Merlin BBC UK TV Show - Opinion Piece Part 23 - Who Is Arthur Really Talking About In This Scene?
Time and again when I revisit this particular scene between Arthur and Merlin (referenced below) I can’t help but notice how much “Merthur” has been implicitly queer coded in this show.
The scene I am talking about is in the Season 2 Episode 4 titled “Lancelot and Guinevere” .
This episode can be summarized as follows:
Gwen is mistaken for Morgana and is kidnapped by Hengist. Uther refuses to pay the ransom or send a rescue party to save a servant. Arthur defies his father and sets out with Merlin to rescue Gwen. ______________________________________________________________
After Arthur and Merlin escape from the Wilddeoren, they have the following scene:
While the casual viewer will look at this scene and state it is Arthur confessing his love for Gwen, however LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT THEME PLAYS FROM 0:55 SECONDS ONWARDS IN THE BACKGROUND OF THIS SCENE.
The theme it plays is Merlin’s Arrival to Camelot:
Now ask youself why would the show put in “Merlin’s Arrival to Camelot” theme in the background of a scene where Arthur is confessing his love for Gwen?
Especially when Arthur and Gwen already have a theme song called Gwen & Arthur Romance Suite.
Shockingly, the Gwen & Arthur Romance Suite is actually played in the background of a scene between Gwen and Lancelot when they kiss for the first time and Gwen states “ As long as I live, my feelings for you will never fade.”
Going back to the scene between Merlin and Arthur, dont you think Arthur’s description of Gwen can also be used for Merlin.
[EXT. FOREST, STREAM – DAY] [Arthur and Merlin wash off the Gaia berries by a stream.]
ARTHUR Gaia berries worked. Huh.
MERLIN You didn’t know if they worked?
ARTHUR Not for sure.
MERLIN Now you tell me?! Oh! Oh, what’s that Wildren eating? It’s all right. It’s just Merlin. You trying to get us both killed?
ARTHUR I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve risked your life like that.
MERLIN Well, they do say love makes you do strange things.
ARTHUR What are you talking about?
MERLIN Why can’t you just admit your feelings for Gwen?
[Arthur scoffs.]
MERLIN It’s so obvious. A blind man could see it. Is it really that hard to admit you like her? Just say it. (MERLIN THEME STARTS TO PLAY)
ARTHUR I can’t! How can I admit that I think about her all the time. Or that…I care about her more than anyone. How can I admit that…I don’t know what I’ll do if any harm comes to her?
(DID ARTHUR NOT RISK HIS OWN LIFE FOR MERLIN IN SEASON 1 EPISODE 4 THE POISONED CHALICE.
DID ARTHUR NOT FOLLOW MERLIN TO EALDOR IN SEASON 1 EPISODE 10 THE MOMENT OF TRUTH FOR A MERE SERVANT)
MERLIN Why can’t you?
ARTHUR Because nothing can ever happen between us! (HOW TRUE! BBC SIMPLY WOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MERTHUR TO HAPPEN!) To admit my feelings knowing that…hurts too much.
MERLIN Who’s to say nothing can happen?
ARTHUR My father won’t let me rescue a servant. Do you honestly believe he’d let me marry one?
(IN SEASON 1 EPISODE 4 THE POISONED CHALICE. UTHER FORBADE ARTHUR TO RESCUE MERLIN AND EVEN HAD HIM IMPRISONED WHEN HE BROUGHT BACK THE CURE FOR MERLIN)
MERLIN You want to marry Gwen?
ARTHUR No! No…I…I don’t know…It’s all talk, and that’s all it can ever be.
MERLIN When you’re King, you can change that.
ARTHUR I can’t expect Guinevere to wait for me.
MERLIN If she feels as you do, she’ll wait for you.
(IN THE END OF THE SERIES, IT IS MERLIN WHO HAS BEEN WAITING FOR ARTHUR FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!!)
ARTHUR We don’t even know if she’s still alive.
MERLIN No, she is. We will find her.
ARTHUR Come on. We’ve got a long trek ahead. Oh, and Merlin…if you dare tell anyone about this, I promise I will make your life a living hell.
MERLIN You mean, more than you already do?
ARTHUR Yeah.
MERLIN We could talk about your feelings while you walk.
I also managed to get a snapshot of a commentary Bradley James and Colin Morgan did for this particular episode and it is available on the DVD. Bradley’s commentary is indeed very telling.
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - Opinion Piece Part 20 - Merlin Does Not Return To Camelot After Arthur’s Death
A lot of fan fictions have been written and discussions done about what happens after Arthur’s death. So lets us look at the cannon facts presented to us:
In Season 5 Episode 13 | Merlin To Arthur : “I am a sorcerer, I have magic and I use it for you Arthur only for you”
( TIME STAMP : 1:40 )
2) In Season 5 Episode 13 | Merlin To Arthur : “Camelot’s nothing without you”
3) During Gwen’s coronation scene, Merlin is absent.
4) Merlin is seen walking along a road in modern times ALONE.
Merlin has no incentive to return to Camelot. For Merlin, Camelot and Arthur are one and the same.
With Merlin being absent, Camelot falls to the Saxons as the impeding threat of Saxons was already highlighted in the last episode:
Merlin maybe incentivized to not intervene and protect Camelot because he thinks it would hasten the return of Arthur.
Using the cannon facts listed above, we can deduce that Merlin Does Not Return To Camelot After Arthur’s Death
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 11
Season 2 Episode 9 - “ The Lady of the Lake”
Writing this post proved to be a challenge as I had to condense all my thoughts and ideas in a coherent manner without it being all over the place.
While providing a synopsis of the episode, I will be highlighting the subliminal themes portrayed here in CAPITAL LETTERSAS WELL AS MY ANALYSIS to cover every aspect of the episode.
Merlin is introduced to the character of Freya, a Druid girl trapped in a bounty hunter’s cage (RESTRICTION) belonging to a man named Halig.
Despite Gaius’s warnings not to interfere and against a background of a stormy night (INTERNAL CONFLICT) Merlin openly uses magic (QUEERNESS) in-front of Freya to reassure her that he is there to help and frees her, before narrowly escaping Halig.
Merlin hides the girl in the catacombs (THE PLACE THE OVERWROUGHTSUBCONSCIOUS MINDBURIES ALL OF THE PROBLEMS AND SECRETS ) beneath Camelot (SOCIETY) and promises to look after her.
