It always appears that Merlin looks after Arthur’s domestic tasks and is in a sort of caretaker role, but I think we overlook how much Arthur has to teach Merlin as well. From the beginning of Valiant, we see Arthur teaching Merlin about dueling and swordplay, i.e. the standards of masculinity in Camelot. If a man, even a servant, possesses enough of this knowledge, then he is respectable and passably conforms to the gender norms of society. Merlin’s misery during these lessons is played for laughs, and even when treated seriously later in the episode, it’s still a bit of a simple dichotomy between intellectual men and brawny men. While that’s somewhat true, it also gets deeper into magic vs. no magic (read: queer vs. passing as not queer).
Despite hiding his magic for safety, Merlin wears his heart on his sleeve and appears to struggle with dishonesty. This makes it frustrating for him to pick up a lot of new knowledge about armor and the physical demands of being a sparring partner when he doesn’t have an interest in the activity beyond what Arthur requires of him as a servant. When Merlin complains about this to Gaius, he sagely replies, “we all have our duties, even Arthur.” For the first time, Merlin questions whether Arthur is also taking part in the tournament out of a sense of duty or because he truly enjoys fighting. While there is often jealousy of those who conform to their assigned gender roles more easily, many of those who appear to fill those roles are just as miserable but are burying that sense of obligation under the rewards they get: in Arthur’s case, his social status as the prince. This episode shows us Arthur is really just as compelled as Merlin by society to perform masculinity and despite making fun of him for his lack of knowledge is actually displaying his kindness by training him in swordplay.
