Every leader has an advisor. The person that aids in the leader in making the right decisions, uses a soft touch to get their leader to do the right thing. Merlin is that Mentor in Le Morte Darthur. He prepares Arthur for his future role as King of the Britons. But, does Merlin do a good job? Is he the legendary advisor he is touted as being? In Book I, I say he is. Merlin makes all the right calls and gives all the right reasons for advising Arthur the way he does. His only failing comes in failing to separate Arthur and his impulsive nature. The eventual fall of Camelot and the Round Table comes not because Merlin failed to see it coming, but because Arthur failed to heed Merlin's advice or failed to believe Merlin's advice.
The biggest problem with saying Merlin is a good counselor comes in knowing that Merlin knows the future. Merlin already knows if Arthur is going to take his advice. He knows what's going to happen regardless of what he says, so he loses the need to give advice on many things. He also knows not only if Arthur will take his advice, but how Arthur will take his advice. For example in the tale of the May Day Massacre, the story says “Than Kyng Arthure lette sende for all the children that were borne in May Day, begotyn of lordis and borne of ladyes; for Merlyn told Kyng Arthure that he that sholde destroy hym and all the londe sholde be borne on May Day. (Malory 39.26.27-30)” Merlin tells Arthur his fate, that he is going to be killed by a child born on May Day, namely Mordred. He does not tell Arthur that the massacre failed to kill the only child that posed a threat to Arthur. Of course, as Merlin has an intimate knowledge of the future and Arthur's destiny, telling him would mean nothing. He neglects to tell Arthur that no matter what he does, Arthur is not going to be able to alter his fate. Merlin knows that the May Day massacre is going to fail, but allows Arthur to do it anyway.
In this respect Merlin is a bad counselor because he fails to keep Arthur out of danger. This is tricky because there is no way for Merlin to successfully keep Arthur out of danger because Merlin is aware of Arthur's fate and, therefore, how unavoidable it is. Also, it is unclear if Mordred will kill Arthur because it is his fate, or because of Arthur's attempt to have him killed. If it is the latter, it makes Merlin a terrible counselor because he would have willfully put into motion events he was aware would lead to Arthur's eventual death and the fall of chivalric values forever. It is merely speculation of course, but if Merlin did know that Arthur would have been fine leaving Mordred alone, and that by telling Arthur that Mordred would eventually be his downfall it would bring about his downfall, it would make Merlin into a malicious character. However, given the fact that Merlin never deliberately led Arthur into any kind of mortal danger helps to alleviate these suspicions.
Of course, the only evidence that is in favor of this theory is that Merlin knows the future and the consequence of every action, so he could set in motion events that could lead to the fall of Arthur long before anybody would be the wiser. However, I don't buy into the image of a malicious Merlin. I believe that Merlin does everything he does for the best interest of Arthur. In an earlier episode where Arthur is wantonly killing multitudes of people, Merlin attempts to rein in Arthur's impulsiveness. He says
“Thou hast never done! Hast thou nat done inow? Of three score thousande thys day hast thou leffte on lyve but fifteen thousand. Therefore his ys tyme to say "Who!" for God ys wroth with the, for thou wolt never have done. For yonder a eleven Kynges at thys tyme woll nat be overthrowyn; but' and thou tary on them ony lenger, thy fortune woll turne and they shall encres. (26.17.30-36)”
This quote shows Merlin advising Arthur on strategy. While Arthur is whiling away time killing thousands of useless soldiers, Merlin reminds him that this will lead to nothing because his enemies are still out there increasing in numbers. Merlin is now shown as the wise strategist. He sees Arthur acting carelessly and tells him that “God is wroth with the” meaning that this slaughter is doing nothing but making enemies, both worldly and heavenly.
Merlin telling Arthur about his fate at the hands of Mordred could be viewed as agood because, even thought Arthur is unaware of the fact that his days are numbered, it is a reminder of his mortality. Up to this point in Arthur's military and political career, he hasn't had t oface the fact that he will one day have to die. By being told of his eventual downfall, even if he believes he has avoided it, it awakens Arthur to the possibility that one day he will die. It also provides a way to show the lengths Arthur is willing to go to preserve himself. By highlighting Arthur's mortality, it separates him from leaders who saw themselves as gods. Pharaohs of Egyptian fame saw themselves as gods, as did Xerxes, leader of the Persian army. They acted as though they were gods, ordering the construction of pyramids and the conquest of all the lands they could set foot on. Arthur, forced toface mortality now must act accordingly. It can be said that in alerting Arthur to his doom, Merlin has begun to lay the foundation of Arthur's knightly values.
