Later Interpretations
The stereotypical image of Morgan is often that of a villainess: a seductive, megalomaniacal sorceress who wishes to overthrow Arthur. Contemporary interpretations of the Arthurian myth (notably the film Excalibur where she is called 'Morgana') sometimes assign to Morgan the role of seducing Arthur and giving birth to the wicked Mordred, though traditionally Mordred's mother was Morgause, another sister. In these works Mordred is often her pawn, used to bring about the end of the Arthurian age. In Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Morgan le Fay is an archetypical corrupt and cruel feudal aristocrat, keeping prisoners for decades in her dungeon.
Starting in the later 20th century, however, some feminists adopted Morgan as a representation of female power or of a fading form of feminine spirituality supposedly practised by the Celts or earlier peoples. These interpretations draw upon the French romances which portray Morgan as a "benevolent figure" with extraordinary healing powers. This has led to Morgan's expanded role in feminist Arthurian literature such as Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon (where she is called Morgaine), which goes so far as to give her credit for the major events of the traditional story. The character appears in the BBC television series Merlin portrayed by Katie McGrath with the name Morgana Pendragon, where she is Uther's ward, and is later revealed to be his illegitimate daughter, and consequently Arthur's half sister. During the first two seasons she is depicted as a good, sometimes heroic character, but in the third season when she realises she has magic and becomes angered by Uther's actions against her people, she turns to darkness and becomes the series' main antagonist. In the Starz 2011 Camelot series, she is also the daughter of Uther Pendragon and a darker character who dabbles in witchcraft and sees herself as the rightful heir to the English throne. Morgan Le Fay was also depicted as one of the Ascenced Ancients on the TV series Stargate SG-1, where she aided the main characters in their quest for the Holy Grail. In the Magic Tree House series of books written by Mary Pope Osborne, the lead characters, Jack and Annie, are taken on secret missions throughout history by Morgan Le Fay, travelling through time in Le Fay's magical treehouse.
Mary Knickle's opera Morgan le Fay follows this 20th-century tradition in portraying Morgan as representing female power on an isle threatened by fearful male religious fanatics exploiting Mordred's unconcern with women's welfare. She is also hostile to Uther as the murderer of Gorlois, and to her own mother. She has an uneven relationship with her sister Elaine, who (coerced by the clerics) convinces her to return to Britain. Merlin appears as her lover, but she refuses him to save Avalon by withdrawing it from the world. Much of the libretto is drawn from Celtic druidic chants, the Old Testament and modern spiritual eco-feminism conceptions of power drawn from contemplation, calm and enjoying nature.
Read more about this topic: Morgan Le Fay