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groundbreakingdot872 · 1 year

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and you can aim for my heart/ go for blood/ but you would still miss me in your bones - my tears ricochet by TS

#thinking about how they died only a few feet away from each other #and how Merlin held them both in his arms - consecutively…#bbc merlin #:(#arthur pendragon #morgana pendragon #💗 edit #sorry I tripped and fell over the angst puddle on the floor #guess I didn’t put the hazard sign up #🤷‍♀️#lol #diamond of the day #the mark of nimueh #I edited SORRY 💗😭 to anyone who rbed the earlier version #I just think this version is more concise and to the point

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merlin-slut · 6 months

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okay i bought and read a copy of potions and poison and here are some of my fav bits

if you didn’t know, there are 2 series of merlin books that are retellings of the episodes: one aimed at younger readers and the other at older. this one is part of the younger readers series.

the younger reader ones have comics so you get fun moments like these ones

or just kilgarah looking so dumb like he is

and just fun moments like defeating the afnac

plus you get some fun added dialogue and thoughts

“This failed to cheer up Merlin, who thought of himself as a warlock who just did a bit of servanting on the side.” -just amazing truly iconic

n i c e h a t

and we get arthur just being called oblivious, which is just perfect before we get this:

like it’s true but you didn’t need to say that

i have The Dragon’s Call and Valiant from the older readers series ordered right now and i’ll make a similar post when these get delivered!!! but i posted these on tiktok and realized that i needed to put them here too!!!

#bbc merlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #guinevere #uther pendragon #morgana pendragon #bbc merlin books #potions and poison #the mark of nimueh #the poisoned chalice

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weakforarwen · 2 years

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Regarding 1x3, Gaius shows the afanc’s shell to Uther which bears Nimueh’s mark, hence Nimueh was responsible for the plague. But I get your point - it doesn’t prove that Gwen didn’t use magic to cure her father. Another plot hole for the books! This show is just riddled with them. OTOH the growth of Gwen’s character between this episode and 3x10 is evident - when she is accused in this episode she is terrified, begging for her life but in 3x10 she stays calm & even talks back to Uther!

Right, that's true! But, like you said, that doesn't explain why Gwen was pardoned or proven innocent of witchcraft.

Watching season 1, it's surprising how much Gwen changes! There's a huge difference between Gwen at the start of the season, and, for example, in The Moment of Truth. It's like night and day. She's much more outspoken and confident, enough to tell Arthur off twice! In the beginning of season 2, she's even more confident of herself but still a bit unsure because she's "only" a servant. She's so cool and collected around Arthur though, more than he.

However, by the end of season 3, Gwen's no longer insecure and carries herself quite differently. She's cooler, sharper. I think this is mostly a consequence of her being secure in her relationship with Arthur and of her newfound purpose in life. She knows Arthur loves her and has hopes that they'll one day marry. She used to be insecure about being a servant, who couldn't possibly compare to a princess, but Arthur's love, and the fact that he chose her over Elena and his father, helped her feel more confident and comfortable with herself. Feeling secure in a relationship and in your role in life increases your self-confidence, right?

And so does overcoming difficulties. Gwen survived Morgana and Uther's hatred. She felt hope, not only for herself and Arthur, but for Camelot. I think Gwen finally felt like she had an important part to play and a way to fulfil her hopes for a better Camelot, and that was to support Arthur and make sure he became the King they all needed.

You're right about how brave Gwen was in Queen of Hearts. Like Merlin, I think Gwen found something bigger than herself to believe in: Arthur. She believed in his destiny to make Camelot a fair and just Kindgom, and she believed in the love they shared, bigger than Uther could ever hope to comprehend and which would outlast his hatred and fear. That's why Gwen was strong in the face of death. Her love for Arthur and Camelot were bigger than her love for herself. She knew one day Uther would fall but Arthur would triumph and avenge her death by being better than his father.

