Good And Evil In The Film Merlin

Throughout this course, the class has read various pieces of Arthurian literature. Each of these pieces hold their own contributions in the genre and differentiate both plot and concepts. Most of these concepts can be labeled as tropes, which are figurative or metaphorical use of a word or expression. One trope that was found while analyzing the texts was shame, or the  painful feeling of humiliation. The trope of shame is prominent in both the medieval legend Lancelot or the Knight of the Cart and Natsume Soseki’s more modern story, Kairo-ko. Both sources emphasizes the shame that is felt by Lancelot and Guinevere but in two very contrasting ways. These sources can also be compared to the tale Sir Gawain in the Green Knight, which deals with shame a lesson that can be learned, rather than a pitiful thing. All three of these Arthurian legends use the trope of shame to shape both the characters and stories in their own way.

In Western culture, mere mention of the name “Camelot” is often enough to inspire images of courtly romance, grandeur, and valiant knights. In fact, the kingdom is nearly as legendary as the hero who ruled it, Arthur Pendragon. Regardless of whether he exists as a historical or mythical figure, Arthur continues to appear as a symbol of heroism in Western tradition through his roles as king and warrior. When modern culture searches for the qualities of a great fighter, it finds them in Arthur’s strength and his bravery. When it looks for the makings of a true leader, it need not look further than Arthur’s accomplishments: his founding of the Round Table Knights, his victory over the Saxons, and finally his unification of Britain. In

The story of King Arthur is widely known, either his beginnings told in The Sword in the Stone or how he led the Knights of the Round Table. While there are many version of his story T. H. White’s written version and Disney’s animated version of The Sword in the Stone are two of the most recognized versions. Most movies have the ability to embody the original intent of the book they were based upon. Disney’s movie version of T. H. White’s rendition of The Sword in the Stone, however, while portraying the correct story, does not truly convey enough elements of White’s version to be effective in telling the original story. The characterization and Merlyn’s ‘lessons’ within the movie inhibit the film from being an effective portrayal of the

Equality is a rebellious character who has committed several sins that is not his fault and he cannot change no matter how hard he tries. These actions are forbidden in his society and he has no control over these factors. In the text Equality says, “It is

Merlin has successfully brought up King Arthur to become a virtuous man and a worthy king who is exceptionally capable of fulfilling Machiavelli’s guidelines. For example, Machiavelli states in “Concerning Things for Which Men, and Especially Princes, are Blamed” from The Prince that “…a man who wishes to act entirely up to his professions of virtue soon meets with what destroys him among so much that is evil.” Merlin taught Arthur integrity and goodness. King Arthur takes this wisdom to build the

Books are nothing without stories. Stories are nothing without plots. Plots are only made better with character. Characters have to have development otherwise they are flat and lifeless. The book The Once and Future King by T.H. White tells the story of a mythical king, Arthur who becomes the best king that England has ever had.

The code of chivalry was developed in Europe during the medieval ages as a system of ethics to hold knights responsible for their actions. The perfect knight was ideally humble, subservient to his king, skilled in warfare, and a good Christian. Many Arthurian poets incorporated the ideas of chivalry into their works. Ultimately, the code of chivalry left a lasting mark on European culture. The book “The Return of King Arthur” touches on the subject of chivalry in modern day practices: “From Arthurian legend, writers and artists took the situations, themes, and motifs which had the most meaning for them, by means of which they could give new and symbolic expression to their own experience.” King Arthur and his indomitable Knights can be found in modern ideals, ethics, and art. Literary works in the Arthurian tradition were composed by multiple authors over many years. In particular, there are four texts that demonstrate the Arthurian concept of chivalry: Morte D’ Arthur, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Story of the Grail, and The Song of Roland.

The struggle between good and evil is a common theme seen throughout the medieval period. The Monty Python Holy Grail movie was a satire and parody. It mocked King Arthur’s reign. The medieval literature theme of good vs evil is mocked or satirized in the film and is disln the novel Beowulf. To begin with, King Arthur and his recruited knights defeat many obstacles on their quest.