She asks Merlin why he saved her and he says it could have easily been him in the cage (BOTH MERLIN AND FREYA ARE MAGICAL CREATURES LIVING IN ASOCIETY THAT CONDEMNS THEM FOR WHO THEY ARE)
Halig goes to Uther and notifies him of Freya’s escape with the help of an accomplice. Uther assigns a detachment of guards to capture them.
The next 30 minutes of the episode becomes the main core of my analysis.
JUDEO-CHRISTIANITY SEES GLUTTONY AND LUST AS INTERCHANGEABLE, BOTH SINS OF THE FLESH.
IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, AN UNFAITHFUL WIFE WAS OFTEN ACCUSED OF HIDING FOOD FROM HER HUSBAND ONLY TO GIVE IT TO HER LOVER (MAKING HER ADULTERY AN ECONOMIC PROBLEM AS WELL).
USING THE CONTEXT ABOVE, IT IS QUITE FUNNY TO SEE HOW MERLIN STEALS FLESH (MEAT) FROM ARTHUR TO GIVE IT TO FREYA.
HERE THE CURSE THAT FREYA IS TALKING ABOUT IS HER BEING A TRANSGENDER PERSON.
THERE ARE FEW BETTER SYMBOLS FOR SOMEONE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FEMALE-TO-MALE TRANSITION THAN THE HUMAN TO CREATURE TRANSFORMATION TROPE.
WHEN YOU ARE ON HRT TESTOSTERONE THERAPY, MOST PEOPLE BECOME HAIRIER AND STRONGER AND GAIN MUSCLE, WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE BASTET CREATURE TRANSFORMATION BY FREYA.
PLEASE NOTE, I AM NOT SAYING THAT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ARE CURSED. I AM SIMPLY SAYING IT CAN FEEL LIKE A CURSE CONSIDERING THE BIGOTRY AND HATE TRANSGENDER PEOPLE FACE.
Freya and Merlin profess their love for each other and kiss.
Against this background, Halig is narrowing in on Freya’s hideout.
Freya decides to escape Camelot, believing that Merlin is better off without her. She is then confronted by Arthur, Halig and a group of knights.
Arthur manages to badly wound Freya in her Bastet form before being distracted by a gargoyle which was toppled by Merlin.( IT IS A REAL COINCIDENCE THAT ARTHUR ATTACKS FREYA WHO HAD KISSED MERLIN A FEW MOMENTS AGO, SIMILARLY TO HOW ARTHUR WOULD ATTACK LANCELOT FOR KISSING GWEN IN SEASON 4 EPISODE 9)
Merlin runs after Freya to find her mortally wounded. (IT IS THE OBJECT OF MERLIN’S HOMOSEXUAL DESIRES (ARTHUR) WHO KILLS THE OBJECT OF HIS HETEROSEXUAL DESIRE (FREYA) )
A heartbroken Merlin places her body on a boat and uses his magic to give her a traditional funeral by the lake. (I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY POIGNANT IN HINDSIGHT BECAUSE ONCE FREYA DIES AND BECOMES LADY OF THE LAKE THESE TWO NEVER SHARE A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP AGAIN. SHE IS LITERALLY SUBMERGED INTO THE LAKE WHICH IS A METPHAPHOR FOR MERLIN’S CONCIOUSNESS. LOCKED AWAY FOREVER)
Back at Camelot, Arthur aware that Merlin is upset helps cheer him up before delegating him more tasks. (MERLIN’S HOMOSEXUALITY HAS FINALLY WON OUT AND HE HAS ACCEPTED HIS DESTINY I.E ARTHUR ROFLMAO. PRIOR TO THIS EPISODE MERLIN DID SHOW HINTS OF ATTRACTION TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE SEX. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY HIM ADMIRING MORGANA IN SEASON 1 EPISODE 1 AND NIMUEH IN SEASON 1 EPISODE 4. HOWEVER FROM THIS EPISODE ON, MERLIN SHOWS NO ATTRACTION TO ANY FEMALE CHARACTER WHAT SO EVER. THIS IS EXPRESSED EXPLICITLY IN SEASON 4 EPISODE 8 WHERE THE LAMIA SEEMS TO BE ABLE TO ENCHANT ALL THE MEN EXCEPT MERLIN. GWEN EVEN ASKS WHY EVERY MAN EXCEPT MERLIN HAS BEEN ENCHANTED.)
I TRULY ENJOYED THIS EPISODE AS IT IS RIFE WITH SYMBOLISM FOR ME TO PICK APART AND ANALYZE !
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - Opinion Piece Part 7 - How The 2008 Series Reinterprets and Subverts Arthurian Legends
I was talking to a mutual friend about movies and TV shows in the fantasy genre and this friend bought up the fact how Arthurian legends have influenced most of them.
As that conversation progressed, we both agreed that the best adaptation of Arthurian legend was John Boorman’s 1981 classic “Excalibur”.
However he seemed very amused when I told him that I was a huge fan of the 2008 BBC TV series Merlin. His opinion was that the TV series was “so childish, historically inaccurate and farcical” when he watched it.
I disagreed with him profusely and decided to make this post to outline my love of the TV series. I will share this post with this person so we can have further discussions on this topic. So here it goes:
Creators wanted to reinterpret Arthurian legend.
PROOF:
Julian Murphy, co-creator and executive producer: It all began in a restaurant on Kensington Church street, where I had lunch with the writer Jake Michie. And the pitch I gave him was very simple - It was ‘I’d like to do the Arthurian story, but as an origin story in the same way that the Superman story had been done in [US TV series] Smallville.’ And I think from there, it evolved.
But the decision that I think was at the heart of it, which was to make Arthur and Merlin contemporaries, rather than make Merlin the old man looking after the young Arthur, was there from the very beginning.
There has never been a concise Arthurian story. The legends are an amalgam of numerous versions, the most popular of them being as follows:
History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey’s account of the legendary king contains the first appearance of many of the iconic features of the Arthurian legend, including the wizard Merlin.
Lancelot by Chrétien de Troyes
Geoffrey of Monmouth never mentions Arthur’s most famous knight, and it wasn’t until Chrétien de Troyes wrote Lancelot and introduced the idea of an affair between Guinevere and Arthur’s most noble knight that Arthurian legend really got the ‘romantic’ treatment
The Mabinogion by Anonymous
The Arthur we glimpse in the Mabinogion is usually a marginal figure so it’s worth reading if you’re a fan of early legends containing King Arthur.
Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory
This is a vast prose retelling of the story of King Arthur and the Round Table.
Idylls of the King by Lord Tennyson
Here we find the stories of Lancelot and Elaine, Geraint and Enid, Merlin and Vivien
So for the 2008 series to collect Arthurian stories from various sources and try to repackage it to a modern audience is nothing new as the trend has already been established through works of T. H. White in The Once and Future King, Mary Stewart in The Crystal Cave, Mark Twain in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court etc…
But it is through reinterpreting Merlin & Guinevere’s storylines and using Magic as a motif that we get a brand new Arthurian story.
Guinevere
The name Guinevere means The Fair One in old Welsh.
To cast Angel Coulby, a woman of color as one of the most famous white woman in history was a revolutionary act by 2008 British TV standards.
In the legends, Guinevere is of royal blood. Gwen in the TV series is a servant of common birth who ascends to become a queen.
Here the audience come to see Gwen as the fair one based on the strength of her character and not the color of her skin.
In the TV show Arthur forgives Gwen’s infidelity with Lancelot rather than having her sent to a nunnery or worse having her die. The old male authors were okay with Arthur bedding several women but expectation of chasteness placed on Guinevere always contained an undercurrent of misogyny.
In the TV Show, Gwen leads Camelot into the golden age, instead of being blamed for the downfall of Camelot due to her affair with Lancelot
PROOF : Excerpt From Hyable Article:
Meanwhile of course, Guinevere was left to lead Camelot into the golden age. “We’ve had that in our minds for about three series,” Julian Murphy says. “We felt that to take Gwen from a servant girl to a powerful and strong queen, a person who can bind the kingdom together, was the journey we wanted to do, and I think Angel [Coulby] delivered that brilliantly.”
Merlin
By having Merlin be of a contemporary age to Arthur they effectively changed Merlin from being a father figure to being a companion of Arthur.
The close bond that Merlin shares with Arthur in the TV Show effectively replicates Lancelot’s close bond with Arthur in the historical legends.
Bradley James here confirms how in some legends Lancelot was in love with Arthur.
The gay subtext that was prevalent between Lancelot and Arthur in the historical legends is played out in all its glory between Merlin and Arthur .
Motiff of Magic
Throughout the history of Abrahamic religions, there has been a connection between magic and (deviant) sexual practices. From the osculum inafme (kissing of donkey’s anuses and kissing the Devil’s anus) to witches who were supposedly inserting hallucinogenous mushrooms into their vaginas. The series association between magic and non heteronormative people becomes pronounced as series progresses.
And therein lies the appeal of the 2008 Merlin TV Series. With this modern retelling it succeeds in addressing certain historical wrongs, make it more representational, address issues and highlight subtext that have been historically ignored in popular media for the time frame it aired.
Arthurian legends no longer becomes the domain of a patriarchal Judeo Abrahamic narrative about a return to the good old days but of class mobility, race, feminism, queer acceptance and the belief of a better world to come in context of the TV Show.
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 10
Analyzing Gwen’s Character In Season 1
I will be doing so by describing her interaction with other characters. I truly believe this will help shed some light on her personality traits.
Her Interaction With Merlin:
It would not be a far fetched assumption to state Gwen likes Merlin.
We see evidence of this right from Season 1 Episode 1.
During their first meeting, she states the difference between Merlin and Arthur by saying everyone thought Merlin was a hero for standing up to Arthur.
In the banquet scene in Season 1 Episode 1, she talks with Merlin and states two contradictory messages at the same time. One message is “I like you” (she blurts it out before realizing what she said), and the other is basically taking this statement back (pretending that she was speaking in general terms).
If you watch her words and body language here, and compare it with some cases where she talks with Lancelot and Arthur, it’s easy to draw parallels between them .Here Gwen says that she likes men that, contrary to Arthur, are more normal.
Her Interaction With Lancelot:
A copy of that conversation with Merlin happens with Lancelot, when Gwen is measuring him. She says, “We need men like you,” only to correct herself and explain that she wasn’t talking of her personally but of Camelot. Coincidentally, she uses almost the same phrase when Arthur is unconscious in Season 1 Episode 13, “For the love of Camelot, you have to live!”
Camelot in her mind is not only of nobles, but includes commoners. You probably noticed that she mentions commoners and normal people often. Why is this important? Because Gwen is very susceptible to the social differences between her and other main characters. Her low self-esteem is evident when she compares herself to Morgana, Arthur, Lancelot and even Nimueh. In other words, she’s no lady (she’s unfit), so she hides her desires behind Camelot’s needs. She likes more normal men because she thinks she is a normal woman.
In Season 1 Episode 5, we have another recreation of the banquet scene from Season 1 Episode 1. Merlin and Gwen watch Arthur and Lancelot. When Merlin asks her whom of the two she would prefer, Gwen refuses to answer.
Not because she doesn’t like any of them (she doesn’t deny liking them) rather, she doesn’t answer because as a servant she will never have the opportunity to choose. She’s unworthy and unfit. Merlin’s remark that Gwen wouldn’t recognize her type of man even if she were standing next to her (and then Gwen’s reaction to it) show how in her mind there are not two, but three candidates in her mind.
Her attitude toward Lancelot after he’s been knighted changes; she is burdened with preconceptions of her (social) inferiority.
Later, when Lancelot is released from the prison (and has lost his position as the socially privileged knight), she can openly tell him that she has never seen a man like him, and she even begs him not to go.
Right before the end of that episode, Gwen is staring trough Morgana’s window, watching the Lancelot leaving. (The creators of the series are clearly playing with the spectator’s knowledge of Arthurian legends here.)
Her Interaction With Arthur:
Similarly Gwen is attracted to Arthur, but she feels she is not entitled to.
She rarely dares confront Arthur openly until Season 1 Episode 10 maybe for the first time. She scolds Arthur for scorning ‘the commoners’ food,’ and in the familiar pattern, she takes her words back right away, apologizing
In previous episodes, we saw Gwen mocking Arthur behind his back, together with Morgana. So it’s a surprise that she suddenly shows this blind faith in Arthur and his capabilities. One reason for the change might be Merlin.
