CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION The Sword in the Stone

Unifying Idea ◦ Education ◦ Mind- Merlyn’s lessons ◦ Body- Quests, Jousts, and Tournaments

Merlyn ◦ His character has become a “stock” character. ◦ Static but Round ◦ Strong views about education of the mind but not necessarily the body.

Merlyn- Early Evidence ◦ Direct characterization- Appearance ◦ “He was dressed in a flowing gown with fur tippets which had signs of the zodiac embroidered over it, with various cabalistic signs, such as triangles with eyes in them, queer crosses, leaves of trees, bones of birds and animals and a planetarium whose stars shone like bits of a looking glass with the sun on them. He had a pointed hat like a dunce’s cap, or like the headgear worn by ladies of that time, except ladies were accustomed to have a bit of veil floating from the top of it. He also had a wand of lignum vitae, which he had laid down in the grass beside him, and a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles like those of King Pellinore. They were unusual spectacles, being without ear pieces, but shaped rather like scissors or like the antennae of the tarantula wasp.” (White 29) ◦ Indirect characterization- Words ◦ “’Education is experience, and the essence of experience is self- reliance’” (White 46).

Merlyn- Later Evidence ◦ Indirect Characterization- Words ◦ “’The best thing for being sad,’ replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, ‘is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then– to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. The is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the thing for you.’” (White 183)

Merlyn-Conclusion ◦ He is round, but static character– This story is not about him. ◦ Education through improving the mind is of the utmost importance. ◦ He cares for people, especially Arthur.

The Wart or Arthur ◦ Round but currently static ◦ Does not know where he stands in terms of education. ◦ Torn between two cultures

The Wart- Early Evidence ◦ Indirect and Direct Characterization- Words and Appearance ◦ “’Are you really coming all the way home with me?’ asked the Wart, who could hardly believe the good news. ‘Why not? How else can I be your tutor?’ At this the Wart’s eyes grew rounder and rounder, until they were about as big as the owl’s who was sitting on his shoulder, and his face got redder and redder, and a breath seemed to gather itself beneath his heart. ‘My!’ exclaimed the Wart, while his eyes sparkled with excitement at the discovery. ‘I must have been on a Quest!” (White 37)

The Wart- Early Evidence ◦ Indirect Characterization- Thoughts “The Wart’s heart sank at this. His tutor had been there a month, and it was now August, but they had done no lessons so far. Now he suddenly remembered that his was what Merlyn was for, and he thought with dread of Summulae Logicales and the filthy astrolabe. He knew that it had to be borne, however, and got up obediently enough, after giving Cavall a last reluctant pat. He thought that it might not be so bad with Merlyn, who might be able to make even the old Organon interesting, particularly if he would do some magic.” (White 44)

The Wart- Early Evidence ◦ Indirect Characterization- Words ◦ “’I should have had a splendid suit of armour and dozens of spears and a black horse standing eighteen hands, and I should have called myself The Black Knight. And I should have hoved at a well or a ford or something and made all true knights that came that way to joust with me for the honour of their ladies, and I should have spared them all after I had given them a great fall. And I should live out of doors all the year round in a pavilion, and never do anything but joust and go on quests and bear away the prize at tournaments, and I should not ever tell anybody my name.’” (White 60)

The Wart- Late Evidence ◦ Indirect characterization- Words “’Personally,’ said the Wart, ‘I should have liked to go to war, if I could have been made a knight. I should have liked the banners and the trumpets, the flashing armour and the glorious charges. And oh, I should have liked to do great deeds, and be brave, and conquer my own fears. Don’t you have courage in warfare, Badger, and endurance, and comrades whom you love?’” (White 194)

Conclusion ◦ The topic is education, but our characters have differing views on it. ◦ Merlyn is experience while Arthur is innocence.