As kids we grow up watching superhero movies and books that teach us moral lessons for when we grow up and participate in society. Although we do not know it at the time, these stories help to put cultural beliefs and lessons in our minds so we grow up to follow these sets of standards. This is not a recent phenomenon, however, as it has been happening for centuries on end. For example, during the Anglo-Saxon Period and the Late Middle Ages, there were stories that portrayed their societal beliefs and morals through the same Monomythic framework that even our modern stories possess, as suggested by Joseph Campbell in his monumental work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Such narrative poems as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight represent what the Anglo-Saxons and the Middle English saw as both acceptable and non-acceptable demeanor. Both works possess the same values and beliefs while others, distinctly oppose, something that can be clearly observed through the careful archetypal study of the heroes of Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The most obvious form of Good vs evil is the fight between Grendel and Beowulf. Grendel is not the evil one in this story because he has to eat and it just so happens to be people that he eats. The real evil one in this story is Beowulf because "Grendel snatched at the first Geat, he came to, ripped him apart, cut his body into bits with his powerful jaws" (Page 22)! This shows that Beowulf was just watching Grendel. In this certain fight Beowulf may not be completely evil,but he definitely is not good. Beowulf chose to let Grendel eat the person rather than stopping him. Furthermore, Beowulf killing Grendel was pure evil because he was just trying to get something to eat and Beowulf overkilled him “ from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster’s Arm, claw and shoulder and all”(Page 24). That is extreme overkill for most people.

Our hero, Arthur, ends up coming across Merlin, who then teaches him through a bunch of different lessons. He changes Arthur into many different kinds of creatures, which he then lives by the way of the animals to teach him about how to properly think through and how to handle certain situations he comes across in life. For example, he is turned into a goose, where he meets Lyo-lyok. She teaches him that it is not necessary to kill people for no reason. Merlin guides him as well as protects him from any kind of danger he falls into, allowing him to experience things in a safe

Here we first meet the character Merlinus ("Merdinus," a more exact Latinization of the original Welsh, was impractical because of its similarity to the Latin or French word for excrement, surely an inappropriate name for a great hero). (Bruce) Yet the Merlin of this story is not the great magician of later works. In his tale, Geoffrey uses not the Latin word "magus," which would imply that Merlin was some sort of sorcerer, but rather the word "vates," commonly indicating a poet or, often, a prophet or seer. (Tatlock) Merlin does exhibit many features of a mystic in Geoffrey's Historia: he uses clairvoyance in the familiar case, borrowed from Nennius, of Vortigern's vanishing tower; he foretells Vortigern's death and prophesies to Aurelius and Uther of Arthur's coming reign, also making several predictions about political events occuring just prior to the publication of the Historia; and he interprets to Uther Pendragon a portent of the death of the king Aurelius Ambrosius. (Bruce) Clairvoyance, prophecy, and the interpretation of dreams are all rather shamanistic actions that would fit Merlin's Welsh character as a druid.

Each the exemplary of moral fortitude and self-control, these stories thrilled the young and the old for over a thousand years, eventually reaching into such media as Merlin, Relic Hunter, and Arthur. Another of the examples of chivalry that must be talked about in an essay on this subject is the fact that was constituted chivalry and subsequent knighthood in the past is not necessarily what constitutes it now. Whereas the title of knight was mostly reserved for military personnel in the past, the honor of knighthood can be bestowed upon anyone, mainly those who seek the betterment of the UK, as well as artists, scientists, and others who contribute to the overall well-being of not only UK citizenry, but for the betterment of all humankind. Yet another example of chivalry that cannot be overlooked is the fact that knighthood took on many societies and fraternal organization in order to spread its doctrine and protect not only its interests, but also the interests of those around them in most

Then in the Colorado woods Admas and his dog Merlin saw this two cute, furry, puffy and unknow animals. The two animals is like a dog with a cat combie. Then the two unknown animals followed Admas and Merlin. Then later the two unknown animals went to play with Merlin the dog. “ The unknown animals were large enough to be formidable predators if they had claws and sharp teeth”(5).

There are many different ways the Arthurian legends are told. “Arthur Becomes King of Britain” from The Once and Future King instils the ideal to never judge a book by its cover. In “Morte d’Arthur” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson Arthur displays how important honesty is. Throughout the timeless Arthurian legends, ideals and values are expressed including respecting honesty and not judging a book by it’s cover.