The other reason is that she’s always been attracted to Arthur. In Season 1 Episode 9 during Arthur’s coronation, Gwen says that Merlin must be proud of Arthur. When Merlin denies, Gwen insists. It’s possible that she’s guessed Merlin’s mind, or that she simply projected her feelings onto him (and Merlin’s and her emotions for Arthur just happen to overlap).
So how do we describe Gwen ?
She is an ordinary girl with common traits and emotional depth. She doesn’t have any glaring flaw (in that she’s a Mary Sue ). She doesn’t have any particular ability and is not stunning in the looks department either. I’m not talking about the actress but about the character (compare men’s reaction to her and their reaction to Morgana).
She doesn’t allow herself normal feelings ( maybe she’s simply not capable of it) even when her father is killed. For example, Merlin is surprised at how well she is accepting the whole situation. Sure, she is crushed, but she doesn’t even think of resenting Arthur (despite him being involved in her father’s death) or to take revenge on Uther. (We can say Arthur represents the idealized man (father) for her, but more of it later).
In Season 1 Episode 12, Merlin is facing a difficult moral dilemma (to kill Uther or not), yet for Gwen (who would be entitled to such thoughts), there’s no dilemma – killing is wrong. She’s indignant at the very idea.
Her simplistic worldview is shown for example in Season 1 Episode 4, when Merlin needs a magical antidote to survive. Another extreme situation where Merlin’s life is at stake. Gwen works under the imposed premise of magic being wrong. In the end, Gaius has to find a pretext to send her away and get things done.
Where Merlin and Arthur show internal conflict, she’s devoid of any. Her world seems a simple and a happy-go-lucky one, even when she faces incredibly unpleasant events.
Gwen represents a conundrum. In critical situations, we could see Gwen as a surprisingly mature and selfless person, or we could see her as a surprisingly shallow one.
She has a rather black and white view of the world in conjunction with the desire to appease. She follows a few simple guidelines of what is right and wrong and that prevents her from having any major internal dilemmas or strives. Both Merlin and Arthur are drawn to her for this reason.
In Freudian terms, I would say Gwen is stuck in her oral phase. (Her constant need to be watched over and rescued by others shows support for this claim. Then the badly controlled lust for every cute boy she meets indicates she’s not very selective when it comes to fulfilling her needs. It’s fulfilling them that matters.
In Season 1 Episode 12, when she loses her biological father and Arthur promises to take care of her, she accepts Arthur as a surrogate (idealized) father. In other words, she doesn’t resolve her Electra conflict. She doesn’t proceed into the stage where she rejects the attraction toward her father (or fatherly figures) in favor of identifying with the parent of the same sex. And funny enough, her mother is missing (presumed dead).
Her view of Arthur as the idealized father is constantly hinted.
Arthur is a prince, and as such an authority she rarely defies. She looks at Arthur in an idealized way (as a savior/hero). She displays her blind faith into Arthur’s capabilities to protect Camelot (in other words herself) . Refer Season 1 Episodes 10, 11, and 13, for example.
In Season 1 Episode 13, where she nurses Arthur her behavior shows submission as she claims to do it for the sake of Camelot.
Even the kiss she gives Arthur on his hand can be seen as a kiss that consolidates her position as servant.
Throughout human history, many types of kisses are known. Their social functions were different and discernable based on the body part that was kissed in relation to the social status of the kissers.
The kiss as a symbol of a sexual act is not the only possible kiss. Usually, lower the position of the subject/giver, the farther the kiss is from the face. In extreme cases, the kiss is given on the hem of the robe, the feet, or the ground next to the feet.
In wake of Gwen’s libido, I’d say her kiss is in part of a sexual nature, especially because later, when Arthur is awake, she denies (in her usual fashion) having said or done anything.
The bottom line is I do think Gwen has a crush on Merlin, but not Merlin alone. Her libido is quite unfocused on this stage. Admittedly it’s still more focused on Merlin than on others because Merlin is in ‘her league,’ a servant like her so she can identify more easily with him. At the same time she admires him even more because he doesn’t act as a servant. And if another servant can be so courageous, maybe so can she.
Even Merlin, despite being a servant just like her, is bolder and more self-assured (that’s why she approached him in first place). I’d say Gwen sees every young man as a potential lover, and the ones who recognizes her as a woman (i.e. a sexual mate) will get her cough Lancelot cough Arthur cough
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 9
The Disney Dead Parents Troupe In Merlin
Disney is the undisputed master of the dead parents troupe and the Merlin series adopts this troupe fairly consistently.
This is the status of all the main recurring characters’s parents:
Even though Merlin is the only character whose both parents were alive, he was still raised by his mother as a single parent. The episode where Merlin meets his father, the father ends up dying.
Morgana was initially introduced as an orphan but we come to know later on that Uther is her father.
The psychological impact of being raised as an orphan and / or single parent manifests in very interesting ways among the characters, however this phenomenon deeply affects Arthur Pendragon.
Uther is a typical distant and repressive father who has channeled all his hopes and emotions on Arthur.
This style of upbringing however has left his son emotionally repressed and the absence of a doting mother figure has rendered him needing to be tended to like a child along with major abandonment issues. His psychosexual development couldn’t follow the normal path, as he never had the chance to experience and overcome the attraction to his mother. As Uther had to play the part of both mother and father, we could say that Arthur didn’t successfully resolve his Oedipus complex. This manifests in the form of Arthur constantly seeking attention from Merlin from the moment Merlin becomes his servant. Merlin basically acts as his nanny from waking him, to bathing him, to dressing him, to feeding him and everything in between. AND THIS IS FOR A FULL GROWN ADULT AND NOT A CHILD !
SEASON 1 EPISODE 1 ENDS WITH SOMEONE COMING INTO GAUIS CHAMBERS SAYING ARTHUR IS LOOKING FOR MERLIN. LIKE REALLY ARTHUR YOU CANT GO ONE EPISODE WITHOUT HAVING MERLIN WAIT ON YOU HAND AND FOOT!!!
People can excuse this behavior stating Arthur is a royal and hence it is normal for royals to be tended to constantly by their servants. However you never see Uther being tended to hand and foot like Arthur does. Uther even comments that Arthur is strangely fond of the boy.
In addition, Arthur throws a tantrum whenever Merlin goes missing highlighting his need to be nurtured and looked after.
