from the normality of any given group of people. Breaking societal norms often leaves people open to criticism and suspicion. In order to be sane and mentally healthy, one has to abide by all explicit and implicit rules of society. “Life of Merlin” is about a man that abandons feudal society, and all of its rules, in hopes of finding a better place to live. A better place to live, for him, is one that is purely good. Violent and deceitful people are ultimately the factors that drive him away, causing him to be termed as “mad.” I argue that Merlin is a character with extreme extra worldly perception. Many would think extra worldly perception to be a privilege, but this essay serves to contradict the positive effects that extra worldly perception can have. I will show why he is perceptive, rather than mad, as well as explain why this type of perception can be detrimental to one’s life. When a person has too much perception he can often live in a world of fear and discontent, one that is only curable by the restructuring of an entire society.
To begin, Merlin’s reasons for leaving feudal society are too logical to call him “mad.” One place where logic can be heard is where Merlin says, “Surely a malignant fate cannot have been so vindictive as to take from me all these my companions, men such that many a king and many a distant kingdom have stood in fear of them till now” (55). What Merlin is addressing is the fact that someone is to blame fo...
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...s left with after reading the text. While Merlin seems to have a good start towards creating a more peaceful society, it does not seem that it will prove to be completely peaceful. Of course anything is better to him than living in the city, and it only seems to get better when he is encountered with people much like himself. A text like “Life of Merlin” makes me question whether a peaceful society is within grasp. Even in current times, countries are at war and people lie to and cheat one another. Have we become more violent and deceptive with time? In order to create a peaceful environment, the idea of competition might have to be removed. Competition, one thing that is instinctive in all creatures, is a driving force of all human action. Merlin seems to strive towards the ideal, but it remains questionable as to whether or not his ideal is within grasp.
In Chapter 5, the role of social stratification and power struggle are shown. Social stratification is shown in the quote “Merlin, in his malice, had woven a spell about this dungeon, and there bides not the man in theses kingdoms that would be desperate enough to essay to cross it lines with you!” (Twain PG 22). This shows how Merlin is feared by many. A power struggle is also shown by the quote “He was frightened even to marrow, and was minded to give order for your instant enlargement, and that you be clothed in fine raiment and lodged as befitted one so great; but then came Merlin and spoiled it all.” (Twain PG 24). This shows the power struggle between Hank and Merlin, which will be more in later chapters.
Therefore, commoners have little control over the quality of their life. King Arthur, as any king should, must ensure the prosperity of his subjects especially the most loyal. Kings cannot deviate from this as the feudal system will not support this. France and Joseph Gies refer to this in their book Life in a Medieval Castle. France and Joseph Gies discuss the daily lives of the king and the subjects.
Sir Gawain is, undoubtably, the most varied of the Arthurian characters: from his first minor appearance as Gwalchmei in the Welsh tales to his usually side-line participation in the modern retelling of the tales, no other character has gone from such exalted heights (being regarded as a paragon of virtue) to such dismal depths (being reduced to a borderline rapist, murderer, and uncouth bore), as he. This degree of metamorphosis in character, however, has allowed for a staggering number of different approaches and studies in Gawain.
In the Medieval Period, knights dedicated their lives to following the code of chivalry. In Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur, a number of characters performed chivalrous acts to achieve the status of an ideal knight. Their characteristics of respect for women and courtesy for all, helpfulness to the weak, honor, and skill in battle made the characters King Arthur, King Pellinore, and Sir Gryfflette examples of a what knights strove to be like in Medieval society. Because of the examples ofchivalry, Le Morte d’Arthur showed what a knight desired to be, so he could improve theworld in which he lived.
A popular topic of discussion for Shakespearian critics is whether or not Hamlet is sane at various points in the play. Usually, this digresses into a question of at what point Hamlet crosses the fine line which marks the bounds of sanity into the realm of insanity. This is a confusing matter to sort out, due to the fact that it is hard to tell when the prince is acting, and when he is really and truly out of his mind. The matter of determining the time of crossing over is further complicated by the fact that everyone around him is constantly speaking of madness. At the end we must either conclude that Hamlet is an extremely talented actor capable of staying in character under the most trying circumstances, or that he is human and as a result his sanity gives way to the many external emotional barrages coming his way. The more likely conclusion is that Hamlet is at some point insane. What is left to discover is at what point does this crossover occur, and second, what are the main contributing factors in his mental collapse. I will ignore the issue of the point of crossover, and let another paper consider that point. Rather, I propose that Hamlet's religious beliefs, acquired at the University of Wittenberg, heavily contributed to the loss of his sanity.
Skultans, Vieda. English Madness: Ideas on Insanity 1580-1890. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. 1979.
SSociety has a set view of who is mad and who is sane, but are these people really mad? Sophocles’ play, The Oedipus Cycle, and Emily Dickinson’s poem, Much madness is divinest sense show their readers who the true madman is. Both of these literary works illustrate the phenomenon of a discerning eye in a society. In the Oedipus Cycle, Oedipus’ daughter Antigone stayed true to herself and did what was right, even if she was perceived to be a madman.
