MovieChat Forums > Merlin (1998) Discussion > Most tragic character?

Most tragic character?

posted 12 years ago by BoyWiththeGreenHair
7 replies | jump to latest

Or just the character you felt most sorry for? Merlin? Mab? Frick? Morgana Le Fey?

For me, it was Nimwe, if only because of what little control she had over her fate. Mab could at least try to contol people forgetting the Old Ways, for example. Nimwe is just a victim of circumstance. She comes across Merlin purely by chance, is taken hostage by Vortegan for no reason other than that he doesn't trust her father; she ends up physically deformed because she gets caught in the middle of Mab & Merlin's dispute, and spends years as a recluse in a convent, living in shame because of it. The one chance she has to make her situation better, she basically gets screwed over, being forced to spend years away from the man she loves. That Merlin basically pulls some weird parlor trick that makes the two of them young again is little consolation for the fact that Nimwe spent years alone and living in shame.

Her fate is even more tragic in the legend, as I understand. Doesn't she commit suicide?

[–] PinkArrow 12 years ago

Even Arthur has got no chance to live peacefully in Camelot, the new world created by Merlin: his love to Guinevere is shattered by Mab, who influences Lancelot's actions and feelings to her, and Arthur's enthusiasm and courage are destroyed by Mordred.
But the character I felt most sorry for is definitely Frick.

[–] Brandestoc 12 years ago

Nimue, followed by Frik.

[–] M_Lane 12 years ago

They’re all tragic characters, if you think about it. It’s hard to say it was just one character that had it worst.

I’ll go with Mab as my answer, though, because she was not fighting only for herself, but for an entire race and an entire country on top of that (at least that was the premise of it). That puts a lot of responsibility on her shoulders, so I sympathise with her character the most.

[–] wildmoodswings 12 years ago

Merlin, because hes always had his fate laid out for him, and through circumstances, some of which are made by his own ill judgement of character and desire of revenge on queen mab (and his desire for everyone to be true and just) causes him to lose everyone he has ever loved, and he has to live with what he could have done differently.

[–] zaothisjoe 11 years ago

You have to feel the most sorry for Arthur. For the most part, he was the only pure character in the movie. He wanted peace, justice, and equality. Not only did his wife cheat on him, he didn't find the grail after years of searching, he got duped into banging his sister, and his own son killed him after Arthur showed him mercy. S*** day for Arthur.

[–] noirgirl 11 years ago

I don't feel sorry for Nimwe, because she was really a victim of her own vanity. I felt more sorry for Mab because her existence depended on keeping people believing in her, which had to be a full-time job!

[–] 11 years ago

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