In the The Hollow Queen episode where Merlin goes with Daegal Arthur literally seems exasperated over Merlin’s disappearance searching the whole castle like a lost child. He even has Gwen and Gauis replicate some of Merlin’s duties for him.
In the Diamond Of The Day Episode 1, when Merlin tells Arthur he wont be going to Camalan, Arthur cannot bring himself to say he needs Merlin with him but chooses to express his hurt by calling Merlin a coward.
Arthur fear of losing people close to him is a running theme in the series even at his own deteriment.
Arthur goes to help & rescue Merlin and Gwen even when Uther forbids it. Arthur goes to help & rescue his knights even when Merlin disapproves. Arthur trusts Aggravaine so readily because he is his kin and Arthur is traumatized and vulnerable after Uther’s death. Arthur even agrees to legalize sorcery because he thinks it will save Uther’s and Modred’s lives.
Overall this series has such rich and complex themes .
No wonder that even after 10 years since the series ended, it is still trending strong !!!
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 8
“ The deterioration of Arwen in season 5”
My biggest takeaway from Season 5 is how the Arwen ship was dismantled piece by piece by the show creators.
In season 5, Arthur and Gwen are married, but their relationship was shown to be exceedingly formal, chaste, without true communication and lack of personal touch. Let me elaborate:
Formal : They never kiss in season 5 !!!!!!!!!!
2. Chaste : Arthur and Gwen are always shown completely dressed even in the bedroom
whereas other couples are shown in a more sexually charged light than them.
Shirtless Gwaine and Eira who are not married
3. Lack Of Communication : Scene From Season 5:
Gwen: I know you sometimes desire time alone away from me… If you don’t wish me to accompany you I’d rather you told me yourself than have Merlin do it
4. Lack of Personal Touch :
It looks more like an intentional reference to the episode where Arthur and Gwen first kissed:
Arthur: I can kill a chicken from a thousand paces, just don’t ask me to cook it. That’s what servants are for.
Gwen: I’m not ashamed to be a servant. At least I’m not a liar.
Arthur: We had a nice meal together. What does it matter where it came from?
Gwen: Because I thought you’d shown some humility. You had done something kind for me even though I’m just a servant.
NOW THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, WHY WOULD THE CREATORS DO THIS ?
In cannon stories, Arthur and Gwen are married. Gwen has an affair with Lancelot. Their affair brings about the fall of Camelot.
In the TV series, Lancelot is dead, so the series creator try to highlight another love triangle
GWEN ——————ARTHUR—————- MERLIN
They could have Gwen out of this scene, but they didn’t. And if you know how these things are shot, then you also know it wasn’t a mistake on the filmmakers part, it was on purpose.
There are always 3 people in this marriage, and I don’t think that Gwen is very happy about that, even though she doesn’t always voice it out loud:
Gwen’s dissatisfaction of her marriage shows in the Dark Tower episode. Gwen: “Arthur doesn’t tell me anything”. And it wasn’t just a flippant statement.
It all plays into her greatest fears (as Morgana confirmed once again: “The mandrake root is cruel. It pierces the depths of your soul, twisting your unconscious into the very image of fear and dread.”)
So why would Gwen fear her husband lying and mocking her the most? As well as her brother and Arthur’s knight Elyan and Arthur’s best friend - Merlin?
It’s because she doesn’t fully believe Arthur on some subconscious level. This is what Morgana plays into. She knows that Gwen was feeling a little alone even before the Dark Tower (we see bits of it in the earlier episodes, when Gwen asks Arthur to stay with her and he politely refuses and goes with the knights to yet another mission.) “Gwen, you’re not alone now. You need never be alone again. I am the only one you can trust.”
Arthur acts as a knight should with his wife, he gives her beautiful compliments. You can’t really accuse him of abandoning his wife:
But what he does immediately after that? After all, it’s a Gwen/Arthur’s date, he pays attention to Merlin.
And if you ask me, Gwen doesn’t look happy about it:
The last Gwen/Arthur moment in the show ends with Arthur saying ‘Merlin’ and bolting out of bed because he dreamed his servant was talking to him.
LOL at Gwen’s face
And no goodbye :
More importantly, In the final episode of the series there is not a single scene between Arthur and Gwen. What happened there? They gave ‘proper’ goodbyes to Perceival/Gwaine and Merlin/Gaius, even Arthur/Gaius. It was actually a stunningly disrespectful ending to the relationship they seemed to prioritize for so long.
It is because the show creators finally emphasized what the show was about in their finale episode:
Arthur does not mention Gwen once in his dying moments what so ever.
2. The Arwen romantic theme plays between Arthur and Merlin. The musical score is shot from Arthurs perspective showing Arthur falling in love with Merlin. LISTEN CAREFULLY
3. And the final clue to the puzzle, Julian called the final episode a love story between 2 men.
Mind you, I’m not saying Arthur didn’t love Gwen and vice versa. They did, but their marriage just wasn’t working as it should have. Give the show creators some credit for drastically reinterpreting the Gwen-Lancelot-Arthur triangle into a Merlin-Arthur-Gwen plot point.
Gwen certainly deserved better than this, so I’m glad sir Leon will be there for her.
From Season 5 Episode 13 Commentary:
Katie: But she has Sir Leon, why would she need -
Julian Murphy: See, that’s another undercurrent in Merlin. Isn’t it? Sir Leon. Him and Gwen.
And some people like to say that Julian was joking and his words don’t count as a confirmation (And why is that, exactly?), but I disagree. Because Leon is heavily hinted to have feelings for Gwen in the show itself And there is this official promo photo. Mind you there is not a single photo of Gwen with any other knight for season 5 except Leon.
I think it totally counts as canon and Leon was deliberately shown standing near Gwen and the throne in the last scene.
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 7
Season 5 Episode 3 - “ Death Song Of Uther Pendragon”
One of the most interesting episode in the series is the “ Death Song Of Uther Pendragon”.
In this episode we are exposed to the some less flattering aspects of Arthur’s character:
1) HYPOCRISY:
Arthur knowingly uses witchcraft by blowing the Horn of Cathbhadh to communicate with his deceased father.
It seems Arthur is okay with using magic when it benefits him despite maintaining the overall ban on magic in Camelot.
