THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

The theme of destiny or fate is most important in understanding the novel. The characters are like figures on a chess board, constantly being manipulated by the gods. Merlin is a great enchanter, but he is powerless to stop the will of the gods. For example, when he falls in love with Keri, the young nun, he feels as if he is dying, smothering to death, when she begins to kiss and caress him. He is forced to push her away from him and come to the realization he is not meant for love. His visions come when he least expects them and often he passes out from the stress they evoke. Then, he is........

The theme of duty and loyalty is seen in many characters and many events. First, Merlin is ever loyal to the god who controls him. He always follows through with every step on this journey. Ambrosius is ever loyal to his country and returns to save it from Vortigern and the Saxons. Gorlois is loyal to........

OTHER ELEMENTS

IRONY

One other element that is evident is the sense of irony that at times runs through the book. For example, it is ironic that Merlin's name means Prince of Light, but he is always referred to as the Prince of Darkness. It is ironic that Gorlois chooses to come out of Dimiliac and fight Uther's troops. If he had just..........

VOCABULARY

The vocabulary is another interesting element. Stewart tells us in her Author's Note that she has incorporated many languages to name...........

NATIONALITIES

The various nationalities - Romans, Bretons, Welsh, Britains, Irish, Saxons, and Germans - are also another element to understanding the novel. All these peoples were in ..........


The complete study guide is currently available as a downloadable PDF, RTF, or MS Word DOC file from the PinkMonkey MonkeyNotes download store. The complete study guide contains summaries and notes for all of the chapters; detailed analysis of the themes, plot structure, and characters; important quotations and analysis; detailed analysis of symbolism, motifs, and imagery; a key facts summary; a multiple-choice quiz, and suggested book report ideas and essay topics.