Identifying the Mentor role of Merlin within Gandalf
Merlin’s traits as a mentor are on display in later works by authors, such as Malory, who has Merlin serve as King Arthur’s mentor. Geoffrey of Monmouth does not make explicit use of Merlin as a mentor in the early Merlin works, but subsequent authors do, and Merlin is widely perceived in the mythology today as being a mentor of the King. This sense of mentorship can also be seen in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings in the character of Gandalf, who serves as mentor for numerous characters—first, for Bilbo, then for Frodo, but also very much for Aragorn, who will be crowned king in the final book of the series.

As Goodrich notes, Merlin is always a good and wise mentor to King Arthur, and in Tolkien’s Rings novels, Gandalf plays essentially the same role for Frodo and the others. While Frodo is not destined to be a future king in The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is, and Gandalf is a close advisor of the man who is first introduced to the Hobbits as Strider. Aragorn’s real identity is only gradually revealed to them and to the reader, and the closeness with which Aragorn follows Gandalf’s advice is more and more apparent as time goes on. They are on the same page because they both know and understand the battle that is waging outside the shire and are determined to play defining roles in that fight to help save their world.

Gandalf’s mentorship is also closely seen with Frodo from the beginning. Frodo inherits the ring from his cousin Bilbo and it is Gandalf who advises him to leave the Shire immediately because of the danger the ring poses once the wizard comes to fully understand the meaning of the ring. Frodo tries to pass the ring off to Gandalf since the wizard knows so much about it, but Gandalf is too wise for that and knows the power that the ring has so he refuses to accept it. As Frodo sets off on the journey, however, Gandalf aims to return but is thwarted and arrested by Saruman, and he escapes in great vexation because he has learned more about the ring while he has been away and now he knows that Sauron is looking for it as well. The Riders are out and Frodo is no longer safe. Gandalf is ultimately the one who urges great haste and sets the action going.

Gandalf is thus not only responsible for mentoring Frodo on his journey but also for spurring on the action of the plot. He guides the travelers along the way into the Mines of Moria, where he sacrifices himself by going man-to-dragon with Balrog. At that point, Frodo and the others are on their...…that is righteous in essence.

Ultimately Gandalf and Merlin do have much in common because they are both wise counselors who provide guidance and mentorship for kings. Merlin and Gandalf are both wizards and they are both more than what they seem. Gandalf plays a major role in the various battles of Lord of the Rings and is, in the end, more like a general or king himself, than a wizard. Based on Tolkien’s Catholic sensibilities, one could argue that Gandalf is like a pope saint warrior, who has a direct link with the divine and is able to marshal grace as much as he is the forces of men and angels to combat the forces of darkness. He is like St. Michael the archangel, on the front lines against Satan, and he is like General Patton on the front lines against the Germans in WWII. He is like Merlin in that he is a counselor for future kings and for kings, and in that he takes a special interest in all those who are working towards the good or who might play a part in his understanding of what is going on in the world around him. He is a seeker of goodness and of truth and that ultimately helps him to be powerful—but he, like Merlin, is also a receiver of gifts that no one else is, which makes them both special.

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