Abstract

The TV series Merlin (BBC, 2009-2012) is analysed to show that the fulfilment of Arthur’s Destiny - becoming the legendary king of Camelot - depends on his willingness to open up to socially stigmatised affects in the colonialist, heteropatriarchal Court of his father Uther, thus risking his delegitimization as a subject. The premise of the series is that young Pendragon’s powers as a ruler rest on the affects that define what kind of man he is and how ethical his actions are; thus, Arthur’s masculinity becomes an arena of political struggle. Between the prince and Merlin is established a strong affective relationship that takes the form of an affidamento; this bond allows Arthur to desubjugate from the hegemonic masculinity represented by his father and to empower himself to forge his own project as ruler, which no longer defines the community in terms of identity ("those who are like me") but in terms of "grievable otherness" ("the others who may not be like me but deserve mourning all the same for being valuable lives"). From this case study I reflect on the importance of affects pertaining to male subjectivity in processes of social change.

Keywords: masculinity | ethics | social change