Malory's King Lot is a much more heroic and forceful figure than the King Lot of the sources. Malory focuses on him at once, makes him the leader of Arthur's enemies, and insists on his nobility and courage (for instance, Lot's nightmare and panic in the sources is assigned to another king in Malory). He is thus made a worthy antagonist to Merlin's plan and Arthur's kingship. And Arthur is similarly ennobled: Malory underscores his loyalty to Sir Ector, to kings who are his friends, and to the young squire Gryfflet.
The structure of the "Merlin" is as remarkable as the characterization. Half-way through, events flow in a straight narrative line, reflecting our sense that all is well; Merlin is in full control. But immediately after Merlin's joke, everything changes. Apparently motivated by casual lust, Arthur sleeps with an earl's daughter and gets on her a son who will do him great honor. Immediately afterward, in what seems to Arthur an exactly similar situation, he commits incest and dooms himself.
All the remaining incidents involve demands for tribute, Le Morte d'Arthur 21 one after another — Sir Pellanor's demands, King Lucius' demand, King Royns' demand for Arthur's beard. All the demands are stalled off for the moment, but they are all still there, biding their time like the fathers of the murdered children. Thus the opening tale, "Merlin," sets tip the ironic principle which will govern the whole Morte d'Arthur.