2) LYING:
Arthur hides the fact he is going to use the Horn of Cathbhadh, even from GWEN…..(Let that sink in). But of course not Merlin….because of reasons……….
3) INSECURITY:
Arthur tells Uther that he is his own man ………but at the same time desperately seeks Uther’s approval.
But the most interesting moments in the episode involve Uther Pendragon.
1) HE IS A TERRIBLE FATHER:
Uther is back and he is hopping mad. He spends all his time criticizing and berating Arthur.
Their interaction helps emphasize the contradiction between Uther and Balinor.
When Uther comes back from the dead he spends his time criticizing Arthur.
When Balinor’s spirit communicates with Merlin in Season 5 Episode 12, he uplifts and encourages his son.
2) ATTEMPTED FILICIDE:
Uther actually tries to kill Arthur. The reason which Uther states is his disapproval on how Arthur has governed his kingdom.
This story point does not make sense because Arthur was Uther’s sole heir and if he had killed Arthur, Camelot would have been without a King and the Pendragon dynasty could have ended right there.
While Uther was one of the main antagonist of the series his one redeeming feature was his repressed affection for his son.
However the writers have given us a vital clue to help us decipher why.
3) USING MAGIC:
Uther in spirit form uses magic to harm Perceval, Gwen, Arthur and Merlin.
Uther using magic betrays one of his own cherished belief of a Camelot being free from Magic.
Uther using magic in spirit form could be dismissed as ghosts possess magical powers and hence is not an outlier. However when Balinor came in Spirit form to help Merlin he did not use magic. When Igraine came in ghost form to speak to Arthur she did not use magic.
By using magic, Uther has confirmed the subtext of what magic represents in the show.
4) WHAT MAGIC REALLY MEANS:
That Magic is a methaphor for queerness.
When Arthur confronts Uther and says Uther has been driven by hate and fear. It refers to Uther own self hate for indulging in “magic” and fear of it being found out.
That repressed side of Uther which he has indulged in and has been the source of his guilt. Igraine died because she was impregnated using magic.
It has been Uther’s justification for the persecution of “magic users”
Same as self hating closeted people always spout the most anti-LGBTQIA stuff.
Uther’s motivation for killing Arthur and reclaiming Camelot stems from his religious devotion to the idea of Camelot. Just like Abraham was willing to kill his son to please God. Uther is ready to sacrifice Arthur because he believes Camelot will be undone with Arthur’s more liberal nature. With Arthur marrying a commoner and elevating commoners to knight hood, legalizing magic could be something Arthur could consider (AND DID CONSIDER IN THE DISIR EPISODE). Arthur after all was not above using magic to get what he wanted as highlighted above
Merlin even has some very revealing words when it comes to magic:
“I was born with it”. LADY GAGA would be proud.
Uther even tries to out Merlin to Arthur before Arthur blows the horn to send him back to the spirit world.
5) MERTHUR FACTS:
Merlin tells Leon he is teaching Arthur poetry.
Gaya scienza (‘joyful, cheerful, or gay science’) was a term used by the troubadours in the twelfth to fourteenth centuries to refer to the art of poetry. In Ecce Homo Nietzsche writes that he has used the term gaya scienza here to designate the specific unity of ‘singer, knight, and free spirit’ which was characteristic of early Provencal culture…………………………….DO I NEED TO SAY MORE.
When Uther admits to trying to kill Gwen, Arthur tries to convince his father why Gwen is a worthy consort. When Uther tries to kill Merlin, Arthur straight up blows the horn without even letting Uther complete his sentence.
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 6
Merlin’s relationship with Morgana and Gwen
I genuinely feel Morgana and Gwen were supposed to parallel Arthur and Merlin’s relationship.
Arthur is a royal without magical powers being attended by a servant with magic, whereas Morgana is a royal with magical powers attended by a servant without magic.
Refer Post Here Outlining My Foundation Of My Analysis Series:
Kilgaragh is Merlin’s Id whereas Morgause is Morgana’s Id.
Gauis serves as the superego for Merlin, however Morgana does not have one.
Merlin almost wanted to become her superego but because he has not reconciled his ego with the Id and superego, he fails and makes the disastrous decision to poison her.
In absence of a superego Morgana is absolutely at the mercy of the Id ergo Morgause.
Merlin’s apprehension towards Morgana stemmed from the fact they were similar people in similar circumstances.
Merlin can sense the turmoil within Morgana but does not have means to help her without compromising his own identity. It also stems from being threatened by people who remind them of their own shortcomings. Morgana turmoil with self identity is also something merlin struggles with.
With Gwen, I always felt she was a conduit for Merlin.
A substitute for himself . Gwen being a servant like merlin could cross the strict social hierarchy between a servant and prince with heteronormative acceptance than merlin ever could.
I always felt merlin subconsciously enchanted Arthur and Gwen to fall in love. I will discuss this in subsequent posts
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 5
Gender Dysmorphia
I find the character of Freya to be very fascinating because I view her as a Transgendered character.
Freya
There are few better symbols for someone going through the process of female-to-male transition than the human to creature transformation trope.
When you are on HRT testosterone therapy, most people become hairier and stronger and gain muscle, which is very similar to the Bastet creature transformation by Freya.
Bastet
Both shape shifting humans and the transmasculine community are, in the popular imagination, scary to heteronormative folks but not to someone who is queer divergent. Hence Merlin being the only character not to fear Freya even in her Bastet form.
The creators deliberately used the cross dressing troupe when Arthur sees Merlin carrying a black dress and assumes it is for Merlin himself, to establish a Transgendered narrative in the Freya episode
A Little Merthur Fact -
It is the object of Merlin’s homosexual desires (Arthur) who kills the object of his heterosexual desire (Freya).
I thought it was very poignant in hindsight because once Freya dies and becomes Lady of the Lake these two never share a romantic relationship again. She is literally submerged into the lake which is a metphaphor for Merlin’s conciousness. Locked away forever.
In addition, The creators literally confirmed Freya changing her gender in the TV show.
Refer this image when in the Diamond Of The Day Part 2 episode where Merlin throws Exaclibur in the Avalon lake and is caught by lady of the lake. The hand clearly belongs to a man.
Freya - Male Hands
Julian murphy confirmed that they used a male scuba diver in the final episode.
A lot of people who deny Merthur attribute this to being an error, just like they do to all cannon facts that does not fit their agenda.
