# Merlin — A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court character guide > Merlin in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** old Merlin, Brer Merlin, Now old Merlin, John W. Merlin **First appearance:** 0003-i-camelot ## Snapshot The court's resident wizard, all beard and bluster, he becomes Hank's jealous rival for influence over a king who cannot tell one kind of magic from another. ## Who they are Merlin commands the superstition of Camelot until Hank's practical miracles start upstaging him, and his wounded vanity curdles into a running feud. He is pompous, petty, and occasionally genuinely dangerous, a relic of the old order that Hank's technology is quietly making obsolete. Their rivalry gives the book a comic spine and a warning: the men who lose power to progress rarely go quietly. ## Relationships ### [Hank Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/hank_morgan) _rivalry_ Merlin is Hank's primary antagonist, constantly trying to undermine Hank's modern innovations with magic and deceit. ### [King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/king_arthur) _professional_ Merlin serves as Arthur's court wizard, but his influence wanes as Hank's modern methods gain favor. ### [Hank Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/hank_morgan) _rivalry_ Merlin is Hank's primary antagonist, constantly trying to undermine Hank's modern innovations with magic and deceit. ### [Hank Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/hank_morgan) _rivalry_ Merlin is Hank's primary antagonist, constantly trying to undermine Hank's modern innovations with magic and deceit. ### [King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/king_arthur) _professional_ Merlin serves as Arthur's court wizard, but his influence wanes as Hank's modern methods gain favor. ### [King Arthur](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/king_arthur) _professional_ Merlin serves as Arthur's court wizard, but his influence wanes as Hank's modern methods gain favor. ## In the story ### [A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthur-s-court) The court magician and Hank's primary antagonist, representing the old world of superstition and magic that Hank seeks to overthrow. ### [III: Knights of the Table Round](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/iii-knights-of-the-table-round) The old magician who tells a long, familiar tale about Arthur obtaining Excalibur, putting the court to sleep. ### [IV: Sir Dinadan the Humorist](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/iv-sir-dinadan-the-humorist) Suggests stripping Hank to nullify the supposed enchantment of his clothes. ### [An Inspiration](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/v-an-inspiration) Persuades the king that Hank is mad and his threats are idle; casts a supposed spell on the dungeon, but Hank dismisses him as a humbug. ### [The Eclipse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/vi-the-eclipse) Mentioned as a rival; Hank's success undermines Merlin's influence. ### [VII: Merlin’s Tower](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/vii-merlin-s-tower) Green with envy and spite, Merlin spreads rumors that Hank is a humbug. He is imprisoned by Hank and later his tower is destroyed. ### [VIII: The Boss](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/viii-the-boss) Mentioned indirectly in the context of the tower episode that solidified Hank's power. ### [In the Queen's Dungeons](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xviii-in-the-queen-s-dungeons) Mentioned indirectly through the context of the established church and superstition, though not directly active in this chapter. ### [The Holy Fountain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxii-the-holy-fountain) Referenced as the competing magician who relies on incantations and superstition, expected to fail in restoring the well. ### [Restoration of the Fountain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxiii-restoration-of-the-fountain) Fails to break the spell on the well with his enchantments, is humiliated by Hank's successful miracle, and is carried away on a shutter. ### [A Rival Magician](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxiv-a-rival-magician) Merlin is the rival magician who challenges Hank's authority with false prophecies. ### [The First Newspaper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxvi-the-first-newspaper) Referenced in a newspaper headline as 'Brer Merlin' who works his arts but gets left behind in the miracle of the well. ### [The Yankee's Fight with the Knights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xxxix-the-yankee-s-fight-with-the-knights) The old magician who steals Hank's lasso and enchants Sir Sagramor's arms and armor, acting as Hank's true opponent. ### [War!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xlii-war) Merlin's Cave is used as the location for Hank's Proclamation. ### [A Postscript by Clarence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/chapters/xliv-a-postscript-by-clarence) Disguised as an old peasant woman; casts a spell causing Hank to sleep for thirteen centuries, then dies laughing after touching an electrified wire. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters/merlin - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/a_connecticut_yankee_in_king_arthur_s_court_se/characters