MERLIN

In the literary medium, the themes of villainy of Lancelot, Guenevere, and Mordred are Greed and Betrayal. I kept my previous post in mind while watching the 1998 miniseries, "Merlin." From the start I knew that there would be some major differences since the main character of "Merlin" is not Arthur like in Le Morte D'Arthur. But I was surprised to find how different the perspective of Lancelot, Guenevere, and Mordred were different because this story was written so many years later. The following are points of differences between the two mediums and how those changes make the characters a different kind of villain.

- The main villain of Merlin is Queen Mab. It is the battle between Merlin and Mab that drives the story. Arthur, Mordred, Guenevere, Lancelot, etc are all just accessories to this greater battle between "the old ways" and what is just. Mab represents the fear of change, of hanging onto the past and tradition even if it isn't what is "good." To show that she is a villain, her voice is raspy, she wears lots of black, and moves in a quick twitchy like manner. All of the villains in this miniseries besides Uther and Vortigern have similar makeup.

- Mordred is a pawn of Mab. Her greatest and most dear pawn - her last hope - but a pawn nonetheless. In the film, he is shown as being "bad" from the start with his incestuous birth and attitude even as a little boy. He is raised with the purpose of destroying Merlin and Arthur. He reveals Lancelot and Guenevere's relationship to Arthur at the same time that he meets him, while in "Le Morte D'Arthur" he was a member of the round table. This makes his villainous actions more about vengeance rather than betrayal. The film version of Mordred was a lot less interesting to me than Mallory's because of this. The idea that he is raised by "villains" so he becomes a villain and just carries on his role is very one dimensional. Most of the time he is overshadowed by his mother, Morgan Le Fay, because she is more sympathetic and has a love story with Frik. Her hatred of Merlin is also much more understandable.

-Lancelot and Guenevere's relationship was also changed in the film. In the film, Arthur leaves for years in the search of the Holy Grail and Lancelot is entrusted with Camelot. He and Guenevere have an affair but Merlin knows about it. This seems less about the idea that "Adultery is bad" and more about "The consequences if this relationship is found out will be bad." Merlin even admits he might have been too hard on the lovers when puts the sole blame upon Lancelot for his (Lancelot's) wife's death. In the film, no one else suspects the two until Mordred, who has been told by Mab, shows up and reveals their relationship the moment Arthur returns from his search of the grail. Their relationship is seen in a sympathetic, relate-able light. Arthur and Guenevere did not marry for love, she was alone for years, and she fell in love with Lancelot. Guenevere even defends the affair by pointing out how long Arthur left her alone. In Mallory's tale, however, Arthur merely goes on a fake hunting trip and the two lovers are discovered by the knights of the round table. Because not even Arthur wants to condemn Guenevere neither do we. It is Mordred's manipulation about equality that forced Arthur to put Guenevere in the line of fire. Like in "Le Morte D'Arthur," Lancelot comes to her rescue but in the film that is the end of it. We do not know if they just stay together or if they both do commit themselves to God in repentance.

- Mordred and Arthur's deaths are also seen in a totally different light. In the film, Arthur hesitates when Mordred points how that by killing him he will be committing another sin because he will be killing his son. In Mallory, Arthur delivers the fatal blow and then Mordred, knowing he is going to die, pushes himself further on the spear to get close enough to also kill Arthur.