Medieval Contest In comparing and contrasting the Arthurian Legends and J.R.R. Tolkiens book The Fellowship of the Ring, it is almost like a medieval contest between the two with many of the similarities coming from the customs of the Middle Ages. A look at the make up of the groups involved, the moral code, the protagonist, the antagonist, the use of supernatural elements and the knightly quest involved in each book shows how alike they are but yet different. The Arthurian Legends revolve around the life of the knights during the Middle Ages. A knight would pledge his loyalty to God, his King, fellow knights and to women in distress. Tolkiens Fellowship which consists of Gandalf, Legolas of the Elves, Gimli of the Dwarves, Aragorn and Boromin of the humans and four hobbits, Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin. This Fellowship is like the Round Table of King Arthur. Sir Thomas Malory in his Le Morte dArthur shows this Round Table as a military group loyal not only to their King but to one another. King Arthur is given the Round Table as a wedding gift by Gwyneveres father. It consists of one hundred knights. Often the knights join together to defend the honor of another knight by killing the one causing the dishonor. The Fellowship bands together with the common purpose of destroying the Ring. The Ring can only be destroyed by throwing it back into the Cracks of Doom in Orodruin, the Fire Mountain, in Mordor, home of the Emperor of Darkness known as Sauron. The Ring should Sauron get it would give him the power to control the world. The obvious difference in the make up of the Round Table and the Fellowship is that the Round Table is made up of humans whereas the Fellowship has humans along with fantasy creatures such as Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Gandalf and Aragorn who are human, wizard type beings. Hobbits range between two and four feet in height. They dress in bright colours, being notably fond of yellow and green; but they seldom wore shoes, since their feet had tough leathery soles and clad in thick curling hair. They laugh, delight in parties and love to eat. (Tolkien, p.20) Hobbits prefer to live in holes in the ground. Dwarves are larger than Hobbits but smaller than humans. Elves appear not to age and rather tall around six feet. They live in treetops, love music and worship the stars and even have starlight radiating from their bodies. The moral code of the knights of the Round Table which was renewed at the feast of Pentecost every year was to: only fight in just cause, at all times to be merciful, at a all times to put the service of ladies foremost. (Malory, p.344.) Sir Gawains strength was increased for three hours every morning but after noon would decrease. Once when in battle with Sir Launcelot to avenge the death of his two brothers by Sir Launcelot, Sir Launcelot realizes Sir Gawains strength is less so he says to him Sir Gawain, I have endured many blows from you but I see that you have weakened and then turns to King Arthur and says, My liege, your expedition can find no honorable conclusion, so I pray you withdraw and spare your noble knights (Malory, p.373.) showing mercy and fair play. Frodo Baggins also takes on a moral code as he accepts his role as the Ring Bearer. Hobbits by nature are fun loving and non-competitive, but Frodo says to Elrond, I will take the ring. . .though I do not know the way. (Tolkien, p.324) When sitting in the chair of the Guardian Kings of Gordor at the top of Amon Hen in the Seat of Seeing, Frodo sees the world covered by Orcs, Lorien in smoke and Boreningss land on fire and finally sees and feels the Eye of Sauron. He cries out, I will do now what I must. . .the evil of the Ring is already at work even in the company and it must leave them before it does more harm. I will go alone. (Tolkien, p.472.) The main difference in the moral codes is that the knights often let human desires enter into their decisions as when Sir Launcelot was asked by King Bagdemaguss daughter to fight King of Northgalis and three knights of the Round Table in defense of her father. Sir Lancelot kisses her on the forehead and says, very well, if you can rescue me out of this prison, I will fight in the faction of King Bagdemagus next Tuesday. (White, p.357) King Arthur and Frodo Baggins as protagonists were both elected to be leaders. Merlin appeared before King Uther and told him, Your child is destined for glory. (Malory, p.330.) In the church yard after the death of King Uther a marble block with a sword in it has the following inscription, WHOSO PULLETH OUTE THIS SWERD OF THIS STONE AND ANVYLD IS RIGHTWYS KYNGE BORNE OF ALL BRYTAYENE. (Malory, p.332.) Many nobles tried to pull out the sword but could not. Arthur pulled it out and thinking it was Sir Kays gave it to him. Sir Ector