But I don't think Arthur was the only influence in Gwen's life! I think he was the biggest due to the nature of their relationship, but certainly not the only one.

There was Morgana, who first showed Gwen that a noble could care for their servants and treat them equally. Morgana was an admirable person in the beginning, much more humble and outspoken, and kinder and braver, than Arthur was. Their friendship and her character were proof that the nobility didn't need to act superior to the commoners and that not all royals were like Uther. Morgana was once Gwen's biggest champion.

There was Lancelot, who she wanted to become a knight because she believed Camelot needed normal people like him, and not just Arthur and his men. Lancelot also believed that dying for Gwen would be a most honorable death, even though she was "only" a servant. Gwen thought he stood for all that was good in the world. He showed Gwen that people could be pure of heart.

Then, there was Merlin, who was a servant like her, yet always stood up for what he believed in, broke laws and defied conventions, and was so influential with Arthur. He showed her a servant could do great things and Gwen relied on him to save the day, or just Arthur, many times.

Also, honorable mention to Gaius. She was his assistant during some of Camelot's battles so she was able to contribute to the safety and wellbeing of Camelot in that way.

So yeah, all these people were part of Gwen's journey!

Thanks for the ask!

#ask #bbc merlin #bbc gwen #bbc arthur #bbc arwen #gwen pendragon #bbc morgana #bbc lancelot #gwen #arwen #arthur pendragon #merlin #morgana #lancelot #queen of hearts #the mark of nimueh #thanks for the ask!

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myddrinmob · 6 months

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Coeden Onnen

It is cold and dark, this place we are shown. Pale rock shines - coated with ice, a thousand sharp crystals - and somewhere beyond our sight is the irregular drip drip of water falling onto stone. A cave. There is someone here. Burgundy robes, which we have seen before in a midnight market. Hands which we have seen passing a necklace to and fro: we watch them now, standing before a waist high font hewn from the very stone of the cave, dipping their fingers in so that they can better work the clay they hold. They are shaping it with long digits into a creature no bigger than can be held in their hands. It is more or less reptilian, with something approaching a crest on its head, scales down its back and legs. The tiny creature is placed in a hinged egg, which bears, in expensive red ink, images of snakes and lizards and a very familiar symbol. Two chevrons, overlapping, with a dot in the diamond space in the middle.

Chapter three is here! And we have our first truly big changes from canon: the casting of Nimueh, the language of magic, and the Merlin's secrecy.

With no slight at all to Michelle Ryan, I've always thought that Nimueh should have been cast with an older actor. She's meant to be a contemporary of Uther and Igraine, part of their court in the lead up to the purge, and while her youth can be explained away -

UTHER It can't have been. We'd know her. That witch's face is not easily forgotten. GAIUS She's a powerful sorceress. She can enchant the eye that beholds her. We never knew it was her.

- I just wasn't satisfied with such lukewarm reasoning. So, the planning for this chapter included the search for a new Nimueh.

I gave myself some limitations, which I've used for all the new casting I've done for this story:

No actors who don't normally do this kind of television work - that means I can't cast Cate Blanchett in a role.

No-one who wasn't working when the show was airing - 2008 to 2012.

If in doubt draw from the known pool of BBC and period actors - the old joke that we all know Britain only has ten actors etc etc.

If you've seen my reblogs, you already know who I picked - Michelle Gomez, who can do weird as easily as she can do regal, and can hold her own in a scene with Anthony Head and Richard Wilson. We're ditching the prom dress in favour of something almost as anachronistic but many times more dignified, with inspiration from gods, queens, and whatever pre-Roman fashion I can find.

Emphasis on the pre-Roman - for a show about a Celtic myth, BBC Merlin sure gets unecessarily into the English side of it? Like, mild tangent, but we could have had three lovely Irish accents in the main cast if they hadn't been cowards about it - Nimueh sounds Glaswegian now, bite me BBC - and at least an attempt at Old Welsh for our magic, instead of the bizare choice that was Old English.

