User blog comment:Morgana High Priestess/Which reign is better: Uther's or Arthur's?/@comment-3012002-20130120111653/@comment-5102537-20130120122908

Personally, I'd prefer Arthur's ethics in regard to "equality" if I lived in the dark ages with my today's own morals. However, Uther behaved totally appropriate and normal for those times. No, he was even more modern and friendlier than royals/monarchs in the dark ages actually really were.

When Arthur saved Merlin, Uther told him in the end that he did the right thing even though rthur disobeyed him, so he saw that he had made a mistake with Merlin. And Gwen was slapped (which I strongly disapprove of, of course!) because she accused him of not knowing what it's like to love someone. She not only insulted the king - and in front of everyone - but she also said that he didn't know what love is even though Uther lost his wife and couldn't get over her death until he died. Imagine this situation: A very young woman like Gwen, a servant, with very little life experience, is suspected of having used magic, the one thing that was the biggest crime in Camelot, to get close to the king's son, probably to take revenge on Uther (as he thought), accusing him of not knowing what it's like to love someone, insulting the king who additionally was at least thirty years older than her in front of everyone. Real kings would have done much crueler things to her. There is only so much that people were allowed to do. Same goes for Merlin being shouted at by Uther when he dared to speak in front of the court without permission. There were rules, and no matter how much we like the protagonists, servants and peasants weren't allowed to violate the protocol. Does anyone think that when meeting Queen Elisabeth II, for example, everyone is allowed to tell whatever they like and to speak whenever they want to?

Arthur's more modern view on things was totally unrealistic, but it's no wonder that we liked them more since we live in a different era with modern point of views. However, due to Arthur's kindness/softness, he had a hard time gaining respect. People in those times saw a lot of things as a weakness which we would consider to be strengths. In those times of kings and queens, others were keen to claim what didn't belong to them. They were eager to take advantage of weaker ones in order to gain power themselves. What is happening today at work, bullying others and taking other people's positions was a very dangerous and much more serious thing in those times back then. A whole kingdom was at stake.

What I disapproved of was the fact that often Arthur and even Merlin presumed to do things that they weren't allowed to do. For example, when Arthur knighted his friends in the season three finale. At that point of time he wasn't even prince anymore since Morgana had taken the throne and removed Uther as king. It wasn't necessary to knight the others in order to get back the throne. He directly acted against his father by knighting his friends/warriors. What he did he think Uther would do the moment they reconquer Camelot? Arthur couldn't know that Uther went almost catatonical at that point of time. He must have assumed that once they reconquer Camelot that Uther is back on the throne. Yet he knighted commoners without his father's permission. I think this was out of line and very disrespectful towards Uther.

And Merlin had the nerve to tell Uther that he was a bad king (in The Death Song of Uther Pendragon). A young servant who got his position from Uther and who also was at least thirty years younger tells the former king, the one who went through hell and back and suffered for decades and who built up Camelot to what it was that he was a bad king. That was cheeky and immature. I understand that Merlin felt great pleasure to finally reveal himself to Uther, yet he was still a servant, still young and still not yet the greatest sorcerer of all times. He showed great immaturity in that moment and he reacted like a son who desperately wanted to be respected by his mighty father. A little more compassion, respect and wisdom would have suited him much better. This was a scene I really didn't like and which would have fit into a kid's show.

Anyway, as a king, Uther was stronger and better and much more successful. As a person, Arthur was kinder but also weaker and much too undecided.