had him put it back in the stone which again no one but him could remove proving to all he was to be king. Frodo Baggins has been elected to be the Ring Bearer. He questions Gandalf why he was chosen. Gandalf says, You may be sure that it was not for an merit that others do not possess: not for power or wisdom, at any rate. But you have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have. (Tolkien, p.87) Both Frodo and King Arthur have wizard to advise and protect them. Merlin tries to warn King Arthur against marrying Gwynevere because, Gwynevere is destined to love Sir Launcelot and he her, and many disasters will result from their love. (Malory, p.342) In battle with King Arthur, King Pellinore is afraid that he will not be shown mercy if he lets King Arthur live so he starts to kill him with his sword when Merlin puts him to sleep with a magic spell. Frodos wizard companion is Gandalf whose staff lights up the darks halls of Swariondelf and Durins Khazaddum so the Fellowship can find their way. His wisdom always leads them in the right direction. He even saves the Fellowship from Balrog when he jumps into the abyss to fight him. Though the protagonists differ physically, Frodo being a Hobbit and King Arthur being a human, both find the strength and courage to carry out their mission. King is Arthur is powerful fighter and as his first task as king had to re-establish those nobles who had been robbed of their lands and establish peace and order in the counties near London. (Malory, p.333). Hobbits are not competitive and do not seek power. Frodo admits, I am not made for perilous quests (Tolkien, p.87.) when told how the Ring must be destroyed. Sir Modred and Sauron serve as antagonists both showing evil but in different ways. Sir Modred sent false letters saying King Arthur was dead so he could take over not only the throne but his wife, Queen Gwynevere. Sir Modred is killed by King Arthurs spear and his sword strikes King Arthurs skull eventually killing him. He shows the dark side of human nature with disrespect for God, King Arthur, the Queen and his fellow knights. Sauron, The Dark Lord of Mordor, represents evil in his attempt to get back the One Ring he lost. The Ring holds enough power to make him emperor of the world. He often appears to Frodo as the Eye always looking for a way to get inside of him. As Frodo looks into the Mirror of Galadriel, he sees total blackness then a single Eye that grows, until it fills nearly all the mirror. . .the Eye is rimmed with fire. . .The Eye begins to rove, searching this way and that and Frodo knows with certainty that among the many things he seeks he himself is one. (Tolkien, p.430.) Sauron, unlike Sir Modred, uses evil creatures and Ring to help him. The Black Riders are his main helpers. There are nine of them in search of Frodo and the Ring. They use Black Breath that smells bad and causes their victim to go into a coma. They are blind and cry out at night or use Black Speech to one another. Orcs are creatures with squatty legs, squinty eyes and fangs. They are good fighters coming out at night. The Ring allows the Black Riders to see Frodo when he puts it own because he becomes part of Saurons plan to take him over along with the rest of the world. Both Malory and Tolkien use swords, magic potions or spells and dreams or visions supernaturally in their stories. King Arthur is given the magic sword Excalibur by the Lady of the Lake. Merlin asks King Arthur which he preferred the sword or the scabbard given to him by the Lady of the Lake. King Arthur seeing the beauty of the sword says the sword. Merlin replies, You are a fool. The scabbard is worth ten of the sword, because while you wear it, regardless of how seriously you are wounded, you will lose no blood. (Malory, p.341.) Frodo and Gandalf have swords, Sting and Glamdring, which give off a cold light when Orcs are nearby. Aragorn has a magic sword Anduril which once was broken but is now reforged. All the swords were used for good and protection of those who were honorable. Magic potions and spells are used in the stories. Merlin puts a sleep spell on King Pellinore when he is about to kill King Arthur. Glorfindel gives the Hobbits a magic drink which is clear as water and has no taste but strength and vigor seem to flow into all their limbs as they drink it. (Tolkien, p.258-259.) This magic drink helps the Fellowship carry own several times when they think they can go not further. Often dreams or visions help warn or let them see the future. Sir Modred offers to battle King Arthur on Sallisburg Down. King Arthur has a dream where his sisters son, Sir Gawain, comes to him and says, we plead with you not to give battle to Sir Modred, for if you do not only will you yourself be killed but all your noble followers too. (Malory, p. 364.) King