The Two Kings

I didn't realize we were blogging about the movie, so I apologize for my late entry.

    Aragon is similar to Aeneas in that he too will be founding and ruling a new country, one that brings forth peace during a time of civil unrest.  Both men sacrifice much of themselves in order to fulfill a destiny and to better serve the people.  Additionally, both men are making up for a failure on the part of their ancestors. The part of the movie that brought this to my attention was when Aragon was speaking with the father (i cannot remember his name for the life of me) in the tent before the battle.  The father tells him that he may have hope and Aragon responds, basically saying that he saves his hope for the people not for himself.  

    It is also interesting that the two characters share a similar motif, fathers and sons.  Aragon is fatherless and his ancestor has caused all of Middle Earth to suffer.  This scene with a surrogate father reminds me of Aeneas and Evander.  Advice is given by both father figures who are unable to join in the battle.  

Lastly, both men receive special weapons made by magical figures for their battle.  I am sure that the list of coincidences could go on forever, but my point is that Aragon is more of a Virgilian hero; he sacrifices everything for his cause and never seeks fame.  Moreover, he is a humble servant of the people, who just so happens to wield a heavy sword.

The Symbols of Tolkien

Tolkien user a series of symbols throughout his Lord of the Rings series, and I wish to point out the significance of tobacco, and its function as one of the many religious-based acts of ritual.

The smoking of pipes in The Return of the King lends itself to the sense of enabling, or identification with the hero for the everyman. In Chapter 5 of Apperson's Tobacco History, he states that, culturally, "Tobacco was still the symbol of good-fellowship ... 'He's no good-fellow that's without ... burnt Pipes, Tobacco, and his Tinder-Box.'" Within Tolkiens story, we see how it works as a device to unite not only the characters, but the reader themselves to them.

Additionally, tobacco, being a plant, serves to further illustrate the importance placed on nature in the story. Curiously, however, the use of the plant is typically associated with an establishment of humanity. Perhaps here it represents a convergence of man and nature, and the harmony of "good."

Apperson, George Latimer. Tobacco History: The Social History of Smoking. 1914

Return of the King

Aragon is the destined to be the "King of Men". He encompasses all the positive qualities of epic heroes and almost appears devoid of the negative ones. His constant concern is to protect and serve. Can this be compared to Milton's construction of the Son of God? He is also destined to lead and save all of mankind. He is humble in nature and divine in spirit. While God has created the Son in his likeness, Aragon is also a composite of all the great kings that reigned before. Like the Son, Aragon is assisted by divine intervention and is more than a vehicle for God to attain his goals. He is always doing the "right thing" in love and even in war. They each possess the heavenly gift of light to conqueror evil.
The looming question remains: Do these epic figures attain their aims at the conclusion of each story? With the forged sword, Aragon has overcome the rival armies. The Son of God has sacrified himself to save us all from sin. Both appear to be successful yet the division of good vs. evil will continue to exist for mortal men. The reign of goodness is almost fleeting and the assumption that it will be challenged shortly is evident. Perhaps each figure allows the "hope for mankind" to be rekindled in such a way that restores their own plight and purpose. The Son of God and Aragon are champions of goodness and are necessary forces in these poems that transcend our own human nature.

The Quest For A Hero

Lord of the Rings poses a very similar question to Paradise Lost - - - Who is the HERO? After examining the film, I feel there are four possible candidates that could be given this title. They are: Frodo, Sam, Gandolf, and Aragon; each of these characters influence the outcome of the epic in some way. Similarly, they all have flaws but are able to triumph over evil. Frodo is the one who ultimately destroys the ring; however I strongly feel that without the help of Sam, this deed would have never been done. We also see Frodo being overcome with temptation at the very end; he takes on some of the negative characteristics we see in Gollum. He also turns against his best friend who is one of the main reasons why he has been able to come this far. Sam has helped Frodo in mind, spirit, and even goes as far as picking Frodo up and carrying him so they can complete their quest. Beyond Sam's motivation of Frodo to keep going, he also looks after him as though he is his father. He is very responsible and even saves Frodo’s life on more than one occasion. In addition, Gandolf is definitely a godly force who helps all of the characters throughout the story and has wisdom that surpasses all. Although, it is important to note that even though he is the "white wizard" he cannot dictate what is going to happen, nor can he prevent it. Furthermore Aragon is able to defeat the Orcs once he convinces the decease army to fight in order to free their spirits. He then becomes king and ruler. Every character mentioned has contributed to the triumph over evil and undertaken a tremendous journey. However, it is still unclear to me who deserves the title of epic hero.

