HARDY FORUM ARCHIVE  H0057  6/2/00  "HARDY AND MERLIN"
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From: "Patrick Roper" <patrick@prassociates.co.uk>
Subject: Hardy & Merlin
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 17:27:04 +0100
   

In an article called THE REMARKABLE METAPHOR OF MERLIN by T. A. Barron
(1998), I came across the following: "In this century, writers as
diverse as T. H. White, Thomas Hardy, Marion Zimmer Bradley, C. S.
Lewis, Mary Stewart, John Steinbeck, and Deepak Chopra have added new
dimensions to Merlin's character."

Can anyone tell me what "new dimensions to Merlin's character" were
added by Thomas Hardy and in which of his works?

I imagine some may be in THE FAMOUS TRAGEDY OF THE QUEEN OF CORNWALL
(which I must confess I have not yet read), but there may be other
references of course.

Patrick Roper

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Date: Sat, 3 Jun 2000 09:53:09 -0700
From: Betty Cortus <hardycor@owl.csusm.edu>
Subject: Re: Hardy & Merlin
   

Dear Patrick,
I've just checked Martin Ray's concordance to the poems, and the name
Merlin doesn't appear there. I can't remember him in the novels or short
stories either, but somebody else might.  He does make a brief appearence
in THE QUEEN OF CORNWALL, but only in the role of chorus speaking the
prologue and epilogue, not taking part in the actual drama as far as I can
see.  I admit I didn't have time to reread it fully, but after skimming
through the play this seems to be the case.  The only reference Merlin
makes to himself is that he is  "ageless"  and "deathless" thus implying
that he has an objective overview of tragic action.
Betty Cortus

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