Mary Stewart, the author, re-tells the original legend to show where
she found the source for this first book of the Arthurian Saga. She ends
this chapter by telling us that Uther Pendragon would reign fifteen more
years without ever seeing his son, Arthur. Just as Merlin predicted, Arthur
would be give to him to raise on the night of his birth at Tintagel, and
he would care for him in secret until the time came for Arthur to inherit
the throne. She goes on to relate that Merlin would stay beside Arthur
throughout his reign until he is tricked by a young girl, Vivian, into
teaching her all of his magic arts at the price of her love. After he
does so, she leaves him bound and sleeping, some say, in a cave near
a grove of whitehorn trees, some say, in a tower of crystal, some say,
hidden only by the glory of the air around him. He will awake when King
Arthur wakes, and come back in the hour of his country's need.
Merlin's character is presented in a completely unexpected way. The legend portrays him as a mysterious enchanter, but Mary Stewart presents him as first a boy and then, a man who has feelings and regrets and hurts just like we all do. He is a lonely little boy who is bullied, laughed at, and not accepted even by his own grandfather.
He is forced to grow up quickly and behave like a man, because he is
powerless to stop the god who leads him. And yet, through it all, he develops
strong relationships with the people around him and even falls in love.
As a man, he comes to enjoy his solitude, because he knows that his powers
separate him from people who fear him. Finally, he is not afraid of dying,
because he has received through his Sight, glimmers of his death and he
knows it will be just a long limbo of sleep.
As Merlin's father, he is unknown and unknowable in the beginning, because
Niniane refuses to reveal his identity. So, for Merlin, he is a mysterious
figure to whom he cannot put a face. However, we soon learn as Merlin
does, that he is an extremely honorable man who accepts his responsibilities
as the true King of Britain. He becomes a fast friend to his son and uses
his abilities to help Britain. In the end, he lies buried in the midst
of the Giant's Dance, a true monument, because he was a giant of a man
and a king.
Merlin's mother is a mysterious character as well. As a young girl,
she has an affair with Ambrosius, who is her father's enemy, but, even
though she loves him, she remains loyal to her father and refuses to run
away with Ambrosius to Less Britain. She endures her father's ridicule
towards her and her bastard son with the hope that once her father is
dead, she will be able to enter the nunnery. She has converted to Christianity,
because the Sight she also claims, like her son, frightens her too much.
In the final analysis, we can judge her as loyal, loving, long-suffering,
and devout. She never even thinks of another man in her life and promises
in a final message to Ambrosius that she will see him when they are together
through eternity.
Uther is a tool, according to Merlin, and Ygraine is a vessel intended
to create Arthur and nothing more. He is depicted as a womanizer and an
opportunist and he often uses poor judgment in his decisions. He is not
a likeable character, because he blames Merlin for his mistakes. He is,
also, often cruel and unjust. He is only a regent for the great king who
came before and the great one who will come after.
The Duke of Cornwall is depicted as a man betrayed. He comes to the
aid of Ambrosius and is rewarded for his loyalty when Uther becomes king
by losing his wife and dying in battle for something that is not his fault.
He is an older man with a young wife, but he never deserves his fate.
Merlin has great regret for his death.
She is depicted as a young woman who has been living in the loneliness
of Cornwall, married to a much older man. Once she arrives at Uther's
court, she gets a taste of a more exciting life and a more exciting man.
She is spoiled with her new world and betrays her husband to obtain it.
We are even given clues that indicate she will eventually give up her
own son rather than spoil the world she will create for Uther. It is ironic
that the great Arthur will be born to two such selfish people as Uther
and Ygraine.
Merlin's servant can be judged as the most loyal and loving person, next to
Ambrosius, in Merlin's life. He stands by Merlin through every step of
his journey from Less Britain to Britain to Cornwall and never falters,
even when Merlin's magic frightens him. He makes the ultimate sacrifice
for his master - he dies on the shores of Tintagel so Merlin has a chance
to escape. His final request is to make Merlin promise that he has died
for the birth of the greatest King of Britain. Even at his death, he thinks
only of his land and the people he loves.
Clapsaddle, Diane. "TheBestNotes on A Long Way Gone".
TheBestNotes.com.
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