Arthur did not take the warning and was later killed by Sir Modred. Frodo leaves the Fellowship and goes up to the top of Amon Hen alone. Through the mist he sees several visions. Sitting in the Seat of Seeing he sees a world covered with Orcs, Lorien in smoke and the Beornings Land in flames. He sees the Fortress of Sauron rise above all. He struggles with himself wanting to run but suddenly cries out, I will do now what I must. The evil of the Ring is already at work even in the company, and the Ring must leave them before it does more harm. I will go alone. (Tolkien, p.472) Tolkiens use of the Ring is the most important use of supernatural in his book. It has the power to make the wearer invisible and ageless. It also makes the wearers personality fade away taking it over. The wearer does not die but loses the will to go on. The wearer wants to get rid of it and at the same time cannot bear to part with it. At times it is like a heavy weight around Frodos neck. It cannot be destroyed except in the Cracks of Doom. Its greatest evil power is that if Sauron gets it back he will be able to rule the world. King Arthurs sword, Excalibur, could also have been used for evil if it had gotten in the wrong hands. The bearer would rule and never bleed from a wound. Sir Launcelot, Aragorn and Frodo all carry out knightly quests in the stories. All these knightly quests revolve around righting a wrong. The knightly quest of Sir Launcelot in the tale of Sir Launcelot du Lake is to vindicate the honor of the knights of the Round Table that Sir Tanquine put in prison. Sir Launcelot ends up beheading him and going on to fight a knight who has robbed and done many bad things to a noblewoman and her people. Aragorn does many knightly quests as he leads the Fellowship in their quest to Mordor to destroy the Ring. He takes over as the leader when Gandalf gives his life to protect the Fellowship from Balrog. Aragorn also has the quest of returning as ruler to his kingdom. Going down the river, Aragorn sees Argonath, the Pillars of Kings. This is two giant statues of the kings of Isildur and Anarion. In the stern sat Aragorn son of Arathorn, proud and erect, a light was in his eyes: a king returning from exile to his own land. (Tolkien, p.463.) As much as he wants to return to his home land, he knows he must first lead the Fellowship to destroy the Ring before Sauron rules over all of them. Frodo Baggins begins to know the evil of the Ring. He feels it pulling on him and sees the destruction while he is seated in the Seat of Seeing. Frodos quest as the Ring Bearer is to take the Ring to the one place where it can be destroyed, the Cracks of Doom, before Sauron gets it and takes over the world. Inscribed inside of the Ring seen only after it has been place in fire is as follows: One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. (Tolkien, p.75) With one story having a ring that offers eternal youth and another with a sword that keeps its owner from ever bleeding, it is hard to imagine what the two could have in common. After looking at the make up of the groups, the heroes, the villains, moral codes, supernatural elements and knightly quests, it is easy to see that they do share many similarities. Tolkiens work deals more with fantasy characters and places but all in all they are very similar.
Instead of thinking about himself, Frodo thinks of the people around him in the Shire. Like Luke where he leaves despite his fears, Frodo leaves and not only faces his fears of the unknown but goes in order for the people of the Shire to stay safe despite the fact that he may die showing his selflessness. While on the Death Star, Luke shows his selflessness when goes to save Leia when hearing of her presence on the Death Star. He insists when he talks to Han in the control room that “The droid belongs to her. She's the one in the message.. We've got to help her” (Lucas New 56). Risking his life to save someone he barely knows, Luke shows his selflessness as he wants to save Leia. Both J.R.R. Tolkien and George Lucas have their heroes commit these acts in order to show that they are selfless because through this it is shown that they care about others. Frodo and Luke demonstrate selflessness when Frodo takes up the ring at Rivendell and when Luke joins the Rebel Alliance. When taking up the responsibility to take up the ring at Rivendell at the Council of Elrond, Frodo shows his selflessness as he is cognizant that no one else is willing to take the ring and speaks up as“No one
Peter Jackson’s film “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” revolves around a young hobbit by the name of Frodo Baggins and his unique group of companions. They go on a journey to destroy the One Ring of Sauron (the Dark Lord). In short, the One Ring has malevolent powers to whomever wears it.
