If you’re a fan of medieval/fantasy shows, then you might have heard of the BBC show Merlin. The show aired on BBC One in 2008 and ran for a total of five seasons. Fans fell in love with the show’s portrayal of the classic tale of Merlin, the wizard, and Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot. The show was advertised that it was loosely based on the original tales, with some tweaks and additions.
The show is here to stay on Netflix and its worth a watch. The show follows a young Merlin as he becomes the aid of Prince Arthur Pendragon while keeping his magic a secret as he helps Arthur realize his true potential. The show may be based on the original tales, but it has its own unique storyline that stays from the well-known story.
10. Similarity: Round Table And Knights
There are multiple versions of Merlin and Arthur Pendragon’s tales, but there are some key elements that are a must-have. This might be a spoiler to a certain degree. As audiences follow the story of Arthur (Bradley James), they are introduced to his most trusted knights and companions.
The legendary Knights of the Round Table do appear in the show. The actual table doesn’t appear until the end of the series. His knights consist of Gwaine (Eoin Macken), Lancelot (Santiago Cabrera), Percival (Tom Hopper), Leon (Rupert Young) and Elyan (Adetomiwa Edun). They stay by his side through the most perilous fights and adventures.
9. Difference: Merlin Isn’t A Teacher Or Lover
In certain renditions of Merlin’s tale, he is described a quite a ladies man and who can’t keep his hands to himself. He is also described as being the lover of Morgana Pendragon. Merlin is also said to be a teacher. In the show, Merlin isn’t either of these things. He’s the exact opposite. Merlin (Colin Morgan) is a student who practices medicine and magic from Gaius (Richard Wilson), the kingdom’s physician.
Merlin is also in no way a lover as some of the tales describe. He is actually seen as inferior to the opposite sex compared to Arthur and has a hard time talking to women. In the entirety of the show, he only has one love interest that is short-lived. He is much less a lover to Morgana (Katie McGrath), who ends up being one of his biggest foes as the show progresses.
8. Similarity: Morgana Is Arthur’s Sister
From the start of the show, audiences are introduced to Morgana Pendragon. She is a ward of Uther Pendragon, the king of Camelot. This will be a major spoiler for those who haven’t seen the series. As the show progresses, Morgana’s character drastically changes from protagonist to antagonist. Morgana is the illegitimate child of Uther.
While the tale describes that Morgana is a half-sister of Arthur, in the series she is described as simply being his sister. While the show keeps this similarity, there is a discrepancy. In the tales, Morgana is the daughter of Gorlois and Igraine, while Arthur is the illegitimate child. In the show, she is the illegitimate daughter of Uther (Anthony Head) and Vivienne.
7. Difference: Merlin Has A Family
In many tales regarding Merlin, we are never aware of his origins. Merlin is an entity that just manifests with no real connections to a family to a previous childhood. He comes to aid Arthur and Uther when he is already of old age. In the show, it’s the opposite.
Merlin is sent by his mother, Hunith (Caroline Faber), to Camelot to become the ward of Gaius. She hopes Merlin will be able to develop his powers with Gaius’s help. Audiences, later on, become aware of Merlin’s father who was also once persecuted by Uther because of his connections to magic.
6. Similarity: The Lady Of The Lake And Excalibur
Anyone who has any remote knowledge of the King Arthur tales would recall the famous sword, Excalibur. In the show Merlin, they also utilize the storyline of Excalibur. The first time audiences see the sword is when Merlin asks for it from Freya, the Lady of the Lake.
This is also a tie back to the original tales. The Lady of the Lake is seen in many legends associated with King Arthur. She is an enchantress who aides Merlin and Arthur. In the show, Excalibur also appears with the famous stone the sword is encased in. While the tales describe that Arthur is only able to pull the sword free because he is worthy, in the show Merlin uses magic to aide him.
5. Difference: Merlin Isn’t Of Old Age
All tales involving Merlin, in its many versions, describes him being of old age. The same is said of the popular physicality of Merlin involving a long white beard and hair. The Disney film, The Sword in Stone (1963), even depicts him as having spectacles and old man tendencies.
In Merlin, he isn’t frail or old. You can ballpark that Merlin is in his mid-twenties or even younger. He is able to handle the many adventures alongside Arthur. Being Arthur’s servant, Merlin becomes a punching bag to the future king. At some point in the show, Merlin does disguise himself as an old man.
4. Similarity: Arthur And Guinevere
In the show, Arthur does fall in love with a woman named Guinevere, who becomes the queen of Camelot. Although, in the show, Guinevere (Angel Coulby) is the servant of Morgana. Arthur falling in love with Guinevere isn’t smiled upon. While the show does keep the relationship between the two somewhat the same, they changed her overall characteristics. Guinevere never becomes an antagonist like in some portrayals.
One aspect of Arthur and Guinevere’s road to love that is the same as the tales is the involvement of Lancelot. In a popular story arc, Guinevere has an affair with Lancelot. In the show, when Lancelot makes his first appearance, there is a spark that ignites between the two. It causes some tension between the three.
3. Difference: Arthur’s Birth
In common tales of Merlin, he had been an advisor to Uther for years and plays a key role in Arthur’s conception. According to Arthurian legend Merlin helps Uther disguise himself as his enemy Gorlois. Disguised as Goirlois, Uther is able to have relations with Lady Igraine. This causes Arthur to be an illegitimate son.
In the show, the story gets twisted around. Uther’s wife is Igraine, while the mistress is Lady Vivienne. They instead have an illegitimate child named Morgana. Merlin has no doing in the event. Instead, Igraine is unable to conceive and Uther turns to the dark magic of a sorceress named Nimueh to bear them a child.
2. Similarity: Arthur Is Unaware Of Merlin’s Nature
In the tales, Arthur is unaware of Merlin’s true abilities. He simply believes him to be an advisor once helpful to his father. The show follows a similar idea. Merlin is unable to show his true powers due to Uther banning all acts of sorcery. Because of this, Merlin must keep his powers hidden from Arthur on a daily basis.
Merlin is uncertain of what would occur if he was discovered. Arthur has grown up with a complicated outlook on magic due to his father’s ruling and distaste. This causes an issue for Merlin as he is uncertain about whether or not Arthur will see him as evil.
1. Difference: Arthur’s Companion
Merlin the wizard isn’t necessarily Arthur’s best friend or helper. He plays minor roles in Arthur’s rise to the crown, but a relationship never fully develops. In the show, it’s a different story. Merlin is destined to help Arthur become the King of Camelot in order to help secure a future for magic.
In order to do this, Merlin becomes Arthur’s servant and companion. He is present at every waking moment Arthur needs him. Merlin is also there to keep Arthur safe from danger and possible death during their quests using his magic. Merlin also helps Arthur realize his true potential in order to become king.
Source: https://screenrant.com/bbc-merlin-classic-tales-accuracy-right-wrong/