Cursed: Acting with Agency & Setting Standards for the Once and Future King
Since Thomas Wheeler and Frank Miller’s novel Cursed was released in October 2019 and adapted for a Netflix original series, it’s been pitched as a “gender-bent retelling” of the Arthurian legends with the premise: What if Excalibur had chosen a queen instead of a king?
To be fair, the pitch quickly conveys two important aspects:
A woman is going to be swinging Excalibur.
The story is set in the world of the Arthurian legends, which means familiar characters like Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, Guinevere, Gawaine, Percival, and Lancelot will be making appearances.
But the pitch doesn’t do Nimue—the future Lady of the Lake and Cursed’s leading lady—justice. Yes, she is tasked to bring the Sword of Power (aka Excalibur) to Merlin. But the sword does not choose her. Destiny doesn’t come knocking at her door, the Red Paladins do, and rather than let fate take the wheel, Nimue chooses her own path
She acts with agency.
What is agency and why is it important?
To put it simply, “acting with agency” is when a character is proactive. They make decisions that directly impact the course of the story, rather than constantly reacting to events. Agency is a key ingredient to striking a balance between character and plot. Without it, you run the risk of your characters being dragged along by the plot and the emotional weight of their journey falling flat. Characters who act with agency have three key attributes.
They have emotional motivation.
They can adapt.
They act with conviction.
Emotional Motivation: A Mother’s Love
The relationship between Lenore and Nimue is turbulent. Both mother and daughter are headstrong and unyielding in their opinions, which often leads to arguments. Nimue desperately wants to leave her village and find a new life because she is tired of being treated like an outcast for her magic and connection to the Hidden, while Lenore believes that her daughter’s strong connection to the Hidden would make her a strong leader. But even though they may not see eye-to-eye there is a fierce love between them. So when a dying Lenore places the Sword of Power into Nimue’s hands and tells her, “Take this to Merlin,” Nimue promises that she will. She doesn’t set out on her journey because the sword chose her, she does it for the love of her mother. And over the course of Nimue’s quest, this love for Lenore evolves and pushes Nimue to actually become the leader her mother always knew she could be.
Pivot! Changing the Plot’s Course
On the first leg of Nimue’s quest, she learns firsthand how destructive the Sword of Power is and recognizes that if it falls into the wrong hands the consequences could be catastrophic. Her suspicions are further confirmed when she parlays with Merlin and pokes around in his memories. Though she doesn’t want to go back on her promise to her mother, Nimue believes giving the sword to Merlin would be a mistake, so she pivots.
This ability to shift her goals and adapt not only shows Nimue is taking control of the situation, but also impacting the course of the plot. If she had given the sword to Merlin, the events to follow would have been drastically different, but instead, her decision pushes her to the epicenter of all the plot’s conflicts.
I Said, What I Said: Acting with Conviction
Of course, motivation and adaptability can only take a character so far. When the going gets tough, they need to have conviction and Nimue has this in spades. For better or worse, once she makes a decision she will see it through. This is especially seen when she decides to surrender herself to King Uther in exchange for the Fey’s safe passage across the sea. Arthur, Pym, and Morgana all try to change her mind. Out of love and loyalty, each member of her concil desperately tries to convince Nimue that they can find another way to save the Fey. But Nimue refuses to back down and remains adamant that while the path she’s chosen could mean her life, she stands by it. It’s a sacrifice she is willing to make.
Throughout her quest, Nimue proves time and again she is more than just another hero and is definitely not an ordinary queen. Cursed has given us a heroine who refuses to be moved around a chessboard by destiny. Instead, Nimue lets her mother’s love drive her, creates new opportunities by being adaptable, and her conviction gives her the strength to see even the hardest decisions through. In sum, she is a prime example of what it means to act with agency. In doing so, Nimue sets the standard for what the Once and Future King should be and embodies what it takes to be worthy to wield Excalibur.