In Tolkien world, evil is the antithesis of creativity, and is dependent on destruction and ruin for its basis. Conversely, goodness is associated with the beauty of creation as well as the preservation of anything that is created. The symbolic nature of these two ideologies is represented in the Elven Rings, which symbolize goodness, and the One Ring, which is wholly evil. A main theme of "The Hobbit", then, is the struggle within our own free will between good will and evil. "Early in the (Lord of the Rings) narrative, Frodo recalls that his uncle Bilbo, especially during his later years, was fond of declaring that… there was only one Road; that it was lik...
Through his burden of carrying the ring, Frodo is subject to many new perspectives that make him realize the importance of the group. Without the help of the others, especially Sam, Frodo would have not been able to accomplish the great task he was given. At first Frodo does not want Sam to come along as he feels it’s too dangerous to subject his friend to. This illustrates his perspective in the beginning of the story of being selfish and thinking that his journey can be taken alone, “It would be the death of you to come with me, Sam," said Frodo, "and I could not have borne that.""Not as certain as being left behind," said Sam."But I am going to Mordor.""I know that well enough, Mr. Frodo. Of course you are. And I'm coming with you.” He later learns through new perspectives that without the help of Sam he would not have gotten far in his journey. Frodo is foreign to the harsh reality he is thrust into. Not only is he away from home, he is also burdened with the task of keeping the ring safe. This burden becomes quite a strain on Frodo, “There is no real going back. Though I may come to the Shire, it will not seem the same; for I shall not be the same. I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?” J.R.R Tolkien The Lord of the Rings. With the help of Sam and the realization that he is doing this for more than himself,
One of the most enduring myths in the Western world is that of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Regardless of the origins of the tales, the fact is that by the time they had been filtered through a French sensibility and re-exported to England, they were representations of not one but several ideals. Courtly love and chivalry and the various components thereof, such as martial prowess, chastity, bravery, courtesy, and so on, were presented as the chief virtues to aspire to, and the knights as role models. Arthur's eventual fall is precisely because of having failed at some level to fulfill these ideals in his life.
“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,” (55). The One Ring controls Gollum, Bilbo, Boromir, and Frodo in attempts to return to Sauron, Its Creator, the Lord of the Rings, and the utmost evil present in J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. But the Ring never achieves Its goal because each character possesses a unique set of skills which resist the evil temptations of the Ring. Gollum is the first victim of the Ring, with no knowledge of Its powers or guidance away from Its control. Bilbo is the second ring bearer, with an almost complete knowledge of the Ring’s power still has difficulty resisting the Ring’s temptation. Gandalf guides Bilbo to constantly resist the evil of the Ring. Boromir never gets his hands on the Ring but craves Its power thinking he can use it for good, ignoring the guidance offered to him at the Council of Elrond. Frodo has the most knowledge and guidance of all the characters but also seems to have the strongest temptations. J.R.R. Tolkien uses characterization in the Fellowship of the Ring to prove that people without a longing for power resist temptation through knowledge, good habits, and guidance.
It gives the wicked the chance to dominate. The good is corrupt and inescapable. This is shown repeatedly throughout the novel, from when Bilbo gives up the ring, to when Boromir tries to take the ring, and finally, to seeing the control that the ring has over Frodo. One incident in the book, which corresponds to how evil power is, would be when Bilbo had to give up the Ring. The ring is very powerful.
