ShmoopTube

00:02

The name Merlin is pretty much synonymous with magician. So in a book [Arm waves a magic wand and the word Merlin turns into magician]

00:07

like 'The Crystal Cave' that's entirely focused on Merlin you'd expect a lot of

00:11

magic yeah? David Blaine's about to jump out from behind a tree right? Errr, no. [Merlin pulls a rabbit out a hat]

00:17

Mary Stewart's take on Merlin is a distinctly unmagical one, luckily she doesn't have

00:22

Merlin entertain at kids parties that'd just be a bummer for everyone.

00:26

It's not that Stewart's book is completely devoid of magic, in the Crystal Cave Merlin does [A magic wand is waved at a pack of cards and the wand snaps in half]

00:30

have the power of sight, the ability to see future events in dreams or visions.

00:35

Thankfully he can't see too far into the future or he might get a bit freaked out

00:39

by airplanes and Wi-Fi. Even though sight is definitely a superpower it's not [Merlin waving his arms and screaming in bed]

00:44

exactly magic that Merlin controls, it's more like TV that sometimes is on except

00:51

Merlin doesn't even get to hold the remote control. Which must be frustrating [Merlin with a satellite dish on his head]

00:55

especially if you get stuck on an infomercial. [Merlin falling asleep]

00:57

So if Berlin's not all that magical what's he got going for him?

01:01

Well the round table is a pretty exclusive club after all, they don't just

01:04

let you in because you really really want to join and you remembered to say [Security guy chucks someone away]

01:08

please. Instead of being a super magician Stuart's Merlin is a clever practical

01:13

engineer who marshals his talent, logic and braininess to solve problems. We can [Merlin solving a rubix cube]

01:18

see this Merlin in action when he helps Uther get together with Igrain a woman he

01:22

loves who also happens to be married to his nemesis Gorlois which complicates

01:28

things... Without magic Merlin can't just magically make Igrain fall in love with [Merlin waves a magic wand]

01:32

Uther or teleport Gorlois into space or some combination of these magic based

01:37

strategies... Instead he uses his vast intelligence to make some drugs that [Merlin mixing ingredients in a cauldron]

01:42

disguise Uther as Gorlois and no Shmoop in no way condones the making of drugs or

01:47

taking of drugs or disguising yourself as Gorlois to do harm, even for a [Uther drinking a potion]

01:51

Halloween party. This magic free conception of Merlin isn't without

01:55

precedent, Stuart's novel is heavily based on the work of Geoffrey of

01:58

Monmouth a Welsh cleric who gave one of the original accounts of the Arthurian

02:03

legend. Geoffrey thought Merlin was one heck of an engineer responsible for the

02:08

construction of the Giants dance or what we now know as Stonehenge. [Merlin dressed as a builder]

02:12

And all without the ability to make huge stones float which makes it even more

02:16

impressive, sure Stuart's Merlin isn't the most magical guy around but we'll

02:20

take Stonehenge over pulling a rabbit out of a hat any day. Although we'd still

02:24

really like to know how they do that rabbit thing. [Merlin looks amazed as a magician pulls a rabbit out of a hat]

Full Transcript