The famous medieval historical character Merlin is misrepresented in the film Excalibur. In the film, Merlin is perceived as a younger man who is unblemished and acts as a comic relief character. This sharply contrasts with the semblance of Merlin created in both The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Le Morte d’Arthur by Thomas Malory. As examined by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Merlin was a young man during the reign of Vortigern; at least two generations before Arthur ruled Britain. Therefore, the fact that Merlin served as counsel to both men shows he has been around for quite some time. Considering life expectancy in medieval times was not very long, Merlin must have had elder attributes to his persona in comparison