King Eurovan thought very highly of himself, he wore a crown that had a “stuffed gazolba bird” (Smith) that was very beautiful, and the last of its species. The crown was precious to him. It had given him the assurance that he was in power. Though the fondness of his crown and power was not his only problem, he also had no desire to help his people. The king only had the urgency to cater to his wants, and needs. Eurovan showed no mercy on any person who committed a crime “he was meting of swift punishment to all malefactors.”(Smith) He was never challenged or over ruled by anyone .His evil ways became normal to him, and acceptable in his eyes.
When looking back at the medieval ages, one may realize that the knights had many extraordinary abilities- they were like superheroes. In different Arthurian Legends, like The Crowning of Arthur, Arthur Becomes King, and Sir Launcelot du Lake, many people admire the person who has these inhumane abilities. Arthur and Sir Launcelot are both characters that initially seem like ordinary people, but show their superior strength and power by the end of the story. Arthur releases a sword from a stone that not even the strongest man can pull out, while Sir Launcelot murders a knight who is known to be an undefeated fighter. Because of these actions, both characters grew to fame. Sir Thomas Malory and T. H. White use unique abilities to exhibit the theme that one should never underestimate who they are and their capabilities in doing something.
Marie De France’s Lanval is a remarkable short narrative that engages the reader into a world filled with unrealistic elements, but enhances on the true meaning of romance, chivalry and nature during the years that King Arthur reigned. “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” unfortunately does not have an author that can be recognized but this epic poem demonstrates the ghastly adventure of a knight who decides to defend the honor of young King Arthur against a supernatural being in this malicious game of cat and mouse. Both of these pieces of literature have enchanting characteristics that define them as a masterpiece of their era and that’s why they both are easily compared and contrasted. In addition, both Lanval and “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” can be classified as similar through their themes, style and plots, although they are different through their language and diction. Even though both of these literatures can be viewed as similar as well as contrasting, in the end, each of these tales have illuminated the realm of fantasy throughout the court of King Arthur.
Today had been a particularly awful day, and Merlin craved alone time far away from Prince Arthur’s grating voice and ceaseless demands. By now, he had grown used to Prince Arthur’s petulance, and most of the time, Merlin found the prince’s behavior amusing, but not today. Perhaps it was because Yule drew near, and Merlin missed his beloved home in Ealdor now more than ever.
King Arthur began as a young fellow, always looked upon as a nobody, a reject, a charity case, he was destined to be a squire, but one of those days, he made it. It was the day of Sir Kay’s duel, in which he forgot his weapon. Wart ( Arthur ) goes to get a weapon and gets the sword in the stone, which makes him the king. In the ending of the book, there is a part that summarizes the whole story wonderfully, deciding his fate as a king, “ ‘ Yes Wart,’ said Merlin. ‘ Or rather, as I should say (or is it have said) Yes, King Arthur’.” (White 209) This is confirmation of the fact that Arthur is now the king, and will live happily for the rest of his life. It is a final assertion of his
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one of the most evident and important themes is the theme of madness. The theme is apparent throughout the play, mainly through the actions and thoughts of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes. Madness is defined as the quality or condition of mental illness or derangement (being insane). Madness is at the center of the conflicts and problems of the play and is conveyed through Shakespeare’s elaborate use of manipulation and parallels between Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes to contribute to Hamlet’s tragic character. All examples of madness begin and end with death.
Throughout William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s behavior and actions cause readers to question his sanity. Hamlet’s character can be interpreted in many different ways. It could be said that he is indeed insane, or it can be disputed that he, as he made known, is simply putting on a good act. The complexity of knowing Hamlet’s true character derives from the fact that we, as readers, are unable to read Shakespeare’s or Hamlet’s minds. Therefore, judgments could be made solely by reading and interpreting his behavior and coming up with a satisfactory conclusion. Taking into consideration incidents such as Polonius’ murder and Hamlet’s contemplating suicide, it is natural for individuals who perform such acts to be categorized as crazy. Ignoring Hamlet’s actual actions, and paying keen attention to what altered his character, one can debate that Hamlet is not at all insane. It is important to consider the situations which triggered Hamlet’s different actions. By giving discreet thought to Hamlet’s position and what he endures, one will realize that he is not demented, but he is actually an angry, betrayed and emotionally devastated fatherless son.
Regarding one of Shakespeare’s plays, The Tempest, the conflict Illusions vs. Reality becomes a critical part of the story’s development. Illusions are things that we our senses would wrongly interpret. As a part of life, one might think about seeking revenge on someone who has sinned against him, however, in reality we only prove that we are no better than the person who has sinned against us in the matter. Sometimes, our sense of justice can trick our sense of humanity and create a twisted and disastrous state of mind.