You know, Old English? The language of the Angles and the Saxons et al? The traditional enemy of Arthurian heros (if we ignore the Romans and each other) and the mooks of evil Morgana in season five? Why is our Welsh-derived mythocial magic sounding closer to Beowulf than to the Mabinogion?

Anyway, the magic is in Welsh now.

Or, as Welsh as I can reasonably get: I didn't want to use modern Welsh as our magical language because that feels weird ('Welsh is a living language, not a prop' being about the sum total of my feelings on it) and to no-ones surprise the resources on Old and Middle Welsh just aren't there in the same way as for English, so I've reached a comprimise with myself. I'm taking poetry and prose from the Welsh tradition and - choosing the lines that fit the gist of the spell, then finding those lines, changing the othography a bit, making valiant guesses - using those instead.

An example of my method, for those interested. Note - my Modern Welsh is limited to 'hello', 'goodbye', and 'tea, thanks', and my Old Welsh non-existant, so bear with me.

Lets go with a line of magic from the start of the episode:

In the waters of her font, the woman in the burgundy robe watches. The water shows her - and us - things beyond natural human sight. As the water displays the far-distant egg bobbing in the unknown pool, the woman speaks “Trannoeth y bore ef agychwynnawd hela ac adoeth y dyffrynn afon adygwyd y Camelot.” From with the egg, the creature reaches out. The shell cracks.

Working from this website, that line started out life as:

"And the next day in the morning he set forth with his retinue, and came to the valley of the river that flowed towards Rome."

'ỽ' is an older Welsh letter that isn't used anymore. Most medieval and later texts gloss it as 'w', so I did that. Same kind of deal with some uses of 'u', which was often used in place of 'v' - for clarity of pronunciation, I change it to the more modern 'f', which is in Welsh equivalent to modern English 'v', so 'auon' becomes 'afon'.

Ruuein - modern is Rhufien - is Rome, which is not where Nimueh is sending the egg, so change that for Camelot. Cut ou the bit about the retinue, which involves me painstackingly trying to work out exactly which words mean what and deleting as necessary - abusing translation websites as best I can.

Lastly, something that is entirely guesswork. The OG texts I'm working from have a lot of '+' signs, which I'm confident just means a word is continuing over the line. It also has other notation that I'm not sure on, such as the '|' that appears in words, usually if they begin with a. I mostly just delete these and hope the language gods look kindly upon me.

Like I said, I don't speak Welsh, ancient or otherwise - if you do, and you want to tell me something about it (critique about my use, advice, fun facts) please do! I'm doing my best, and I'm always happy for my best to be better.

By the Triple Goddess, this is already so long. What else was I gonna say?

...

"I'm sorry," he says, words tumbling from his mouth, true but inadequate for what he's done. Gwen looks at the ground as she replies, as if she is the one who should be ashamed. "It's not your fault." "Well…" Well. It is, isn't it. Gwen is about to speak again, is looking up at him again, and if he doesn't confess now he never will -

Listen. Listen.

OG Merlin is forever alone.

And that works, to a point - part of the tragedy of the show is that Merlin only ever has enemies and allies he can never fully trust (RIP Lancelot) - even Gaius lies to him, tells him to let people die, whatever the shit was happening in 1.06. That's some juicy tragedy goodness! Love that!

But like.

Hmm.

This show isn't actually a tragedy tho, is it? We get tragic moments, we get the curbstomp moment of the finale (on xmas day??? the fuck bbc), characters die and fail and betray our heroes, yada yada.

But we also get moments that are arguably tragic, but which the show doesn't treat as tragic.

Every single moment Merlin kills a magic user - or near enough that I can't recall an exception - is treated as triumphant. Every time Merlin saves the life of genocidal tyrant Uther Pendragon - triumphant. Every time we return to the status quo - triumphant. The tragedies are only interpersonal - on the many occasions where Merlin drives Arthur further away from accepting magic, it's tragic because of how it affects Merlin, and his relationshop with Arthur - not because of the ongoing persecusion.

