COVE

This is a painting by Edward Burne-Jones. This painting shows a scene from the  Arthurian Legend about the love-struck Merlin with Nimue( Lady of the Lake). The Arthurian Legend is a body of stories (mostly medival romances) about King Arthur. This painting shows a weak mean laying in bushes as Nimue is reading a book of spells to him.  This displays a new idea to women and what they are capable of. During the Victorian Era we saw how men were in control. We saw women being forced to stay at home and take care of the household. There were not many opportunities for women to find jobs and work so it led to prostitution or doing factory work.  As we learned about the Pre-Rapheaelites we saw a "change in role". For example, Dante Gabriel Rossetti showed a role change in his poem The Card-Dealer. In this poem the agency/power is given to the woman. This poem relates to the painting of The Beguiling of Merlin because of the change in power showed in both forms of literature but also the supernatural aspects of the "spellbook" and the Card Dealer's eyes that has "other worldly knowledge". With this new change, women can see this as a chance to show how menatlly and physivally strong that are. This may also lead women to protesting for more equal rights.