Board Thread:What If?/@comment-5674726-20141004175104/@comment-37017073-20181227214209

MonJoh4 wrote: I agree with Areanna more than Machairodus. Morgana's actions are her own - her decisions, her mistakes. She readily let her fear and loneliness turn against everyone and that is no one's fault but her own. Although Merlin blames himself I think this is unfair, even though maybe he could have helped her it does not excuse what she chose to do.

And ReganX makes an interesting point about Morgana trusting anyone with magic. I had not noticed that before but it's true. And maybe that means I am wrong about how much Merlin could have influenced her. I don't think that you are. One thing that's often overlooked when it comes to why Morgana was so immediately drawn to Morgause and Alvarr was that in addition to offering her companionship they were also telling her the things that she wanted to hear. That the choices she made mattered. That it was in her power - and perhaps even her right - to change things to the way she wanted them. That they had suffered as she had suffered, and that that suffering gave them the right to take vengeance in whatever way they saw fit.

By contrast, what would Merlin have been telling her? To lie low. That magic should be used for the benefit of others and not for her own personal gain. To wait and work with destiny and it would all work out in the end. That was never Morgana's style. She typically preferred direct and often violent approaches to getting the things that she wanted, which is another reason that she was so drawn to Morgause and Alvarr. That's exactly the kinds of plans that they offered her. Merlin, by contrast, would have offered her a vague hope for the future and maybe someone to talk to once in a while, and I just don't see that being enough for her, regardless of whether Morgause was in the picture or not.