The show focuses on the interpersonal to the exclusion of everything else, and then it doesn't even do that full justice. Arthur and Merlin suffer a bit from the new trek Kirk-Spock phenomenon, where we forget other characters exist, and we forget their own dynamics with our main protag.

(Another part of the tragedy, right? That Merlin ends up only seeing Arthur, and nothing else - and maybe only his idealised Arthur at that. Another one that goes largely unaddressed.)

So, Gwen.

I don't want to go too much into why I wanted someone in on the secret, and why I wanted it to be Gwen - we'll get there later in the season - but at least part of it is to balance out the allies Merlin has. The dragon, who wants to get rid of Uther and return magic; Gaius, who wants everything to stay exactly as it is; and Gwen, who wants...

Well, she a different kind of moral beast than the others, isn't she? Let's just see how different.

#bbc merlin #Merlin #Guinevere #season one #the mark of nimueh

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icecreamkink · 2 years

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OH COME ON how did no one hear that

#that was the loudest spell in the show so far #merlin blogging #the mark of nimueh

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cynthia39100 · 3 months

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Merlin rewatch -- S1E3: The Mark of Nimueh

Merlin's confession scene

First of all, Arthur’s face when Merlin ran into the court was so funny lol He didn’t believe one bit that Merlin could be a sorcerer.

I like how quick Arthur jumped to defend Merlin. From the frustrated look in his scene with Gwen, I felt his determination to not allow any more unnecessary victims. Merlin's confession was obviously unreliable, considering the timing. He had to step in.

Then there was the iconic Merlin. I think it's the most exaggerated one? We'll see.

I like Arthur’s face when he said “ yes you are.”It's the way he shut his mouth after the sentence and his half-threatening face. I could hear him thinking “ Merlin you idiot stop talking just nod and smile!”

Similarly in the end when he said “There’s no way that he’s a sorcerer.” while fixing Merlin with a long meaningful stare. The warning in his voice was apparent. There was also the look he had when he watched Merlin give up (finally) and walk away. It’s such a contrast with his previous half amused half taunting face. He was so focused on preventing Merlin from getting himself killed.

I also love that throughout the whole thing Arthur never not looked nervous, even while he spoke to the counsellors convincingly. His facial expression was tense. There was even a little nervous laugh in his voice when he said " ... the wonder is that he's such an idiot."

Bonus: Uther was so amused about the whole thing lol He was still smiling when Merlin left.

<- Prev Next -> [other episodes]

#merlin rewatch 2024 #bbc merlin #rewatch: the mark of nimueh #arthur pendragon #bradley james

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xviruserrorx · 1 year

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MerlinRewatch2023 -> "The Mark Of Nimueh" Book Of Job ~ Masterlist [Prev <- • -> Next]

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lauravian · 2 months

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S1E3: The Mark of Nimueh

Redrawing a screencap from every episode of Merlin... (until I get bored with it)

#theyre actually boyfriends your honor #merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #speedpaint #my art #merlin screencap redraws

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larluce · 3 months

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Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

Tagging @stalesaltinecracker cause he asked for more, and @an-entity-i-think since she made a valid question

ENLACES A LAS OTRAS PARTES DE ESTE AU AQUÍ: PARTE 1 , PARTE 2 , PARTE 3 , PARTE 4 (estás aquí), PARTE 5

In "Valiant"

Arthur: (Impacient and worried cause Merlin hasn't told him about Valiant's echanted shield yet) Is there something you want to tell me?

Merlin: (who decided to not tell Arthur about the shield this time around so he won't embarrased him again) No.

Arthur: I know something is bothering you.

Merlin: Nothing is bothering me.

Arthur: (hurt) Don't you trust me? (thinking) Have I not been worth of your trust again?

Merlin: Of course I trust you! Arthur, I trust you with my life!