Although in my mind, there is a lack of a designated hero, I feel that Tolkien does an admirable incorporating a vast amount of settings in his epic poem. This element combined with the various journeys help constitute it as an epic. It is also important to recognize that Tolkien has incorporated many of the previous great epic poets into his work. You can see hints of Homer, Vergil, and Milton throughout and it serves as a reminder that all of these poets continue to build off of one another.

The Quest For A Hero

Lord of the Rings poses a very similar question to Paradise Lost - - - Who is the HERO? After examining the film, I feel there are four possible candidates that could be given this title. They are: Frodo, Sam, Gandolf, and Aragon; each of these characters influence the outcome of the epic in some way. Similarly, they all have flaws but are able to triumph over evil. Frodo is the one who ultimately destroys the ring; however I strongly feel that without the help of Sam, this deed would have never been done. Sam also motivates Frodo to keep going and looks after him as though he is his father. He is very responsible and even saves Frodo’s life on more than one occasion. Gandolf is definitely a godly force who helps all of the characters throughout the story and has wisdom that surpasses all. Furthermore Aragon is able to defeat the Orks once he convinces the decease army to fight in order to free their spirits. He then becomes king and ruler. Every character mentioned has contributed to the triumph over evil and undertaken a tremendous journey. However, it is still unclear to me who deserves the title of epic hero.

Adam's Repent

Please forgive me if this is a repeat of my previous post, I posted this last week, but do not see it up on the blog :-)

The final segment of Paradise Lost plays an important role; we see a different side of Adam. Up until this point I viewed Adam as almost insignificant. However, in Book 10, Adam makes a transformation. He not only becomes more of a round character, but also seems to make a transformation from innocence to moral and self awareness. Adam's initial reaction to repentance, blameful and unknowing, gives way to an enlightened awareness of self acceptance and vision into the future. Adam finally sees that part of his new place in the world is to take responsibility for his actions, bare the consequences, and carve out a new world for future generations. Up until this realization Adam was stuck in a self absorbed state; attempting to justify his fall with excuses of corruption and blame on Eve.

"Lord of the Rings" Epic Connections

Having been a first time "Lord of the Ring" watcher as well, I found myself constantly trying to connect the various plots to the epics we covered this semester. I discovered the following similarities:

• There were various subplots; almost every character had there own specific conflicts. There were no insignificant characters; everyone in the movie played a specific role and served an important purpose.
• Various layers of moral significance surfaced: similar to Paradise Lost and the Aeneid, "Lord of the Rings" brings forth the idea of sacrifice for the common good over one's self. Another illustration of morality lies in the fight between good and evil that plagues the entire work.
• One may be able to validate the idea of Mordor symbolizing Hell and Lord Sauron and the Ring of Power symbolizing Satan.
• The idea of temptation, like in the other epics covered, is very prevalent. The power of the ring and its promise of riches and wealth to its owner is a significant source of temptation throughout the story. Only an individual who is strong willed and keeps the good of others in mind over self gratification will survive. (In this case, Frodo and Sam, ultimately possess this power of temptation.
• Similarly to Paradise Lost, there is the premise that evil will always exist, however, the question lies in who will follow this evil power. Just as Satan and his devils had a choice, so do the characters in Middle Earth.
• In contrast to the idea of evil is the existence of good. We see that good, similar to its role in Paradise Lost, is not vengeful. Rather, it places in its roots in the ideals of putting others first. After all, if Biblo had killed Gollum all would have been lost; as Gollum played an integral role in destroying Sauron's power.