Frodo Baggins, the main character in the movie faces many compelling circumstances in his quest and is challenged to sacrifice much of himself. The first challenge Frodo has to face when Gandalf as...
Frodo and the Fellowship take on challenges including the nine riders, the Barrow-downs, Saruman, Moria, the Balrog, Galadriel’s soul-searching, orcs and Shelob, Gollum and Mount Doom. This shapes them for the future endeavors. They must also face their dark or shadow side, Frodo battling against the power of the ring and eventually finding the courage to get to Mordor and to face Mount Doom. Boromir forces Frodo’s decision to leave Parth Galen by showing the destructive power of the ring over men but also shows redemption by protecting Merry and Pippin to the death. Saruman and Gollum are examples of giving in to the dark
...es of love present in The Lord of the Rings, and the Hobbit as well, are constantly being shown as the impetus behind all things that eventually lead to the demise of Sauron. These examples start off simple, a love for a friend, one’s homeland, a leader, but they result in saving Middle Earth and it’s people from the theft of their free will and the dominion of Sauron. Tolkien successfully demonstrates throughout the entire series that the most powerful force in existence is love.
David Leans version was made in 1946 so it is shot in black and white.
J.R.R. Tolkien's concept of too much power is summed up by Lord Acton when he once said, "Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely." In Tolkien's first book of his fantasy based trilogy, Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Rings tells a story of a quest to destroy a powerful ring throughout Tolkien's created "Middle Earth". This quest was headed by a "Hobbit" named Frodo Baggins who, in the end, becomes corrupted by power himself. This corruption begins when Frodo uses his ring to become invisible over and over again to escape certain situations. The quest to destroy the powerful "Ruling Ring" forms the basis for this story.
“Yes, sooner or later—later, if he is strong or well-meaning to begin with but neither strength nor good purpose will last—sooner or later the dark power will devour him” (141). This quote from Gandalf shows him warning Frodo about the power of the Ring in The Fellowship of the Ring: Book One. This quote displays J.R.R. Tolkien’s mistrust of unlimited power, which he expresses in each of his books. He served in World War I where he saw the effects of tyrannical leaders with unlimited power firsthand. Tolkien believed that with great power comes corruption. So, no one person can be trusted to wield so much power. He demonstrates this in each character that has a role of leadership of the different groups of Middle-earth. Galadriel, Boromir, and Saruman, all hold positions of power or influence within their various groups. Yet none of them could be trusted to possess the dark power of the Ring, while the simple hobbit named Frodo seems to be able to carry on the
The authors of the Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter each use the hero quest pattern as a scheduled backdrop of action. The two protagonists, Frodo Baggins and Harry Potter have very similar beginnings. They are introduced as normal boys who find out that they are going to undertake something very great. The two protagonists however, are not alone in their quests. They both have very similar mentors in Gandalf and Dumbledore respectively. Even greater guidance comes from their friends, who are there every step of the way. Each novel uses a reoccurring symbol to show the presence of evil. The two journeys are so epic due in part to the dark and powerful villains that each hero has to battle.
Meanwhile Sam chases the tarantula back to the lair of Ungoliant, the Queen of Spiders, and after a tense argument about the nature of good and evil she finally reveals to Sam the cure for the spider's-venom which holds Frodo in thrall. Sam thanks Ungoliant for her mercy and wisdom and revives Frodo, and they set off into Mordor to find Gollum. "Oft help will come from the weak when the Wise are foolish," Gandalf once said, and sure enough all the spiders of Mordor are willing to help Frodo and Sam in their quest. Their course leads them to Mount Doom, where just as they arrive they find Gollum claiming the Ring for himself. The Dark Lord Sauron then becomes aware of them, and leaves the Dark Tower to come forth and destroy them; but just them Frodo and Sam rush Gollum and force him backwards into the Cracks of Doom. The Ring is destroyed, and without it Sauron is destroyed by the sunlight. Frodo and Sam leave the Mountain just in time to see the great armies of Aragorn and Faramir coming across the plains of Mordor to greet them.