Arthur: Then tell me what's wrong! Why were you sneaking out of Valiant's chambers yesterday?

Merlin:(cursing internally that this Arthur somehow is more observant, but still says nothing)...

Arthur: Merlin, please.

Merlin: (puzzled and touched Arthur is saying "please" to him and he finally sighs, giving up cause he always hated lying to Arthur anyway) Valiant's been cheating, he has a magic shield.

Arthur: (hiding his relief Merlin finally told him) Why do you think that?

Merlin: I saw it. The snakes coming out of his shield. Gaius thinks Valiant used them to posioned Sir Ewan. But I don't have any proof, I get if you don't believ-

Arthur: I believe you.

Merlin: ... really? But I'm just a servant, I'm not-

Arthur: (fondly, holding Merlin's hands) Don't ever say that again. You're more than a servant to me. Always.

Merlin: (getting lost into his eyes, blushing)

Merlin: (snapping out of it) Ahmm... Then what will you do?

Arthur: There's not point in bothering my father with this without proof. Now that I know what I'm getting into, I'll know what to look out for.

Merlin: (smiling confident, cause he has the spell to expose Valiant prepared) I'm sure you'll beat him up easily.

In "The Mark of Nimueh"

Merlin: (going to the cavern alone to fight the Afanc himself, a torch in hand) Arthur?

Arthur: (doing the very same thing, a torch in hand as well) Merlin?

Merlin: What are you doing here?

Arthur: I was... strolling.

Merlin: In the vaults underneath the castle?

Arthur: It's my castle. What are YOU doing here?

Merlin: I was... taking samples.

Arthur: Taking samples.

Merlin: Yeah, apparently the sickness is spreading through water. So I was taking samples to find out with Gaius what's causing it.

Arthur: The well is several meters behind, Merlin.

Merlin: Ah... I got lost.

Arthur: (rolling his eyes) Only you, Merlin. (taking Merlin by the wrist) It's not safe for you here. I'm getting you out. (starts walking)

Merlin: (trying to free from his grip) What? No! I need to-

The Afanc roars, making its appareance.

Arthur and Merlin: Shit...

In "The Gates of Avalon"

Both Morgana and Merlin looking Sophia from afar.

Morgana: Who is that?

Merlin: (kind of mad he couldn't prevent the sidhes from entering the castle again, but hiding his discontent) Sophia Tirmawr. Arthur rescued her in the woods.

Morgana: She can't stay here.

Merlin: Well, she and her father are guests in the castle now.(seeing his chance) You had a nightmare about her?

Morgana: (surprised) How do you know about my nightmares?!

Merlin: Gaius.

Morgana: Right... (sighs) You must think I'm crazy.

Merlin: I don't. I also have a bad feeling about her.

Morgana: Really?

Merlin: It just seems pretty convenient. Escaping from raiders in Tír-Mòr? A kingdom too far away to corroborate any of that story? I don't believe she is who she claims to be.

Morgana: (opening up, feeling safe and understood by Merlin) In my dream she drowned Arthur in a lake. I'm scared, Merlin. My nightmares always come true. Always!

Merlin: I already warmed Arthur about her. He gave her the chambers far away from his. But I think you should talk to him about this.

Morgana: (laughs dryly) No, he won't believe me. He'll laugh at my face for sure. (thinking) And he's been too cold to me lately for some reason.

Merlin: There's no harm in trying. He might surprised you. (thinking) If this Arthur is nicer to me, he'll defenitely be nicer to her.

Morgana: Alright, I'll try.

...

Morgana: Arthur, I need to speak with you. It's about Sophia.

Arthur: (Who spied on her when she threatened Sophia in the hallway and still doesn't know how to feel about it) You're starting to sound like Merlin. Do you have a bad feeling about her too?

Morgana: She isn't what she seems.

Arthur: Why? What makes you say that?

Morgana: I just... have a feeling. It's difficult to describe.

