When I was getting my BA degree, I had a professoor who is an expert on Arthuriann lliterature and film. A few years ago, I took a course with him called Arthurian Legends and have sent him videos and articles on the subject we both love. Recently, I sent him this:
"Hello sir! I found this neat video on the Arthurian Legends as researched by Colin Morgan and Bradley James (the actors who play Merlin and Arthur, respectively, in the BBC hit show Merlin) and I thought you might enjoy it! In the entirety, it is about 30 minutes long.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXiPYjCwyss Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcFWYyrGtxI&feature=relmfu Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NRLte0XwXI&feature=plcp "
He enjoyed these videos and asked my opinionn on whether or not to include Merlin, which he had yet to get a chance to watch, in his class as he teaches Arthurian Legends again this Autum. The following was my answer.
"I've seen all four seasons of Merlin which are currently out (only three have aired in the US thus far) and absolutely love the show! It is a wonderful re-imagining of the tales and was quite fun for me as I noticed which parts of the show derived directly from any of the legends we read in your class! I immensely enjoyed remembering the tales and pointing out where the writers and producers had re-imagined a story from one of the myths and where they added fantastic new stories. Be warned, however, that the show is mostly about Merlin and Arthur as young men, learning their gifts and discovering their destinies. As opposed to the classic model of Merlin as Arthur's older mentor, this show places Merlin as about the same age as Arthur (according to sources, the writers pictured him as four years younger than the very much spoiled, though true of heart, Prince of Camelot) and serves him as an often cheeky servant, using his intelligence and magical abilities to protect Arthur as he fulfills his destiny and hiding his magic in a kingdom where sorcery is banned on penalty of death. Guinevere is also re-imagined as a servant to Uther's ward (and unclaimed illegitimate daughter), the Lady Morgana. As the show progresses, Guinevere proves to be more noble in character and much more deserving of the title of "Lady" than Morgana, who has been corrupted by black magic and hatred for Uther, the father who denied her and is responsible for the execution of Morgana's kind, those born with magic. Morgana develops over the course of the show into a powerful and determined foe, discovering her real identity in season three and becoming the main villain by season four. Season five, which will air in the UK and be available tto stream from sites like www.tv-links.eu (where I watched Season 4) in the Fall of this year. Nearly every character was re--imagined in some way, which, to me, added excitement to the show as I compared the legends we enjoyed in your class with this delightful, family-friendly series. I think you would enjoy it and I highly recommend it for anyone! It would be great to show in class, though it would make for a very strong and intriguing topic for somebody to choose for the term paper! Certainly, one would find plenty to discuss about it! The first three seasons can be streamed on Netflix."
What do you guys think? Should he include Merlin in his class?