But over time these “errors” pile up and present an irrefutable evidence of queer coding by the creators.
The Id acts according to the pleasure principle — the psychic force oriented to immediate gratification of impulse and desire — defined by the avoidance of pain.
Merlin has suppressed his desires for so long he has almost forgotten about it.
He calls Kilgargh after Arthur is dead, when the reality has become unbearable and howls in pain for Kilgargh to appear.
Kilgargh when he appears looks weak, having been suppressed by Merlin’s need to protect Arthur often at the expense of his own desires (NOT LETTING ARTHUR LEGALIZE MAGIC, SAYING HE IS HAPPY TO SERVE ARTHUR TILL THE DAY HE DIES ETC..)
Kilgargh then assures Merlin that Arthur will rise again as a means to COPE with his grief.
Merlin then throws away Excalibur (his desire for Arthur’s Penis / sexuality) back in the lake (Methaphor for subconsciousness). With only Arthur being the only one to wield excalibur, it will mean Merlin will take no other lover until Arthur returns.
The ending scene with old merlin walking ALONE past the lake carrying a suspiciously large number of bags could mean that Merlin is still carrying baggage from his trauma of losing arthur.
I believe with this crucial understanding the final episode makes a lot more sense.
Once Arthur wields Excalibur, Merlin changes from loving Arthur to being unhealthily obsessed with Arthur.
He no longer cares about anyone else ( YEAH LETS KILL MODRED, DONT DO ANYTHING TO SAVE KARA) or anything else ( FORGET ABOUT BRINGING MAGIC BACK TO CAMELOT) except Arthur.
I think the scientific term for this condition is DICKMATIZED !!!!!!
Once Arthur wields Merlin Sexuality in his hands, Merlin is incapable of being independent from Arthur’s identity. Hence his rather telling line in S5E13 “ I was born to serve you Arthur”, similarly how excalibur was created soley for Arthur.
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 2
The Gay Arc Of Our Protagonist and Antagonist
Using magic equals homosexuality motif, Camelot represents a homophobic society. Against this backdrop, is where Morgana and Merlins character arcs are formed.
For Morgana, the backdrop of an intolerant society is further compounded by a homophobic family dynamic. She is literally disowned I.e not acknowledged by Uther as being his child (a fear a lot of lgbt people have). She ultimately rebels against the society and her family by coming to terms with her sexuality. However all the oppression and the unpleasant coming out process (Merlin literally poisons her) has made her bitter and she lashes out in destructive ways namely against the token heterosexual couple of the show Gwen and Arthur. It plays into the homophobic stereotype of how militant homosexuals are a threat to traditional heterosexual society. Morgana is literally turned from a brave and loyal friend who helped a lowly servant by going to his village and helping him defend it to being this irredeemable shrew once she embraces her true identity I.e a goth lesbian ROFLMAO.
Merlin who has also grown in a homophobic society, however was lucky enough to experience a tolerant interpersonal dynamics. His mother and his friend are both aware of his identity and are supportive of him. However unlike Morgana, Merlin chooses to stay in the closet because, he has chosen to focus on his career of being this amazing sorcerer whose job is to enable a king achieve greatness. This parallels a lot of gay people who remain closeted I,e actors, athletes, politicians, even ordinary people who feel coming out will deprive them of opportunities.
To really understand why the tone of merlin tv series changes drastically in seasons 4 and 5 is to understand the primary motivation of our hero and villain.
Merlin character arc is driven by fear. Fear of being found out. Fear of being rejected. Fear of failing his destiny.
Morgana character arc is driven by hate. Hatred of Uther for not acknowledging her and forcing her to supress her true self. Hatred of Camelot for condemning her when she wanted to rebel against a system that vilified her for what she was.
In classic fashion, those who rebel against society meet an untimely end. Morgana just like Sal Mineo’s character in the classic heavily gay Sub textual movie “Rebel Without A Cause” is killed off.
Merlin who plays by society’s rule by remaining closeted and denying his true feelings, lives to be an old man full of regret.
In a case of art imitating life, Richard Wilson, the actor who played Gaius, came out in his 80s and said that he regrets hiding all his life because he never got the chance to build a family with someone he loved. I think it’s very bittersweet how he played a role that frequently told Merlin to “be more careful”.
Merlin BBC UK TV Show - A Psychological Analysis Series Part 1
What Does It All Mean ?
Part 1: Introduction to basic psychological terminologies
According to Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, the id is the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories, the super-ego operates as a moral conscience, and the ego is the realistic part that mediates between the desires of the id and the super-ego.
Eros is the drive of life, love, creativity, and sexuality, self-satisfaction, and species preservation. Thanatos, from the Greek word for “death” is the drive of aggression, sadism, destruction, violence, and death.
Part 2: Desire vs Control
In the show, dragons are ancient magical creatures, possessing powers and knowledge that is unattainable to humans. We can make a distinction between dragons as being primeval nature on one side, and men as civilization. To function in society, we have learned either to suppress our base instincts or at least to express them in a sublimate way.Following instincts without any restraint is dangerous, as it would bring havoc. Therefore, it’s forbidden. Something similar happens in the series, only these instincts (libido in particular), take the shape of magic.
Part 3: Magic represents homosexuality
Throughout the history of Abrahamic religions, there has been a connection between magic and (deviant) sexual practices. From the osculum inafme (kissing of donkey’s anuses and kissing the Devil’s anus) to witches who were supposedly inserting hallucinogenous mushrooms into their vaginas. The series association between magic and non heteronormative instincts (libido) becomes pronounced as series progresses.
Part 4: Uther’s relationship with magic
In Merlin’s world, most dragons have been slain. The only surviving dragon is chained in a cave by Uther’s orders. Uther here acts as the enforcer of social norms or in other words, he symbolizes the external force (parents, law, religion etc) that instills the rules Arthur and Merlin internalize (Superego).
Uther (society) recognizes practicing magic (acting on impulses) as dangerous behavior, and consequently he tries to eradicate it. Magic (sexual impulses) are part of human nature, however, and regardless of how much Uther tries, he will never be able to eradicate it completely. The best he can do is to chain it. We constantly see Uther over reach his repression against magic (sexual impulses) to reach his peace of mind, he uses his destructive impulse (thanatos) to counter his own sexual drive (eros).