Arthur: Try me.

Morgana: I had a dream. A nightmare. She drowned you in a lake. She killed you, Arthur.

Arthur: And why would that be a bad thing?

Morgana: (confused)... what?

Arthur: Don't you want me dead, Morgana?

Morgana: (horrified) No! Of course not! Why would you say that?

Arthur: (shakes his head) Nothing. Forget I said anything.

Morgana: (firmly) No. Arthur, listen to me. (holds his face and Arthur forces himself not to flinch) I don't know what's happening in that head of yours, but let me get this straight. I love you and I care for you. You're like a brother to me. I would cut all my limbs before letting anything happen to you!

Arthur: (with teary eyes, but forcing himself not to cry) You're just saying that.

Morgana: It's the truth.

Arthur: (his voice almost breaking) So you don't hate me?

Morgana: What made you think-(opens her eyes wide in fury) It was her, wasn't she? She put that idea in your head! (starts stomping out of the chambers)

Arthur: (stops her) Hey! Where are you going?

Morgana: I'm going to kill her! No, first I'm going to drag her by the hair through all the castle to let her know what happens when you mess with people's minds!

Arthur: (Shocked for a second at Morgana's thirst for blood and revenge not being drawn at him, but for him. And then he laughs, laughs and laughs)

Morgana: Why are you laughing? (starts to question his sanity, worried) Are you Okay?

Arthur: (stops laughing and smiles) Yes, I am now. Thank you.

#merlin bbc #merlin #bbc merlin #merthur #merlin fic #merlin fanfic #merthur fic #merlin prompt #arthur and merlin #merlin and arthur #merthur fanfic #merthur prompt #Arthur and Merlin travel back in time without knowing the other is from the future too AU

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groundbreakingdot872 · 1 year

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“maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat”

oK MERLIN

#he was so biased for this #smh #the show was hitting me over the head with this line and I’m still not over it #bbc merlin #merlin emrys #the mark of nimueh

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godmerlin · 3 months

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Colin Morgan as Merlin

1x03 The Mark Of Nimueh

#merlin #bbc merlin #colin morgan #merlinedit #merlingifs #my gifs #<33

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luke-skywalkrs · 7 months

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every episode of bbc merlin ⇾ 1.03 The Mark of Nimueh

Merlin is a wonder, but the wonder is that he's such an idiot. There's no way he's a sorcerer.

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weakforarwen · 2 years

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The Mark of Nimueh

One thing that doesn’t make sense about this episode is why Uther seemed so hesitant to kill Gwen, and why she was let go in the end. Even if Merlin, Arthur, and Morgana killing the afanc proved Gwen hadn’t caused the plague (and it didn’t even prove that, because the afanc which caused the illness was raised before she got arrested), it certainly didn’t prove that Gwen hadn’t cured her father using magic. In fact, it seemed like Uther was willing to ignore that she used magic for good, which made absolutely no sense.

Still, I think this episode is one of the few Merlin episodes that handled the topic of magic with nuance, especially the dilemma of practicing magic in a place where it is forbidden. When Gaius told Uther that magic was behind the illness spreading across Camelot, Uther warned Arthur that:

This is the kind of magic that undermines our authority, challenges all we've done. If we cannot control this plague, people will turn to magic for a cure. We have to find this sorcerer, and quickly.

And he was right, of course. People would naturally turn to magic, regardless of the current laws, if science, or the King, failed to save them and their loved ones. This is what Merlin did when Gwen’s father got sick. Merlin had wanted to help those dying of the illness, but was cautioned against doing so by Gaius. Yet he couldn’t stand by and watch Gwen lose her father, so he saved Tom anyway. Doing so proved to be dangerous because Tom making a full recovery from an incurable magical illness raised suspicions and Gwen got arrested for witchcraft and to be executed for causing the plague itself.

