Ambrosius

Character Analysis

Break Out the Dad Jeans

Surprisingly, we don't get a lot of details about Ambrosius—the ambitious would-be King of Britain and Merlin's dad—even though we're seeing him through the eyes of an adoring son. It all starts when a dazed Merlin first mistakes Ambrosius for the god Mithras, whom he has just seen in a vision.

But on closer inspection, Ambrosius is such a dad: "He was not as young as I had thought; there were lines in his face, and his brows were down, frowning. His eyes were dark, not blue like his brother's, and he was more heavily built than I had supposed" (II.4.46).

This is no god-figure. Ambrosius is solid, steady, and weighed down by cares—just check out the lines on his face. It's exactly what you'd expect from a guy trying to take back the kingdom of his ancestors from a nasty usurper.

Power Grabbing

Once Merlin settles in, Ambrosius takes good care of him. He arranges for the tutor and all-around shady dude, Belasius, to teach Merlin. Belasius is the "Arch Druid," a guy who has zero issues with murdering people to appease his goddess.

Why would Ambrosius put such a man in charge of his only son? One word: power. He recognizes that Merlin has a special gift, and he knows that his education will have to be thorough—and unusual. Ambrosius himself teaches his son the first rule of being a proper alpha male:

"A man takes power where it is offered." (II.6.23)

That line becomes young Merlin's new mantra. Even when he hates the idea of doing something—like being initiated into Belasius' religion—Merlin keeps on gathering up knowledge and power, because he knows that Ambrosius is right. One day, he's going to need everything he's ever learned.

Master and Commander

Ambrosius' calm and competent personality attracts everyone and makes him a natural leader of men. Merlin nails it in this description:

He was not a man one could love easily, certainly not a man to like, but a man either to hate or worship. You either fought him, or followed him. But it had to be either one or the other; once you came within reach of him, you had no peace. (II.5.33)

"You had no peace," as Merlin says, because Ambrosius has a solid policy: use every person for what they're worth. He doesn't even spare his own son from this. And he expects no less from himself. He's able to unite the warring Briton leaders against Hengist, for example, by finding their strengths and exploiting them: "Ambrosius here, as everywhere, showed himself a master. As ever he used each man for what that man's strength was worth" (IV.1.5.324).

If Ambrosius sounds too good to be true, you're on to something. Because we all know what they say about good things: they just don't last.

Big Victories, Short-Lived

Not to spoil things too much for you, but Ambrosius does win back the kingdom of Britain. It's all very awesome and splendid, and the Britons are all like, "Huzzah!" when he rides through their cities on his way to York. Merlin himself is impressed by his pop's reception:

So they came flocking now to Ambrosius, calling on him blessings of their different gods, hailing him with joy as King, the first "King of all Britain," the first shining chance for the country to be one. (IV.6.18)

Fantastic.

But wait. There's more to this happy ending than just the happy ending. Merlin understands that kingship will be the end of Ambrosius. Ever notice how U.S. presidents start out looking spiffy and by the end of their terms in office look like they just need a massive vacation? That's Ambrosius. Merlin notices after a while that Dad is just not the same person he was in Brittany:

He listened half absently; cares pressed heavily on him these days, and the years which had sat lightly on him before now seemed to weigh him down. I have noticed that this is often the way with men who set their lives towards the distant glow of one high beacon… (IV.6.19)

The long and short of that metaphor? Ambrosius now has to find something else to motivate him. And that's pretty hard to do with those pesky Saxons ALWAYS on your borders. Ambrosius' life is about to be "outsourced"—there's a new king on the way who will take Britain into the 6th century—and way, way beyond.

A Major-League Legacy

There comes a time in every king's life when he has to think about the image he wants to leave behind. Ambrosius has his plans down pat. Why would such a powerful king be worried about his death when he's literally just taken the throne? Because Merlin—who couldn't prophesy anything for him before—tells him he's gonna die.

But he does it in the nicest possible way. While possessed by "the god," Merlin tells his father:

"And you shall live again in Britain, and forever, for we will make between us a King whose name will stand as long as the Dance stands, and who will be more than a symbol; he will be a shield and a living sword." (IV.9.82)

Ambrosius may not live to see this glorious future, but at least he can die knowing that his ultimate legacy—a united Britain—will thrive in the hands of a legendary king who will help cement Ambrosius' own name in history forever. Not bad.

Oh, and also, he gets Stonehenge as his final resting place. In terms of eternity, that's pretty sweet.