His guilt emanates from the fact that he himself harbours some queerness. This is emphasised in the episode Ghost of Uther Pendragon, where Uther uses magic himself.
Part 5: Uther’s relationship with Arthur:
While Uther is showing himself as the typical distant and repressive fatherly figure, he has at the same time channeled all his hopes and emotions on Arthur, almost as if afraid his faults would show in his son’s behavior. To avoid that, he had trained Arthur strictly from early childhood (‘trained to kill since birth’). Nevertheless, his strict education (military training, because military supposedly makes a real man out of a boy) has left his son emotionally impaired and unable to show affection sincerely. No wonder Arthur’s allowed to show only his masculine, aggressive side, while his love for others is expressed silently, with deeds, or through insults.
Part 6: Kilgaragh is Merlin’s Id
The depths of the dragon’s cave again represent the subconscious, where repressed instincts and desires (the dragon) dwell. When Merlin descends into the dark cave, that equals descending into his preconscious and communicating with his subconscious (more concretely one part of the subconscious - the Id).
Merlin starts hearing the dragon soon after he met Arthur (in the first episode – The dragon’s call). In other words, the encounter with Arthur compels him to search for his sexual identity. The very first time he hears the dragon’s call, Merlin is in the prison, in which he ended because of Arthur. Such a nice metaphor for Merlin’s inner turmoil.
Nevertheless, Merlin manages to reach the dragon only in the middle of the night, woken up from his sleep. We can interpret this as Merlin finally facing his subconscious desires in his dreams. Dreams, if we follow Freud’s explanation, are always a fulfillment of desires. (Later Merlin is able to talk to the dragon also in the middle of the day, fully awake. This means with time he starts to accept his desires and is able to access his preconscious more easily.)
It’s interesting how Merlin had to trick Uther’s guards to get past them and reach the imprisoned dragon. We see this only for the first time, so we can assume later Merlin is not intimidated by Uther’s (society) rules as much anymore.
The overlapping of magic and homosexual libido becomes evident in Merlin’s case. Merlin hasn’t learned magic; he was born with it. It’s a vital part of himself – without magic, Merlin is nothing, as he told Gaius. Yet while Merlin was already accepting magic as a vital part of himself, even if with a few doubts (he wondered if he’s a monster), he wasn’t fully aware of what his magic actually is.
The dragons tells the truth behind that magic (instincts) and clearly states Merlin’s attraction for Arthur. By saying that Merlin and Arthur are one side of the same coin, the dragon expresses Merlin’s desires for Arthur as his sexual mate as well as the sexual union with him.
This unavoidable truth (Merlin’s sexual orientation and attraction to Arthur) is phrased as ‘destiny’ that Merlin cannot fight.
Merlin’s first reaction is denial. The dragon must be wrong. Id, however, doesn’t know about right or wrong (that’s the prerogative of ‘higher planes’), only about needs and the urge to fulfill them as soon as possible. Coincidentally, the dragon insists that there’s no right or wrong, only what is and what isn’t.
For Merlin, finding out what there is and what isn’t still poses some difficulty. Merlin often says he does not understand what the dragon wants him to do, and other times he thinks the dragon demands from him things that are wrong/unethical.
I could say there seem to be several communication problems between Merlin and the dragon, much in the same way messages from the subconscious come distorted into the ‘conscious part’ of the psyche.
We know the dragon’s intent is to be released, to be free, and that he cares of little else, just like instincts don’t care for any moral precept.
Later in the series (episode To kill the king), the dragon tries to persuade Merlin to kill Uther (all right, to let others kill him) and remove the oppression, but in the end Gaius and Gwen (acting as Superego) convince Merlin otherwise. It’s a nice example of the Ego being torn between the Id and the Superego.
The negative effects of following the instinctive impulses without restraints show again during the episode Le morte d’Arthur, where Merlin listens to the dragon and seeks Nimueh’s help in order to save Arthur’s life. He thinks he bargained his own life in return, but as it turns out, he sacrificed his mother’s life instead.
Note again how magic, the old religion, doesn’t care about who lives or dies, doesn’t care about morality. The only important thing is that ‘the balance is restored’, or in other words, that the needs/desires are fulfilled.
Merlin is confronted with the ‘animal’ part of himself: he realizes the dragon knew his mother would die. He is shocked and disappointed, since he considered the dragon a friend, a good counselor.
The dragon’s reply to that is how Merlin and the dragon are more than friends; they are kin. They are the same person, we could say.
Merlin, however, cannot accept the part of himself that is willing to sacrifice his mother in order to save his own life and the life of his (sexual) mate. Therefore, he decides to keep the dragon chained forever and deny it a proper life; he decides to ignore instincts completely.
Instead, Merlin decides to follow Gaius’s example. By wanting to altruistically sacrifice himself, Gaius again acts as Merlin’s Superego; a benign side of the fatherly figure (as opposed to the negative aspect of the father that Uther represents).
Part 7: Excalibur represents Merlin’s desire for Arthur’s Penis
Another instance where the dragon is the sexual force that drives Merlin toward Arthur is in episode nine (Excalibur). Merlin prepares a sword for Arthur, a magnificent sword, imbued with the power of dragon’s fire.
Swords are often seen as symbols of masculinity, or phallic symbols.
We have to interpret that as Merlin’s readiness to be sexually united with the object of his desires . If you want to see the sword as Arthur’s masculinity, then we can interpret this instance as Merlin’s desire for Arthur’s phallus.
As we know, in the end it’s Uther who wields the sword and not Arthur in this episode, meaning that Uther suppresses both Merlin’s and Arthur’s sexuality. On one side, Arthur is locked in his room – he has even been drugged in order to be kept ‘safe’ and ignorant of his true nature (that he is in a way a magical creature).
On the other side, Merlin’s feelings and desires toward Arthur have been intercepted by Uther. Despite being angry deep inside (the dragon is furious), he sees that for now it’s safer to throw the sword in the lake. By that, Merlin suppresses his needs and postpones the desired sexual act. Water and the bottom of the lake are only a metaphor for subconscious.
Therefore, the sword at the bottom of the lake represents Merlin’s and Arthur’s (homo)sexuality that is yet to be fully awaken.
I will explore more on this topic in subsequent threads.
Thank you for attending my mini TED talk.
I look forward to answering any questions you may have and I will defend Merthur to death (you have been warned).