The issue of Merlin using his magic in Camelot is deeper than keeping it a secret. Even if Merlin didn’t get caught using magic to help others, anyone suspicious of magic being used could tell the King, who, in turn, would punish whoever he found more likely of being guilty, proof or not, simply because he wanted someone to punish. Gwen was a victim of this. Arthur and Morgana attempted to make Uther see reason, but he naturally wouldn’t yield.

I have a responsibility to take care of this kingdom! I take no pleasure in this!

Sometimes, I believed Uther truly did feel guilt or remorse for killing people with little to no evidence, but, other times, it seemed like his hatred wouldn’t allow him to feel any guilt at all.

U: You saw it for yourself. She used enchantments. A: Yes, maybe. But to save her dying father, that doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart.

When did Arthur completely lose sight of this distinction? It would’ve been too easy to return magic to Camelot had King Arthur felt the same as Prince Arthur. But, perhaps that’s not true:

U: I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. [...] If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom may perish. A: I understand that. [...] Witchcraft is an evil, father. So is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of king I will be, but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in. It would be where the punishment fits the crime.

In the end, witchcraft is an evil, even when used for good... How can something good be evil? Did he feel this way because magic was ever only used for good to undo the evil it had caused in the first place (eg. The Wicked Day, With All My Heart)? But did Arthur truly not see that, if magic could intentionally be used for good, then it was not an evil? The issue is that, unlike Uther, Arthur did not understand magic. He believed it was evil, because that’s what he’d been told and seen many times, so people who used it for good were few in between. Like Gaius said, “Magic corrupts. People use it for their own ends.”. Arthur, being ignorant on the many uses of magic, didn’t know how easily it could be used for good (for example, healing potions).

In Gwen’s case, did Arthur perhaps believe she’d bought a magical poultice from a sorcerer, who took advantage of her desperation to make a profit? Ergo, Gwen wasn’t a sorcerer and magic was evil? Because, otherwise, the episode doesn’t make sense: how did Gwen using a poultice to save her father’s life not made Arthur wonder if they could do the same for others? What did he fear? Trusting a warlock and getting betrayed or enchanted by them? That’s the problem, isn’t it? Trust. Those who don’t have magic know they are powerless against it and their fear makes them distrustful of it. Like Gaius said, though, magic’s “neither good nor bad. It's how you use it.”.

Anyway, the episode’s quite funny in retrospect. Arthur’s wife almost dies before they even notice each other. It’s clear that Arthur didn’t want to arrest Gwen, but felt like his hands were tied. He tried to reason with his father though, and looked quite distraught at the thought of someone he must’ve known for a very long time dying so unfairly. The boy was pacing and everything.

Is this the first unofficial Arwen episode? Not because anything happens between Arthur and Gwen, but because of the parallels between this episode and Queen of Hearts:

In both episodes, Gwen was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to die, and it was Merlin who saved her by either finding, or making-up, the real culprit. Arthur attempted to reason with the King to save Gwen’s life, but he wouldn’t listen.

When Merlin visited Gwen behind bars, she told him there was no hope for Uther to see reason. Thus, in this episode, Gwen asked the man she liked, Merlin, to remember her, and, in Queen of Hearts, she asked Merlin to look after Arthur, the man she loved, when she died.

Morgana’s closeness to Arthur played a role in both episodes. In this episode, she wished to save Gwen and, as such, enlisted Arthur’s help: in Queen of Hearts, she wished to kill Gwen, so she encouraged Arthur to leave with Gwen and rebel against Uther; when Arthur abdicated his throne to save Gwen, Uther took that as confirmation that Gwen had enchanted Arthur to love her...

Furthermore, in this episode, when Merlin tried to save Gwen’s life by exposing his magic, Arthur dismissed Merlin’s words as an act of love, leading Uther to suggest that Gwen may have had enchanted Merlin... Uther simply didn’t believe anyone could love a servant that much.

Also, Merlin got caught using magic in both episodes: one time on purpose, and the other accidental.

