The Brilliance of T.H. White’s Magical Foreshadowing

Robin’s words hold true to T.H. White’s The Once and Future King which portrays the character of Merlyn as a mentor and a magician who has lived backwards through time. This allows the author to drop hints about the future of the book. Numerous times, the author uses foreshadowing through Merlyn and other characters to give clues to the readers about upcoming events.

T.H. White’s use of Merlyn as well as random character’s hints as a foreshadowing device shows the Warts future reign as King Arthur as well as his downfall.

Throughout Book I the reader experiences the lessons of life taught to the Wart by Merlyn’s use of animals. During this time, Merlyn as well as the animals drop hints on the future of the Wart as King Arthur. Take, for instance, in Book I Chapter 8 when Merlyn turns the Wart into a type of hunting bird called a Merlin. In this lesson the Wart is put into the mews with the other birds and put up to a challenge. As a way to prove himself the Wart must perch within reach of Cully, the goshawk until the other birds have rang their bells three times. The Wart barely escapes Cully and after the third bell rings, the bir

Or let’s take for instance, when King Pellinore brings news that Uther Penendragon has died and announces the contest for the next King of England. Seeing as though Merlyn knows of the future he knows in his mind, though leaving the Wart as well as the readers clueless, that Uther Penendragon was the Warts father. He also knows that the Wart will pull the sword from the stone before the contest and be crowned King. To foreshadow this event White uses Merlyn’s dismissal as a clue.

“I must go,” replied the tutor. “We have had a good time while we were young but it is in the nature of Time to fly.”

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