Once and the future King 4/2 (Late)

I thought Merlyn in this story impacted King Arthur in a great way. Arthur was so pressed on going to battles and gaining power that he lost sight of what he should or shouldn’t be fighting for. I liked that Merlyn teaches Arthur the outcomes of having this mindset. When Arthur was thinking of not fighting wars at all, Merlyn believed “There is one fairly good reason for fighting-and that is, if the other man starts it” and his argument of self-defense is valid (pg. 232). I felt like it was important for Arthur to understand these lessons of morality and justice because he was not just fighting for fun or nothing, he was fighting for himself and his people. I feel like Arthur does not really know how to be King and in a way, so Merlyn is teaching and guiding him. When Arthur stopped by his room to ask for advice and Merlyn freaked out and told him to “Go away at once and send for me!” I thought that was funny but interesting because I felt like he wanted Arthur to show some dominance and use his power a certain way (pg. 244). I think Merlyn says these things to Arthur because he doesn’t want Arthur to take advantage of his power or lose it either.