Something I liked about this episode is that it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek. Because some (most?) viewers would’ve known of Gwen and Arthur’s future romance, the writers gave us scenes like these:

Morgana: Poor Merlin. [...] To offer to give up his life to save Gwen's. I certainly can't imagine any man loving me so much. A: No, I certainly can't imagine that either. M: That's because you're not like Merlin. He's a lover. A: Yeah, maybe that's because I haven't found the right person to love.

This dialogue is brilliant on so many levels.

First, Arthur and Morgana are hilarious. They have such a sibling-like chemistry; all their scenes together are gold. To me, they’re two people painfully aware that others expect them to marry, but so repulsed by the very thought of it they can’t even be normal with each other. I love their bickering. And I also love that, whenever Morgana wanted Arthur to do something for her (in this case, help her and Merlin kill the avanc to save Gwen), she just provoked him and attacked his mainly pride. Not even Arthur was stupid enough to fall for it:

M: Sadly the age of gallantry seems to be dead. You look around and all you see are small men, not big enough to fill their armour. There's not one of them that' s able to stand up for what is right. A: What do you want me to do?

Morgana’s hilarious; she was also Arthur’s “moral compass” in the first season, taking Gwen’s place. In this episode, Morgana told Merlin to leave Arthur to her because she’d talk to him to do the right thing, and that is what Gwen did in The Witchfinder as well.

The second reason why that scene was great is because Arthur’s “right person to love” was Gwen, not Morgana. Arthur wasn’t a “lover” because he hadn’t found Gwen yet.

And it’s ironic that Merlin’s love for Gwen was apparently too great for Arthur, of all people, to comprehend. Merlin certainly cared for Gwen, but his actions were largely driven by guilt.

Lastly, let’s give it up to Merlin who saved Gwen and her father and was brave enough to confess to having magic. Sadly, he didn’t count on Arthur, the dumber half of the Merthur coin, thinking Merlin was too dumb to have magic.

#bbc merlin #bbc arwen #gwen pendragon #arthur pendragon #arwen #merlin #morgana #the mark of nimueh commentary #the mark of nimueh

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syfysource · 9 months

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Merlin 1.03 The Mark of Nimueh

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merlin-gifs · 10 months

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MERLIN | 1x03 “The Mark of Nimueh”

#merlinedit #merlin #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #guinevere #mergwen #merlin x gwen #season 1 #1x03 #tvedit #perioddramaedit #*#mia

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cynthia39100 · 3 months

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Merlin rewatch -- S1E3: The Mark of Nimueh

Arthur

Just the things I like about Arthur in this episode

Arthur looked like he just rolled off of the bed when he came to find Merlin and fetch Gaius for his father like a servant. He looked like 10 years old and hadn't fully awake lol

Arthur protested when Uther asked him to lend Merlin to Gaius

That tiny disgusted look when Gaius suggested Arthur read his work lol

The fact that for Arthur, searching Gaius’ room was just a dull job he had to complete. He didn’t think he would find anything. He didn’t even open the books. And he called back the guards when they were still searching. It was such a contrast from the Witchfinder. He also didn't react to any snarky comment from Gaius. Love him.

I like that Arthur adverted his eyes instantly when Uther praised him for arresting Gwen. He never thought it as a thing to be proud of. He purposefully didn't look at Gwen when the guards dragged her to the corridor as well.

Arthur's hand was pretty with that ring. Prettier when he put it near his mouth <3

“ You heard the word magic and you no longer listen.” Yep. Arthur had known it from the start.

“ I don’t believe evil is in this girl’s heart.” I’m now curious how long had Arthur and Gwen known each other. Did they get on? Probably not. But did they know each other well?

“… witchcraft is an evil father, so is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King and I don’t know what kind of king I will be but, I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I wish to live. It will be where the punishment fits the crime.” King Arthur moment!

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#merlin rewatch 2024 #bbc merlin #rewatch: the mark of nimueh #arthur pendragon

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