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Edwin arlington robinson magician2/27/2024 ![]() After Nenyve seals Merlin up, she goes on to prove even further that she is a pure and benevolent spirit by saving King Arthur from Accolon. By getting rid of Merlin very early on, Malory demonstrates that Arthur's court can survive quite well without the aid of magic, prophecy, and "the old way" (Goodrich 15 ). This feeling of being outside of the court, and being "other" is stressed even more by the placement of Merlin's entrapment within the context of the work as a whole. It proves what an outsider he is within the court. Merlin's behavior towards Nenyve shows that he is very inept when it comes to courtly love and society. She is a pure young girl and Merlin can not stop thinking about her and plotting to take her virginity. The story takes on an entirely new perspective in Malory's version in the Morte D'Arthur when Nenyve is not at all interested in Merlin. This sense of helplessness reflects the prejudice that is present in the early Arthurian texts that women are important instruments in the downfall of even the greatest men and kingdoms. The reader of this story is left with the sense that a woman's charm can render even the wisest man helpless. But in the Post-Vulgate version of the story she is not in love with Merlin and traps him in a much crueler way. There is no deception or malice involved in Viviane's entrapment of Merlin in the beautiful tower. Viviane and Merlin are in love, and Viviane wishes to preserve the state of happiness that they are in. We also learn that Merlin is the son of the devil. ![]() The French Vulgate texts establish the idea that Viviane is Merlin's student as well as the woman that he is in love with. This overview discusses those versions of the Merlin and Vivien legend in which the most notable changes take place. Each version of the story takes elements from its predecessors and blends them with its own story line, character development, and/or social commentary. This phenomenon has been made possible because writers have found remarkable ways to transform the characters and the narrative over the centuries. The legend of Merlin and Vivien has survived throughout the ages in a way that not many other stories have.
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